Grand Erie Public Health, formerly the Brant County Health Unit and the Haldimand Norfolk Health Unit, has issued suspension orders set to take effect on March 25, 2025, for elementary and secondary school students in Brantford-Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk who have not met the immunization requirements under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA).
A total of 2,006 suspension orders have been issued for students in Brantford-Brant in the 2008, 2013, and 2017 cohorts. In Haldimand-Norfolk, 829 students in the 2008, 2016, and 2017 cohorts have received suspension orders. These students have not provided up-to-date immunization records or valid exemptions, despite multiple reminder notices issued since July 2024.
Under Ontario law, the ISPA mandates that students between the ages of 4 and 17 provide proof of immunization against tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, meningitis, and varicella (for children born in 2010 or later) or have an official exemption to attend school. Parents and guardians, not healthcare providers, are responsible for ensuring that public health receives immunization records or exemption documentation.
Grand Erie Public Health is responsible for collecting and maintaining immunization records for all students under 18 years old in the Brantford-Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk region.
“Ensuring that all students are up to date with their immunizations is crucial for the health and safety of our school communities. By enforcing the Immunization of School Pupils Act, we aim to protect students from vaccine-preventable diseases by maintaining high immunization coverage rates. We urge parents and guardians to review their children’s immunization records and report any updates or deficiencies to public health promptly,” said Dr. Malcolm Lock, Acting Medical Officer of Health for Grand Erie Public Health.
The enforcement of the ISPA aims to maintain high immunization coverage rates and prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in schools.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to submit historical or recently updated immunization records through the Grand Erie Public Health website at www.bchu.org/immunization or www.hnhu.org/immunization_reporting to prevent suspensions.
Some students are not immunized due to medical or non-medical reasons. In these cases, parents or guardians must submit a valid exemption for their child to attend school.
If a vaccine-preventable disease outbreak occurs at a school, the Medical Officer of Health may exclude non-immunized students from attending until the outbreak is declared over.
COVID-19 vaccinations are not currently required under the ISPA or the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA). Students who are not immunized against COVID-19 do not require an exemption.
Under Ontario law, parents and guardians may request an exemption for their child under the ISPA for medical or non-medical reasons.
A medical exemption requires a Statement of Medical Exemption completed by a doctor or nurse practitioner.
A non-medical exemption (for philosophical or religious beliefs) requires completion of a mandatory Immunization Education Session and submission of an affidavit signed and stamped by a Commissioner of Oaths.
To obtain a non-medical exemption, parents or guardians must first watch the Mandatory Immunization Education Video, which covers immunization basics, vaccine safety, community health, and Ontario immunization laws. After watching the video, they must complete and submit the follow-up survey to Grand Erie Public Health. A parent who completes this will not be required to redo it for future exemptions.
Next, parents must complete the Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief Form and take the completed form along with the Vaccine Education Certificate to a Commissioner for Taking Affidavits to have it signed and stamped.
Once signed, parents must make a copy of the affidavit for personal records and drop off the original affidavit and Vaccine Education Certificate at Grand Erie Public Health’s Brantford office at 194 Terrace Hill Street.
Schools do not process exemption forms—these are managed through the public health unit.
Once Grand Erie Public Health confirms completion of the Immunization Education Session and receives the original affidavit, the exemption is entered into the provincial database and remains valid for any school in Ontario.
For medical exemptions, a doctor or nurse practitioner must complete a Statement of Medical Exemption. Parents or guardians must submit the original form to Grand Erie Public Health at 194 Terrace Hill Street, Brantford. No Immunization Education Session is required for medical exemptions.
For licensed childcare centers, parents must complete a Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief under the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA). Immunization Education Sessions are not required for childcare exemptions, but once a child enters school, a new exemption must be submitted.
A separate form must be signed and notarized, and parents must complete a mandatory Immunization Education Session for exemptions under the school system.
The affidavit for exemptions must be signed and stamped by a Commissioner of Oaths, Notary Public, Justice of the Peace, or a designated municipal official. Some ServiceOntario locations may provide this service, though fees and ID requirements may apply.
Grand Erie Public Health was established in January 2025 following the merger of the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit and the Brant County Health Unit.
The organization provides public health services for the County of Brant, City of Brantford, Haldimand County, and Norfolk County.
Its mandate is guided by the Health Protection and Promotion Act and the Ontario Public Health Standards.
For more information on immunization requirements, exemptions, or to submit records, visit www.bchu.org/immunization or www.hnhu.org/immunization_reporting.
