Hundreds of high school students in Waterloo region have been temporarily suspended from school for having out-of-date vaccination records.

Region of Waterloo Public Health said in a release Thursday morning that 704 secondary school students were suspended effective immediately. The move comes after public health mailed suspension orders to more than 3,200 students whose records were out of date in early March.

"Vaccines are one of the most effective ways to protect your child from serious illness," Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the region's medical officer of health, said in the release.

"Reporting your child's vaccines and keeping them up to date helps to protect your child and the community from preventable illnesses."