Less than a week after saying it would make no commitments, New Brunswick’s Mount Allison University has announced it would make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for students and staff.
In a release Thursday, the Sackville, N.B., school said the announcement was “in response to evolving developments in the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“As we have consistently for the past 17 months, we will continue to adapt to what is happening with the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to keep our campus and community as safe as possible,” said president and vice-chancellor Jean-Paul Boudreau.
“We thank everyone who has already been fully vaccinated and encourage the rest of our community to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”
People are asked to get their shots by Oct. 1 at the latest. They will be asked for proof of vaccination.
The school said those who are not vaccinated will still be allowed to attend, but “will be subject to health and safety regulations that include regular testing provided by the University as well as mask-wearing.”
COVID-19 cases have been on the rise in New Brunswick, mostly among unvaccinated people. In a release Wednesday, the province said 94 per cent of people in an emerging Moncton cluster of cases are not fully vaccinated. The cluster is being driven by the Alpha variant.
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Later on Thursday, St. Thomas University in Fredericton announced it would also be implementing a mandatory vaccine policy for students and staff.
“We recognize that we need to do more to strengthen our health and safety measures; therefore St. Thomas will be developing and implementing a policy of mandatory vaccinations consistent with the guidance from Public Health,” a statement from the university said. “In the coming days, we will be developing the parameters for effectively and equitably implementing such a mandate on our campus and we will be reporting back to you on further details.”
Also Wednesday, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs announced that all public sector employees will need to be vaccinated.
Elsewhere in the Maritimes
With the start of school just around the corner, other universities in the Maritimes are considering making the jab mandatory.
In Nova Scotia, Mount Saint Vincent University spokesperson Gillian Batten said the Halifax school is “actively considering” the issue and expects to have a decision “very soon.”
And at Dalhousie University, the faculty association has been calling for mandatory vaccines for staff and students.
However, Dalhousie stopped short of making that commitment, saying they are continuing to plan to the fall while “adhering to the latest Nova Scotia Public Health guidelines.”
“Our conversations with Labour and Advanced Education, Nova Scotia Public Health, the Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents (CONSUP) and key stakeholders across Dalhousie are ongoing and we will adjust our approach as needed, based on the best available data, evidence and advice,” said spokesperson Janet Bryson in a statement.
Across the country, several other Canadian universities have mandated vaccines, including the University of Ottawa, Queen’s University and the University of Saskatchewan.
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