The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit says the number of students suspended from school because of missing immunizations is down to zero, as of this week.
"We really don't want to penalize kids for not having their vaccines," says Dr. Wajid Ahmed, associate medical officer of health with the health unit. "We're happy that we were able to set the record straight, and make sure that we have everything on file, so the children can attend school."
Ahmed says as of Tuesday all students have either gotten the necessary vaccines, or the health unit has been provided exemptions where appropriate.
He says the health unit plans on continuing the program next year — and possibly expanding it.
"It's going to continue on a yearly basis and we also would start targeting other grades as well," says Ahmed. "We've learned a lot from our experiences and this is probably the biggest cohort that we were dealing with."
The enforcement affected children born in 2008, and had 207 students in Windsor-Essex suspended for having out of date immunization records at the beginning of the school year.
