Thousands of Ontario students threatened with suspension — for not being vaccinated

Inside the Village - A weekly podcast featuring newsmakers in Ontario

Send us a Text Message.

Remember when measles were pretty much eradicated? So much for that. The number of confirmed cases in Canada has now reached 40 — more than three times the number in 2023. Why the resurgence? A growing number of kids simply aren’t getting vaccinated like they used to. The spike in cases comes just as public health agencies across the province are cracking down on elementary and high school students whose immunizations are not up to date, including shots for mumps, measles and rubella. In recent weeks, thousands of kids have received letters in the mail, warning they’ll be suspended for 20 days if they don’t roll up their sleeves (or if their parents don’t fill out the necessary exemption forms). Joining Scott and Frisco to break it all down is Dr. Dawn Bowdish, an associate professor of medicine at McMaster University. Also on the podcast: Should Highway 400 be renamed in honour of the late Gordon Lightfoot? “Carefree Highway, let me slip away on you…”