The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) is aiming to maintain the strong vaccination rates it has observed among local schoolchildren.
About 93.1 per cent of students in Windsor-Essex are in full compliance with the provincial standards on immunization. However, there are 4,580 students who either have missing immunizations or incomplete files with the health unit.
That breaks down to 2,686 elementary students and 1,894 secondary students, as of Tuesday, January 20.
The deadline for parents and students to update their vaccination records is Friday, March 6, for elementary students, and Friday, March 27, for secondary students. Failure to update immunization records will result in suspension from school.
"The WECHU continues to work closely with families to make the process as simple and accessible as possible and encourages parents and guardians to reach out if they need assistance," read a media release from the health unit.
The health unit suggests three methods of updating records.
Contact your health care provider to obtain any missing immunizations or records. Once received, it is the parents' responsibility to forward the information to the health unit, not the doctor's.
Submit the records online, by phone at (519) 258-2146, extension 1222, by fax at (519) 258-7288, or in person at the health unit's offices in Windsor and Leamington.
Contact the health unit directly to set up an immunization appointment. A variety of clinics will be offered, some with evening and Saturday appointments.
