More than 1,500 secondary students in Windsor-Essex are at home today.
They have been suspended for incomplete immunization records.
As AM800 news reported last month, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit issued roughly 7,900 suspension orders to area secondary students who had missing immunizations or failing to update their immunization records with the health unit.
WECHU CEO Nicole Dupuis says in June, over 13,000 suspension notices were sent to students.
She says incredible progress has been made since the notices were issued.
"We are at this stage at 1,519 and again our health unit staff have been working around the clock and are here on site available and we have clinics to help individuals enter their records or if they're really needing those vaccinations ensure that they get them," says Dupuis.
Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Shanker Nesathurai says individuals and families were notified on numerous occasions and have had opportunities to get up-to-date.
"The health unit recognizes that this has potentially disrupted young people and families but also I think should be recognized, there's been numerous communications with people to come up to date well before suspension day and I'm hopeful that young people and families will avail themselves for the opportunities to get vaccinated in these next few days as well," says Dr. Nesathurai.
He says there are approximately 19,000 secondary students in Windsor-Essex.
"I think it's also important to recognize that we expect more people to get vaccinated and this effort has brought more and more people up to date," says Dr. Nesathurai. "Vaccinations help young people throughout their life time and it's particularly important as young people leave high school and graduate that we can provide them the best possible health moving forward."
On August 23, there were 5,234 secondary students at risk of being suspended.
The health unit has held and continues to hold catch-up immunization clinics.
Under the Immunization of School Pupils Act, all students in Ontario must be up-to-date on immunizations.