Toronto Public Health Pauses School Vaccine Suspensions for Remainder of 2025-26 School Year

Toronto Public Health pauses school vaccine suspensions for remainder of 2025-26 school year

Toronto Public Health (TPH) has announced it is pausing student suspension orders under Ontario’s Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) for the remainder of the 2025-2026 school year, effective immediately.

The decision is intended to provide families with additional time to update vaccination records while minimizing disruptions to in-person learning. Vaccine or valid exemption requirements under provincial law remain in place.

Thousands of Records Still Outstanding

Under Ontario’s ISPA, students must have up-to-date routine childhood vaccinations or a valid exemption on file to attend school.

TPH is currently assessing immunization records for students in Grades 2 to 5 attending Toronto public schools. At the start of the school year, more than 50,000 student records were not up to date. While many families have since complied, approximately 30,000 students still have outstanding records.

Toronto Public Health pauses suspension orders to help students catch up on required vaccinations and stay in school

News release: https://t.co/BNNqY7N5T0

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Public health officials say barriers such as difficulty accessing appointments, navigating reporting systems and language challenges have contributed to delays.

By pausing suspension orders, TPH aims to reduce administrative burdens on schools and families while strengthening overall immunization coverage across school communities.

Vaccine Requirements Still Apply

Although suspensions are paused, the legal requirements under the ISPA remain unchanged. Students must still meet vaccination or exemption requirements before the end of the school year.

TPH will continue working directly with schools and families to help students come into compliance.

Support Available for Families

Toronto Public Health is offering multiple supports, including:

• Community immunization clinics where OHIP cards are not required

• “How-to” resources available in multiple languages

• Exemption education sessions

• Public health nurses connecting with families at schools and by phone

What Parents and Guardians Should Do

TPH is urging families to take the following steps:

1. Check vaccine records
Parents and guardians should review their child’s Ontario Immunization Record (yellow card) or log into Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON) to confirm records are complete.

2. Get vaccinated if needed
Vaccines are available through primary health-care providers or TPH community immunization clinics.

3. Report vaccinations to TPH
Parents, guardians or students aged 16 and older must report vaccinations directly to TPH through ICON. Health-care providers do not report immunizations to TPH on behalf of families.

Officials emphasize that keeping immunization records current helps protect students, classmates and school communities, while preventing potential missed school days.

Toronto Public Health says the pause reflects its goal of keeping students in classrooms while continuing to promote strong immunization coverage citywide.

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