The Haliburton Kawartha District Health Unit has issued suspension orders for some 600 students in Haliburton County the City of Kawartha Lakes and Northumberland County over vaccination records.

The health unit announced April 10 that it would be sending the orders out to hundreds of families. If vaccination records are updated it is unlikely the children will have to miss school.

“School suspension orders are a last resort and only issued when students and their families have not updated their vaccination records with the health unit”  Marianne Rock the health unit’s manager of communicable disease prevention and control said in a press release. “We encourage families who receive these suspension orders to contact us immediately so vaccination records can be updated and students won’t have to miss a day of class.”

Families who receive orders are asked to contact the health unit at 1-866-888-4577 ext. 1507 to update their records or go to www.hkpr.on.ca.

In January the health unit contacted 2500 students with out-of-date vaccination records and during the past three months the records of most students who were facing possible suspension have been updated.

According to the health unit many of the students have likely received required vaccines. It’s just a matter of families sharing that information. Students who require vaccinations can receive them from their health-care provider or from a health unit nurse.

The Immunization of School Pupils Act gives health units the authority to issue suspension orders for students who have not been vaccinated against diphtheria tetanus polio measles mumps rubella whooping cough chickenpox and meningococcal disease.