The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit says it’s continuing to make progress on ensuring children who attend school are up-to-date with vaccinations or have a valid exemption on file.
“Recognizing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the HKPR District Health Unit acknowledges many children are behind on routine immunizations,” the health unit said on July 11.
It added that throughout the 2022-23 school year, it’s worked towards addressing the issue by mailing out notices to parents of students overdue for immunizations, according to their records. The health unit said it’s also educating parents or guardians on the importance of updating records.
“This approach has led to approximately 2,200 immunization records being updated since the fall of 2022,” the health unit said. Haliburton County numbers are not known since the health unit only reports regional numbers.
Manager of health protection, Marianne Rock, said, “I am very proud of the great work our teams have accomplished. However, there are still many students who are overdue for immunizations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
She added they would be continuing to work throughout the summer months to help students and families get ahead of the 202324 school year.
In July, they’re mailing about 6,600 notices to parents of students who do not meet the school requirements. Parents are encouraged to ensure their child’s immunization record is up-to-date or book an appointment with their family doctor, or the health unit if they don’t have a family doctor’s to get required vaccinations to avoid suspension in the 2023-2024 school year.
