As students across Windsor-Essex get ready to go back to school, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) wants to remind you of a few important things to help keep everyone healthy.
- Make sure your child’s immunizations are up to date.
- Watch for signs of measles.
- Keep your child home if they are feeling sick to help stop the spread of illness.
If there is a case of measles at school, any student who does not have proof of being protected against measles will have to stay home for 21 days after their last contact with the case of measles.
To avoid any learning interruptions if measles is found at school, families are encouraged to the these steps:
Before School Begins
- Learn the signs and symptoms of measles. Review the measles fact sheet included with this letter.
- Make sure all immunizations are up to date, including the one for measles. Immunizations are the best way to protect your child from getting sick or having serious health complications.
- Keep records of immunizations. Students must have up-to-date immunization records to attend school, as required by the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA). You can check your child’s immunization records with the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) online.
- Report immunizations to the WECHU. If your child was immunized by a health care provider (e.g., family doctor, pediatrician, walk-in clinic) be sure to report vaccines to the WECHU. Visit immune.wechu.org
- Talk to your doctor if you’re not sure whether your child is protected against measles.
During the School Year
- Each day, check to make sure your child isn’t showing signs of illness before sending them to school. If your child is feeling sick or has signs of measles, keep them home and call your doctor or health care provider.
- If measles is found at school, follow the instructions from WECHU and the school. If your child needs to stay home, you’ll get a letter explaining what to do.
If you have any questions, please call the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, Monday to Friday, between the hours of 8:30am to 4:30pm, at 519-258-2146 Ext. 1420. For more information on measles, please go to the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit website.
Thank you for helping keep our schools safe and healthy!
For more information, visit:
- The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU), 2025. Measles
- Public Health Ontario, 2025: Routine and Outbreak-related Measles Immunization Schedules