Health Professionals Update - Vol. 18, No. 23
From:
Hetal Patel, MD, MPH, CCFP, FRCPC
Associate Medical Officer of Health
In this issue
- Immunization screening letters for the 2025-2026 school year.
- Reminder: Updated Polio vaccine guidance for children with OPV history.
Key messages
- Peel Public Health is mailing letters to students who have not provided updated immunization records to attend school as required under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA).
- Students may contact their physician’s office to obtain an immunization or a copy of their immunization record.
- Remind parents and guardians to report immunizations to Peel Public Health.
- Polio is not included in ISPA screening and enforcement for the 2025-2026 school year.
- Continue to review the student’s polio immunization history even if polio is not listed in the letters.
- Review vaccine supply and order accordingly due to anticipated increase in demand.
Immunization letters for the 2025-2026 school year
Beginning September 17, 2025, Peel Public Health will mail immunization screening letters to students who require immunizations as outlined in the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA).
For the 2025-2026 school year:
- Immunization record screening and suspension enforcement (up to 20 days) will be applied to students in Grades 2 to 6 and Grades 9 to 12 attending publicly funded schools.
- Suspension enforcement will start in December 2025 and continue for the different groups of students into May 2026.
- One-time notifications (no suspension enforcement) will be issued for Grade 1, Grade 7, and Grade 8 students in the Spring of 2026.
ISPA vaccine indications for students
The antigens required under ISPA align with the Publicly Funded Immunization Schedules in Ontario.
The minimum age at first dose and spacing between doses must be followed to meet the ISPA requirements.
What to do if a student presents with a screening letter
If a student presents to your practice with an immunization screening letter, follow these steps:
- Check your records for the student’s immunization history. If the student has already received the vaccines listed on the form, provide this information to the parent or guardian.
- Administer the vaccines if the student has not received the vaccines.
- Remind parents and guardians to report their child’s immunizations online or call Peel Public Health 905-799-7700, toll free 1-888-919-7800.
Vaccines received out of province should be considered valid if there is written documentation of administration of vaccine at ages and intervals comparable with the Ontario Publicly Funded Schedule. The record for these vaccines should be in English or translated by you, your patient or a relative to be considered valid.
Reminder: Updated polio vaccine guidance for children with OPV history
In April 2024, the Ministry of Health released updated polio immunization recommendations for children who received oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV), aligning with guidance from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI). This applies particularly to children who were previously immunized outside of Canada.
Implications for ISPA
Polio will not be included in ISPA letters for the 2025-2026 school year.
Polio immunization recommendations
Some children previously considered up to date for polio may now require re-immunization. Healthcare providers are recommended to:
- Continue to review the student’s polio immunization history even if polio is not listed in the screening letter.
- Presume that any recorded doses of OPV administered on or after April 1, 2016, are invalid.
- Administer an age-appropriate series of IPV or IPV-containing vaccine, which covers all three poliovirus types as per the Publicly Funded Immunization Schedules for Ontario.
Ordering routine vaccines
An increase in demand for routine vaccines is expected through the end of the school year. Please ensure you have at least a one-month supply on hand. Continue to monitor your vaccine inventory and refrigerator capacity closely, and place orders as needed to maintain adequate stock.
Contact us
The Health Professionals Update (HPU) is distributed to physician offices in Peel region via fax or email. Share this update with other health professionals in your clinic.
More information:
- Review past HPUs
- Subscribe to HPU emails
- For questions about this update, email healthprofessionals@peelregion.ca