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Out-of-school suspension orders were mailed to families of 1,966 students in Sarnia and other parts of Lambton County without up-to-date immunization records.

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Ontario’s School Student Immunization Act requires proof of immunization or a valid exemption for children and students attending elementary and high school.

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The required vaccines are for tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, meningococcal disease, and varicella (varicella).

By law, families are responsible for ensuring that vaccinations are reported to local public health authorities.

Locally, families of students without up-to-date records or exemptions were notified in January and suspended from school with a Feb. 3 deadline for the health department to update their records.

A suspension order was then mailed on Feb. 10, said Karshenan Lai, health protection supervisor for Lambton Public Health.

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“About 1,157 were for elementary school students and about 809 were for middle school students,” she said.

“It’s about average with last year and consistent with years before the pandemic,” she said.

According to Lambton Public Health, approximately 1,854 orders were issued in 2025, and 437 business closures were enforced by the deadline.

The state says students who do not have up-to-date immunization records on file with their local public health department may be suspended until the records are provided.

Families must update their immunization records with Lambton Public Health by March 9 of this year, Lai said.

“The actual stop date is March 10,” she said.

You can update your vaccine record online. lambtonpublichealth.ca Or call our agent at 519-383-8331. Families can also stop by the health department office at 160 Exmouth Street in Point Edward to update their records.

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If your child needs vaccinations, “we always encourage people to go to their primary care provider first, if they have access to one,” Lai said.

There is a vaccine clinic on site at Lambton Public Health, and families who don’t have a health care provider can call to schedule an appointment, she said.

“Our high school also holds catch-up clinics for high school students,” Lai said.

“The vaccine is safe and effective,” she said.

In the spring of 2025, during the measles outbreak in Ontario that was declared over in October, Lambton County reported its first measles case in 10 years. In April 2025, Lambton Public Health said: Ninety percent of 7-year-olds and 95.5 percent of 17-year-olds in the county had been vaccinated against measles.

“Vaccines are one of the best ways to reduce illness, disability and death from a variety of infectious diseases and keep families and communities safe and healthy,” Lai said. “It also helps people reach growth and developmental milestones.”

pmorden@postmedia.com

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