Kitchener high school closed Thursday after confirmed case of measles
Eastwood Collegiate Institute in Kitchener is closed for Thursday after a confirmed case of measles.
The Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) says the school was closed to give Region of Waterloo Public Health the time it needs to complete required steps in vaccination verification.
The confirmed case of measles at Eastwood Collegiate also caused exposures on May 7 and May 8.
Public health will be reaching out to people who may have been exposed to the virus on those days. They will be given information about the required next steps.
"We continue to work closely with public health to ensure appropriate infection prevention and control practices are in place and that we have the necessary support," WRDSB said in a notice posted online on Wednesday night.
The public school board said Eastwood students will continue their classes virtually. It says some students may use the day to work on previously-assigned homework.
There were 920 high school students across Waterloo region who were suspended from school last week for not having up-to-date vaccination records on file with public health.
The news is particularly concerning because there's a rise of measles cases throughout the province, Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the region's medical officer of health, said in a release last Thursday announcing the suspensions.
"Vaccination is the best way to protect against serious illness," Wang said in a press release.
The Immunization of School Pupils Act says students must be vaccinated or have a valid exemption on file in order to attend school.
Schools in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph with exposures
In the area covered by Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, four schools are listed as having measles exposures, with one school having three separate exposure dates:
April 28 to April 29 — Central Peel Public School in Drayton.
May 1 — Erin Public School.
April 30 to May 1 — Paisley Road Public School.
May 2 — Guelph Outdoor School.
May 2 — Erin Public School.
May 5 — Erin Public School.
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