Hamilton Public Health delays suspension of high school students with overdue vaccines

An ongoing cybersecurity issue impacting some city services has prompted Hamilton Public Health to delay the suspension of high school students with overdue vaccines or vaccine records.

Students in grades 9 to 12 with overdue vaccination records or without valid medical, religious or conscientious exemption records on file were mailed letters in January notifying them of their suspension as of March 4.

However, public health officials say the six-day-long cybersecurity incident that has disabled some city IT systems is preventing them from accessing updated immunization records.

“The delay in suspensions is in response to the ongoing difficulty that parents and guardians and students may be experiencing in reporting vaccinations to Hamilton Public Health due to this disruption,” a spokesperson for Hamilton Public Health Services wrote in a statement Friday.

READ MORE: Cybersecurity breach discussed at Hamilton’s city council meeting

Vaccination records can still be submitted via mail or through the Immunization Connect Ontario portal.

In the meantime, Hamilton Public Health is offering clinics for students with overdue vaccinations or records next week from Monday to Friday, as well as March 11 and 12.

The clinics will be held at 110 King St. West on the plaza level from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Clinics will close for lunch between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m.

“Immunizations are one of the most impactful and cost-effective public health interventions as they protect individuals from the harmful effects of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles,” the written statement continues.

Public health officials say they will reassess and plan to resume enforcement, including school suspensions under the Immunization of School Pupils Act, as the school year progresses.

READ MORE: Hamilton, Brant County health officials confirm case of measles

City Hall has not shared the nature of the cyber attack yet and has not shared what sensitive information could have been compromised. They say experts are involved in solving the issue and ask Hamiltonians for patience during the process.