Loading ...Lawyer speaks out against Ontario’s mandatory vaccine surveillance of school children
The tension between public health’s vaccine data requirements and individual privacy rights raises important legal questions about the control and confidentiality of personal medical records. As vaccine mandates continue to spark debate across Canada, legal experts are scrutinizing the impacts on civil liberties, especially in education.
The controversy centers around the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) and the Education Act, the former regulates vaccine compliance for school attendance while the latter outlines education delivery in the province. Ontario’s requirement for students to disclose personal medical information, such as vaccination records or exemptions, has raised alarms among parents who wish to keep their children’s private medical records just that: private and confidential.
For many, the reality of this overreach is becoming clear. Students who refuse to disclose medical information are facing suspensions lasting up to 20 days—equivalent to four weeks of missed classes. This punishment, typically reserved for severe infractions such as violence or drug trafficking, is now being applied to children merely seeking to protect their privacy.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that Ontario and New Brunswick are the only provinces in Canada that require proof of immunization for school attendance. As Rumpal points out, the disparity in vaccine disclosure requirements across the country calls into question whether these mandates are truly necessary for public health.