WATCH: Is it legal to suspend students who aren’t vaccinated?

For more than a year now, public health units across Ontario have been warning parents and guardians that if their children's vaccination records aren't up to date, they could be suspended.

As measles cases continue to surge, that threat has become reality in some parts of the province.

The latest round of suspensions came last week, when the Region of Waterloo Public Health ordered 920 students to stay home from school due to out-of-date vaccination records.

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Are these suspensions legal? Yes.

According to the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA), students must show proof of vaccination for diphtheria, polio, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chickenpox) and meningitis in order to attend school.

However, parents do have the option of acquiring an exemption form for medical or religious reasons — which means these childhood vaccines, though highly recommended, are not mandatory.

VIDEO: Suspensions loom for thousands of unvaccinated students

Dr. Zahid Butt, an infectious diseases expert at the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo, was a guest this week on our Inside the Village podcast. We asked him if suspensions are the right strategy.

“It terms of emergencies — like something we are facing now — it is something you have to do," he said. “It does seem cumbersome, but in the bigger picture you have to do certain measures. Otherwise, it’s very difficult to stop the spread of this disease.”

You can watch the full interview HERE.

​Inside the Village — hosted by Scott Sexsmith and Michael Friscolanti, the Editor-in-Chief of Village Media — is a news and current affairs podcast that provides a weekly window into some of the best local journalism from across our chain of Ontario newsrooms. Produced by Derek Turner, the program also explores bigger-picture issues that impact people across the province.

Every episode can be found HERE. If you prefer the audio version, it is available wherever you find your favourite podcasts.

Have something to say? You can reach us at itv@villagemedia.ca.

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