Laurentian University has reversed its position with regards to requiring vaccinations in some of its student population.
In June, Laurentian president Robert Haché told members of the university’s senate that the university wouldn’t be requiring vaccinations for students living in on-campus residences.
However, Haché said in a Aug. 11 statement released on the university’s website that this stance has now changed after consulting with the local health unit.
Cambrian College also made a similar reversal in its position on the same topic last month.
As of late July, Collège Boréal was not requiring vaccinations to access the college’s sites, including residences. Sudbury.com plans to reach out to Boréal to see if anything has changed.
“Following the recommendation of Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, the Medical Officer of Health from Public Health Sudbury & Districts (PHSD) Laurentian University will require COVID-19 vaccinations for students living in residence, as well as varsity student athletes, as of September,” Haché said in the statement.
“This decision is being made to prioritize the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and community members.
“Important concerns raised by PHSD contributed to this decision, such as the low vaccination rates for people aged 18-29 in our region, the Delta variant of COVID-19, and the congregate living setting in residences.”
Haché went on to say that students living in Laurentian University residences and varsity athletes will be required to have at least one dose of an approved Health Canada or the World Health Organization (WHO) emergency use list by Sept. 4, and a second dose by Oct. 15.
Residence students and varsity athletes who are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons or other grounds protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code will be able to submit a request for accommodation through Accessibility Services, he said.
“We encourage all of our community members to receive their vaccine as soon as possible,” he said.
“To support vaccination efforts, we will be hosting multiple on-campus vaccination clinics for which the details will be communicated, however, we encourage people not to wait for these and to receive a vaccination as soon as possible.
“We will be communicating directly with students with more information in the coming days.”