Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA)
The Immunization of School Pupils Act, Bill 142 applies to any pupil who is under the age of 18 years. The Act requires that, "the parent of a pupil shall cause the pupil to complete the prescribed program of immunization (Appendix B) in relation to each of the designated diseases, diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps and rubella." 

Exceptions are in situations where a parent has filed, with the Medical Officer of Health, a Statement of Medical Exemption or a Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief Affidavit (Appendices C, D). 

The responsibility for enforcement of the Act is delegated to the Medical Officer of Health. The ISPA provides Medical Officers of Health with the legal framework to maintain immunization records on school pupils enrolled in schools located in the health unit jurisdiction. It also provides powers to take action with respect to inadequately immunized pupils, including suspension and exclusion. 
 

Procedure Used to Obtain Immunization Information 
Vaccine Preventable Disease Program staff meet with or call the principal early in the school year to discuss the process of immunization information collection and to arrange for access to required data. Schools will be asked to provide: 

• 1. demographic and immunization information on all new students, 
• 2. monthly transfers, admissions and address changes; and,
• 3. annual enrollment list (hard copy or Board of Education export) and end of year retirement list. 

Questionnaires are mailed to parents of students 18 years of age or younger who are inadequately immunized or if no immunization information is available. The information collected is entered into IRIS. If the Health Unit does not receive the required information within the time frame requested on the forms, a suspension order is issued. 

The suspension order is mailed to the parent (and the student if the student is 16 years of age or older). The original orders are delivered to the principal of the school with explanatory material (Appendices E,F). 

An order to rescind the suspension (Appendix G) will be available only when an appropriate response has been obtained by the Health Unit. 

Those schools that were in the process of receiving notices towards the end of one school year will be reviewed first in the following school year. 

Procedure to Exclude Students from School in the Event of an Outbreak 
Vaccine Preventable Disease Program staff will contact the principal in the event of a suspected or confirmed outbreak at a school. A class list/ close contact list will be requested to allow Vaccine Preventable Disease staff to contact parents. In the event that exclusion of students is
necessary, staff will deliver exclusion orders and explanatory material (Appendices H,I) to the principal. Students will not be permitted to attend the facility until an Order to Rescind the Exclusion (Appendix G) is delivered to the principal or if the principal is advised by Vaccine Preventable Disease program staff. Parents will receive copies of the orders through the mail. 

Grade Seven Hepatitis B Program 
The staff of the Vaccine Preventable Disease Program will contact the principals early in the school year to determine the number of Grade Seven students enrolled. Distribution of the consent forms (Appendix J ) and information will also occur during this period. 

A tentative clinic schedule will be sent to all schools for review. Conflicts should be reported to the Health Unit and an alternate clinic date will be selected. Final schedules and notices will then be mailed to the schools. 

Clinics will begin in early October for the first dose of hepatitis B. Any students who did not complete the program in the previous year are encouraged to finish their series at school with the Grade 7s. If this is not possible, they may call the Health Unit to set up an appointment on a Health Unit Clinic Day.