PREPARED BY: Immunization

DATE: 2026-09-24

In Ontario, the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) R.S.O. 1990 requires children and adolescents attending elementary or secondary school to be immunized against nine specific diseases, or have a valid medical, or conscience/religious belief exemption on file. Under the Ontario Public Health Standards (OPHS), health units must maintain immunization records or exemptions for all students in their jurisdiction. This report provides updated immunization coverage rates in Windsor-Essex County (WEC) among 7, 12, and 17-year-olds and identifies program achievements and opportunities for improvement.

Coverage rates represent the percentage of all WEC students immunized according to Ontario’s publicly funded schedules. Table 1 presents 2025-26 WEC coverage rates for ISPA-required and strongly recommended school-based vaccines, comparisons to the previous school year, available provincial rates, and national goals. The 2024-2025 data in this table differs from that presented in the previous board of health report: Student Immunization Coverage 2024-2025. Data presented below reflects actual PHO data for the 2024-2025 school year. 2025-2026 school-year WEC data are derived from Panorama Enhanced Analytical Reporting (PEAR) forecaster compliance reports until PHO data become available. Accordingly, 2025–26 rates are based on PEAR, while 2024–25 rates are based on PHO data.

Hepatitis B and HPV are recommended and offered to 12-year-olds during their grade 7 year.

DISCUSSION

School aged immunization coverage in WEC remains strong across all age groups and continues to exceed provincial averages for vaccines required under ISPA. Among 12-year-olds, coverage for ISPA-required vaccines remained above 92%, while coverage for Hepatitis B and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines improved compared with the previous school year and remained above provincial averages.

Among 7-year-olds, immunization coverage for all ISPA-required vaccines remained above provincial averages and are generally stable from the previous year, ranging from 87.84% for Varicella to 93.51% for Rubella. These findings reinforce the importance of upstream approaches that support timely immunization and record reporting before school entry. To address this need, the WECHU launched the childcare centre strategy in 2025 and continues to expand this work in 2026. 

Throughout the 2025-2026 school year, WECHU supported Grade 7 vaccine uptake through early consent collection, school-based clinics, in-house clinics, and targeted follow-up with families. Coverage among 17-year-olds showed WEC continued to meet or exceed the 90% national goal for Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Polio, and Meningococcal vaccines. Coverage for Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus remained stable whereas coverage for Hepatitis B, and HPV decreased compared with the previous school year. The declining rates in the latter highlight the need to understand local data and focus on additional upstream interventions. In 2026, the WECHU engaged Ipsos(a global leader in market research) to better understand local factors influencing vaccine confidence and uptake. Preliminary findings indicate that some parents have concerns regarding the purpose, benefits, timing, and safety of HPV and Hepatitis B vaccines. These insights will help inform targeted communication strategies and program interventions to address identified barriers and support informed decision-making. In addition, the WECHU has aligned its advocacy efforts with those of other health units by submitting a board resolution calling for Hepatitis B to be offered earlier in the publicly funded immunization schedule.

CONCLUSION

WEC continues to achieve strong coverage for ISPA-required vaccines, with rates consistently exceeding provincial averages. The principal opportunities for improvement are Hepatitis B and HPV, which are not required under ISPA and remain below national goals. These findings support continued efforts to improve access, strengthen vaccine confidence, and engage families early.

Building on successful 2025-2026 initiatives, the WECHU will continue to strengthen access to immunization services through early Grade 7 consent collection, school-based and community clinics, targeted family follow-up, and collaboration with schools, health care providers, childcare centres, and community partners. Continued expansion of the childcare centre immunization strategy will support earlier identification of incomplete records and timely vaccination prior to school entry.

Local immunization coverage data and findings from the 2026 Ipsos survey will guide evidence-informed, culturally responsive interventions addressing vaccine confidence, information needs, autonomy, and access barriers. Through these efforts, the WECHU remains committed to improving vaccine coverage, reducing health inequities, and protecting children, youth, and families across WEC.