Suspensions under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) and Exemptions

• Provincial law: The Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) is a provincial law that requires students attending school in Ontario to be vaccinated and protected against nine specific diseases. 
• Meeting ISPA requirements: For a student to meet the ISPA requirements, TBDHU must have record of the student receiving vaccines against the nine specific diseases (listed below) OR have on file with TBDHU a valid exemption (more information on exemptions below) for that student.
  • DTaP-IPV-Hib (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, haemophilus influenza type B) 
  • Men-C-C (meningitis) 
  • Tdap-IPV (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, polio) 
  • MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
  • MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella, varicella) 
  • Men-C-ACYW 135 (meningitis) 
  • Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) 
  • IPV (Polio) 
  • Varicella (chicken pox) – only if born after January 1, 2010 
• Suspensions: Under the ISPA legislation, students will be suspended from school if they do not meet these requirements by the first day of the suspension period. TBDHU must enforce the law. 
• Why this is important: Vaccines protect children from vaccine preventable diseases and when students are protected, this reduces the risk of disease outbreaks in schools. 
• More information on each vaccine: More information on the vaccines listed above can be found on the Ontario vaccine website.

What happens when a record is considered incomplete according to ISPA?

• Communication sent to parents: TBDHU will send communication to families to give them the time needed to update their child’s vaccine record by:
  • reporting the missing vaccine information to TBDHU OR
  • making an appointment to get the missing vaccines and then sharing the vaccine information with TBDHU

How can I report vaccine information to TBDHU?

• Upload a photo: One of the easiest options is to upload a photo of any vaccine information and send through a safe and secure link.
• Other options: Other options include faxing, mailing or delivering to the nearest TBDHU office. Details on each option can be found at TBDHU.com/vaxreport.
• Register for ICON: TBDHU recommends parents/guardians also register for an Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON) account. An ICON account will allow parents/guardians to access their child's vaccine records quickly and easily in the future if they are needed for medical, travel, employment or post-secondary education. The postal code used to register must match the postal code in the vaccine record. Families experiencing challenges accessing ICON can call 807-625-5908 or toll-free 1-888-294-6630 (ext. 5908). 

How can my child get the vaccines they are missing?

• Family health care provider:  After getting the missing vaccine(s) from a family health care provider, the information must be shared with TBDHU (see above for the options) as this is the responsibility of the parent/guardian.
• TBDHU Clinic: Families can make an appointment for their school-aged child to receive the vaccine(s) at a TBDHU clinic using the online booking system at TBDHU.com/vaxclinics. Any vaccines given by TBDHU will automatically be added to the child’s record.

If my child received their vaccine(s) from a health care provider, why isn’t it a part of their record?

• Parent/guardian responsibility: It is the parents/guardians’ responsibility to report their child’s vaccine information to TBDHU.TBDHU only has record of the vaccines administered by our staff.
• Not required to report: Health care providers are not required to report to TBDHU the vaccine(s)they administer.

Why are students suspended from school for not having up-to-date vaccination records? 

• Protects students and school communities: Immunization protects children from vaccine preventable diseases and reduces the risk of disease outbreaks in schools.
• TBDHU required to enforce: TBDHU must enforce the law as outlined in the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA)
• Process allows time to avoid suspension: The process developed by TBDHU includes communication through the mail to alert families and give them time to get their child’s record up to date to avoid suspension.
  • Virtual learners must also get the vaccines required under ISPA, but they will not be suspended.

Can children receive an exemption from immunization?

• Two exemptions available: We encourage parents and guardians to ensure their child is protected against vaccine preventable diseases. However, there are two types of exemptions available to parents/guardians; medical and conscience or religious belief.
• More information: See the Exemptions under ISPA tab at the bottom of this page for more details.

Who can I contact with any questions? 

• Website or call: Call the Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPD) program in Thunder Bay at 807-625-5908 OR your nearest branch office, Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm.

High Schools; Catholic and Public (English and French school boards), Seventh Fire High School,  Thunder Bay Christian

• Request for Information Notice (first notice): Mailed week of January 27, 2026
• Order of Suspension (second notice): Mailed week of March 2, 2025
• Suspension Period Begins: First day is Wednesday, March 25, 2026
• Suspension Period Ends 20 school days later: Thursday, April 23, 2026 (Good Friday and Easter Monday are not included in the 20 days)
  • Students can return to school on Friday, April 24, 2026 if they do not resolve the suspension during the 20 days

 Catholic Elementary Schools (English and French school boards), Thunder Bay Christian School

• Request for Information Notice (first notice): Mailed week of February 9, 2026; includes students in Sr Kindergarten through Grade 8
• Order of Suspension (second notice): Mailed week of March 16, 2026
• Suspension Period Begins: First day is Wednesday, April 8, 2026
• Suspension Period Ends 20 school days later: Tuesday, May 5, 2026 (PA days are included in the 20 days)
  • Students can return to school on Wed, May 6, 2026 if they do not resolve the suspension during the 20 days

Public Elementary Schools (English and French school boards), IR Churchill Elementary School, Seventh Fire Junior High, Al Khayr Academy

• Request for Information Notice (first notice): Mailed week of February 23, 2026; includes students in Sr Kindergarten through Grade 8
• Order of Suspension (second notice): Mailed week of March 30, 2026
• Suspension Period Begins: First day is Wednesday, April 22, 2026
• Suspension Period Ends 20 school days later: Wednesday, May 20, 2026 (the May 18 holiday is not included but PA days are included in the 20 days)
  • Students can return to school on Thursday, May 21, 2026 if they do not resolve the suspension during the 20 days

All schools (elementary and secondary) in all Thunder Bay District communities will follow the same schedule:

• Suspension Prevention Immunization Notice (first notice): Mailed the week of February 9 2026
• Order of Suspension (second notice): Mailed on Thursday, April 2, 2026 
• Suspension Period Begins: First day is Wednesday, April 29, 2026
• Suspension Period Ends 20 school days later: Wednesday, May 27, 2026 (the May 18 holiday is not included but PA days are included in the 20 days)
  • Students can return to school on Thursday, May 28 if they do not resolve the suspension during the 20 days.

• Exemptions: Under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) your child can be exempted from immunization for medical reasons or due to conscience or religious belief.
• Signed form must be submitted: The sections below provide more information on the process that must be followed for the forms to be submitted.
• Altered documents not accepted: No part of the signed forms can be altered (e.g. clients writes in COVID-19 vaccine) in any way and no public health unit, including TBDHU, can accept the altered document. If a parent/legal guardian does not agree with any part of the affidavit, they must attach a separate letter or note that can be submitted with the affidavit.

Exemption for Medical Reasons

You must fill out a Statement of Medical Exemption form that has been signed by a physician or nurse practitioner and submit it to the closest TBDHU office. It will indicate the reason for the exemption:

• your child has a medical condition that prevents them from receiving the vaccine
• there is evidence of your child’s immunity to the disease, making further immunization unnecessary 

Exemption for Conscience or Religious Belief

Parents/guardians must complete the following steps:

1.    Complete a mandatory education session by watching a video (Vaccine Education Video - YouTube) that covers:

• Basic information about immunization
• Vaccine safety
• Immunization and community health
• Immunization law in Ontario

2.    Complete a Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief form and have it signed by a commissioner for taking affidavits in Ontario.

3.    Make an appointment with a TBDHU nurse once step 1 and 2 are complete. Call 807-625-5908 in Thunder Bay or contact your nearest TBDHU office. Staff will provide you with next steps. As you will need to submit the original signed form, it is recommended that you make a copy for your records.