The Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) is a law in Ontario, Canada, that requires children and adolescents under the age of 18 to receive certain vaccinations to attend primary and secondary school unless a valid exemption is provided, which includes medical, religious, and conscience exemptions.[1][2][3][4][5] The law applies to both private and public schools.[5] ISPA was adopted in 1990 and was last amended in 2017.[2][3]
| Immunization of School Pupils Act | |
|---|---|
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | |
| Enacted | 1990 |
The law requires vaccinations against the following diseases:[1]
- Diphtheria
- Tetanus
- Polio
- Measles
- Mumps
- Rubella
- Meningococcal disease
- Whooping cough
- Chickenpox (children born in 2010 or later)
On October 28, 2021, Chief Medical Officer of Health of Ontario Kieran Moore said that Ontario will not integrate a COVID-19 vaccine requirement into ISPA "at present".[6]
Legal challenge
editIn October 2019, Vaccine Choice Canada, an anti-vaccination group, held a rally in Toronto in support of a court case the group launched jointly with five parents against ISPA. While legal experts believe the court challenge is unlikely to be successful, President of the Ontario Medical Association Sohail Gandhi is concerned the increased visibility gained by the group may result in more disinformation about vaccines being disseminated to the public.[7][8]
References
edit- ^ a b "Immunization". Government of Ontario. 2018-07-04. Archived from the original on 2021-08-12. Retrieved 2021-11-02.
- ^ a b "Immunization of School Pupils Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. I.1". Government of Ontario. 2014-07-24. Archived from the original on 2021-11-14. Retrieved 2021-11-02.
- ^ a b "Immunization of School Pupils Act, RSO 1990, c I.1". Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. Archived from the original on 2021-11-14. Retrieved 2021-11-02.
- ^ "Immunization Requirements for School". Windsor-Essex County Health Unit. Archived from the original on 2021-11-03. Retrieved 2021-11-02.
- ^ a b "The Law, Exemptions, Suspensions and Exclusions". North Bay Perry Sound District Health Unit. 2021-08-12. Archived from the original on 2021-10-30. Retrieved 2021-11-02.
- ^ "Ontario won't include COVID-19 on list of mandatory immunizations, top doctor confirms". CBC News. 2021-10-28. Archived from the original on 2021-11-02. Retrieved 2021-11-02.
- ^ Jeffords, Shawn (2019-10-29). "Court challenge of Ontario's vaccination law unlikely to succeed: experts". National Post. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on 2022-03-22. Retrieved 2021-11-02.
- ^ "Anti-vaccine group, 5 moms launching legal challenge to Ontario's child vaccination law". CBC News. The Canadian Press. 2019-10-29. Archived from the original on 2021-11-03. Retrieved 2021-11-02.