Vaccination Services for Students Receiving an Order for Suspension from Attendance at School (ISPA)

To: Health Care Professionals in Niagara
From: Vaccine Preventable Disease program, Niagara Region Public Health
Reference: Vaccination Services for Students Receiving an Order for Suspension from Attendance at School (ISPA)
Date: February 20, 2025

This memo provides a summary of important dates and reporting deadlines for the Immunization of School Pupils (ISPA) record review underway through Niagara Region Public Health (NRPH).

2025 Record Review: Important Dates

Starting the week of February 24, 2025, NRPH will be mailing approximately 9,000 suspension orders to students who continue to have incomplete vaccination information on file with Public Health:

Receiving a suspension order does not mean immediate suspension
- If missing immunization information was reported to Public Health after the suspension orders are issued and mailed (end of Feb.), students may still receive the suspension order. They are instructed to contact the vaccine team to confirm if the suspension order is still in place.
- Students who receive a suspension order can still avoid suspension as long as they report all missing vaccinations or a valid exemption to Public Health before April 22
Students who continue to have incomplete vaccination information on file with Public Health as of April 22 will be suspended from school starting April 23, 2025

Health Care Provider Action

Please support students seeking vaccine appointments and ensure your office has enough vaccine to accommodate demand
If a student receives a suspension order from Public Health, it will list the antigen(s) needed, not the name of the vaccine(s) the student should receive. This is based on the vaccines we have on file for that student in Immunization Connect (ICON).
To determine the type of vaccine(s) needed, ask the child’s guardian to access the child’s immunization record for you using ICON, and to provide any other vaccination information they may have
- If the student is under 7 years of age, and they have not received at least 3 doses of high-antigen (DTaP-IPV-Hib), they may be required to receive a Pediacel® / Pentacel®. Please verify the child’s full record (see “additional info” column from ICON for the type of vaccine administered).
- If the student is 7 years of age and older and requires both a polio vaccine and a tetanus booster, give Adacel®-Polio
  - If the student only requires polio, please use monovalent polio vaccine (Imovax® Polio) that can be ordered. Do not use a combination product when the child is not due or overdue for other antigens.
- If a student did not receive their Men-C-ACYW-135 vaccine (Menactra® / Nimenrix®) in Grade 7, health care providers should order the vaccine from Public Health
Remind parents / legal guardians and students 16 years of age and older that they are responsible for reporting their vaccines directly to Public Health
Call Public Health if you have any questions (e.g. if there is a discrepancy between ICON and the notice). Please state that you are a health care provider and we will prioritize your call during times of high call volume.

For More Information

Contact the Vaccine Preventable Disease program at 905-688-8248 or 1-888-505-6074 ext. 7396
Medical Advisory: Implications for Children Previously Immunized with Oral Polio Vaccine
Memo: Immunization Record Review Timelines
Immunizations for school attendance: Vaccine resources for professionals | ontario.ca