Toronto Student Vaccination Records 2026–27: How To Report Updates And Avoid School Suspension
Toronto Public Health is reviewing Grade 2 and Grade 11 records. Here is how to check a file, report doses, and respond to a notice.
A vaccination-record letter does not necessarily mean a student needs another shot. Toronto Public Health (TPH) may be missing information about doses the student has already received. Check the public-health record alongside the family’s yellow card and clinic records.
In its September 2, 2026 announcement, TPH said it is reviewing records for Grade 2 students, generally born in 2019, and Grade 11 students, generally born in 2010, during the 2026–27 school year. Families will receive letters if required vaccination information or a valid exemption is missing.
Under Ontario’s Immunization of School Pupils Act, the local medical officer of health can issue a school suspension order if the required information is not received. Use the response deadline on the student’s letter; the September announcement does not give one deadline for all Toronto families.
Who Needs To Act This School Year
Compare any TPH letter with the student’s yellow vaccination card and Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON) record. Follow up when:
- The letter says one or more required doses or boosters are missing.
- The student received the vaccine, but the dose does not appear in the TPH record.
- The student recently moved to Toronto from another province or country.
- The student is beginning kindergarten and has not yet had records reported locally.
- An exemption is missing or incomplete, or a medical exemption has expired
Parents or legal guardians, or students aged 16 and older, are responsible for reporting vaccinations to TPH. Health-care providers are not required to submit these reports under the school-record rules, so do not assume a clinic visit has updated the public-health file.
Vaccines Covered By Ontario’s School Rules
Students aged 17 and younger need age-appropriate vaccination records for nine designated diseases, or a valid exemption:
- Measles
- Mumps
- Rubella
- Diphtheria
- Tetanus
- Polio
- Pertussis, also called whooping cough
- Meningococcal disease
- Varicella, also called chickenpox, for students born in 2010 or later
The number and timing of doses depend on age and vaccination history. Ontario’s routine immunization schedule includes an adolescent booster for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. Ask a health-care provider to review an unclear dose history rather than deciding from the disease list alone.
How To Report A Vaccination In ICON
Use the ICON portal linked from the City’s Report Student Vaccination page to view and submit records. TPH also provides a step-by-step ICON guide.
- Gather the yellow card or other vaccination documents. Check that they show the vaccine name and the date each dose was given.
- Open ICON and follow the identification steps using the student’s Ontario Health Card or the 10-digit Ontario Immunization ID on the TPH letter. Use a PIN if the portal requests it.
- Enter the vaccine names and dates, review the information, and follow any prompts for supporting documents.
- Submit the record and save the tracking number. Keep the original documents. Updates appear after TPH reviews them, so allow time before the deadline on the letter.
Without an Ontario Health Card, call 416-338-7600 and select option 2 to request an Ontario Immunization ID and PIN. TPH also lists phone, mail, and email reporting options. It warns that email is not a secure way to send health information.
An ICON account locks on the student’s 16th birthday and needs a PIN reset. The student must contact TPH directly and give consent for a parent or guardian to continue accessing the record.
What To Do If A Dose Is Missing
For a missing vaccine or booster, contact the student’s health-care provider or use the TPH community clinic page. School-required vaccines are publicly funded. Check the current clinic information and call TPH if you cannot complete a booking.
Bring the TPH letter and vaccination records to the appointment. After a dose from a health-care provider, report it to TPH. At a TPH clinic, ask staff how the dose will be recorded and check that the public-health file is updated.
If records were submitted but letters continue, call 416-338-7600 and select option 2. TPH notes that a record may still need clarification or an age-appropriate booster.
How The Suspension Process Works
TPH paused suspension orders in March 2026 for the remainder of the 2025–26 school year. That announcement did not extend the pause into 2026–27. The September 2026 notice again warns of possible suspensions for incomplete records.
A notification letter is not a suspension order. TPH says it sends at least one notification and gives families at least four weeks to respond before sending an order.
An order lists the missing information, suspension dates, reporting options, and appeal instructions. TPH says the suspension starts at least four weeks after the order is sent and can last up to 20 school days.
TPH can lift an order once the student meets the requirements, including before the suspension starts. If the student is already out of school, get TPH confirmation that they can return. Uploading a record alone is not confirmation that the order has been lifted. These suspensions do not go on the student’s education record.
Parents, guardians, and students aged 16 or older can request a hearing within 15 days after an order is served. TPH says written notice must go to three parties: the Medical Officer of Health, the Health Services Appeal and Review Board, and the school principal. Follow the instructions on the order. Send vaccination records to TPH, not to the appeal board.
Exemptions Have Their Own Paperwork
Medical exemptions require the provincial Statement of Medical Exemption completed by a physician or nurse practitioner. TPH says the practitioner submits the documentation. Check that TPH has the valid exemption on file.
For a non-medical exemption based on conscience or religious belief, a parent or guardian must complete TPH’s vaccine education session and obtain a certificate. The same person completes the provincial Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief and has it sworn or affirmed before a commissioner for taking affidavits. TPH requires original signatures and does not accept electronic signatures on this form.
Mail the original sworn or affirmed form and a copy of the education certificate to Toronto Public Health, Vaccine Preventable Diseases, 5100 Yonge Street, 2nd Floor, Toronto, ON M2N 5V7. Check the current exemption instructions before submitting the paperwork.
A valid exemption can meet the attendance requirement, but a student may still be excluded during a case or outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease at their school.
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