The move is on to get thousands of Quinte area school children immunized so that they aren’t barred from school in a few weeks.
In January the Hastings Prince Edward Health Unit sent out notices to 4,400 students in the two counties, Belleville and Quinte West regarding students with overdue immunizations.
Manager of communicable diseases Bill Sherlock tells Quinte News, health unit staff members have been been at schools throughout February, providing the necessary shots.
Sherlock says he wants to make sure all the students are up to date before that day.
There are some changes in store for parents who do not want their school-aged children immunized.
In the past, parents have been able to withdraw their children from the program giving shots for various diseases, and still have them attend classes.
The provincial government changed the law last year, requiring those parents to attend an education session first.
In 2017, 313 students, without proper exemptions, were suspended at the April deadline and had to get the shots before returning to classes.
