VANCOUVER—The province is working “flat out” on rolling out a vaccine registry for schoolchildren in the wake of a measles outbreak in B.C. that has infected 13 people.

Provincial health minister Adrian Dix said public health experts recommended a system where parents register the vaccination status of their children.

“We’re going to get it done as soon a possible, and I’m optimistic we can do it soon,” Dix said Monday.

During Question Period in the B.C. Legislature the following day, Dix said the ministry aims to have the system in place by September.

He did not say how they would collect the information, whether any vaccines would be mandatory or whether any exemptions will be allowed.

A mandatory registration system will help educate parents and ensure they “report out what they are doing” whether or not they are keeping up to date on the immunization schedule recommended by the province.

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Dix said the registration system is not punitive, but it’s proven policy that can raise vaccination rates and hold parents accountable.

“What we don’t want to do is go through a process that involves court cases or punishing children for the actions of their parents,” said Dix.

Some parents don’t vaccinate because they don’t have access to primary health care and have “fallen through the cracks of the system,” he said. “I think a mandatory registration would help with that.”

In Ontario, children in primary and secondary school must get vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, meningitis, whooping cough and, if born after 2010, chickenpox or they can be suspended and their parents or guardians can be fined up to $1,000, according to the government website. They can seek exemptions for medical reasons or on religious or conscientious grounds.

However, Dix said their focus won’t be on stringent rules, as a strict approach has not been proven to increase the immunization rate alone.

Dix said Tuesday that despite Ontario’s strict regulations, the province’s immunization rate for the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination is only at 91 per cent, which falls four per cent below the national goal. Newfoundland, with less stringent rules, had a rate of 96 per cent. This data is confirmed in a 2015 report from the C.D. Howe Institute.

“It’s not just about rules; it’s about ensuring people have the information they need,” Dix said, adding that the ministry is working to ensure better access to health records.

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A petition on change.org calling on the B.C. government to make vaccinations mandatory for children attending public schools — except for medical-based reasons — has more than 43,000 signatures.

With files from The Canadian Press.

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