Ottawa Public Health has started its annual review of student immunization records, and families of some seven- and 17-year-olds could receive suspension notices if their files are not brought up to date.
The yearly assessment checks whether students are in compliance with the Immunization of School Pupils Act, which requires that children attending school in Ontario be immunized against nine vaccine-preventable diseases or hold a valid documented exemption for medical or religious/philosophical reasons, according to Ottawa Public Health.
As in previous years, this round of notices targets two birth cohorts: students born in 2009 and 2019 — those who are seven and 17 years old. OPH said suspension notices will be issued to students in those age groups whose families do not respond to the mailed notices with the required information.
What families will receive
According to Ottawa Public Health, each notice of incomplete immunization includes a copy of the student's immunization record currently on file with OPH, along with instructions on how to update the record with the agency.
The notices are being sent to families across the city's major school systems. They include elementary and secondary students at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and the Ottawa Catholic School Board, as well as students at French-language boards — the Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario (CEPEO) and the Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE) — at both the elementary and secondary levels.
A staggered rollout
OPH said it works with the school boards to set the schedule for the process, and notifications are deliberately staggered from year to year to spread out the workload the letters can create — both for school offices and for family doctors.
The agency also noted that families may contact their physicians or nurse practitioners as the letters go out, which can mean increased demand for vaccination appointments and a corresponding need for vaccine ordering at some practices.
The announcement came in a memo dated November 2, 2026, from Dr. Laura Bourns, Deputy Medical Officer of Health, addressed to Ottawa physicians and nurse practitioners. In it, Bourns thanked health-care providers for their role in keeping patients' immunizations current and in protecting Ottawa residents from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Parents who receive a notice can follow the included instructions to update their child's immunization record with OPH. Students whose records remain incomplete after the response period are the ones at risk of receiving suspension notices under the act.
Ottawa Public Health has recently moved to a refreshed website, and the agency is asking residents to report any broken links or missing documents they encounter while the transition is underway.
