Several Atlantic Canadian universities are making COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for people on their campuses.
But not all schools are requiring shots for everyone.
St. Thomas University announced late Thursday mandatory vaccinations for all students, faculty and staff just days after telling Global News they would not require them.
Jeffrey Carleton, the school’s associate vice-president of communications, said New Brunswick universities met earlier in the day with public health officials who encouraged the post-secondary institutions to reconsider vaccine mandates.
In a news release, the school said 87 per cent of students polled in a recent survey had either received both vaccinations, or expected to receive them, by September.
Carleton said the university is developing a program to accommodate students who are not vaccinated.
“In addition to the vaccinations, in addition to the high vaccination rate we already know we have, we’re leaving our health and safety, masking, distancing protection measures in place to begin the semester,” Carleton said.
St. Thomas has not set a deadline for when its community members need to have both shots.
The University of New Brunswick also reversed course on Friday, announcing a vaccine mandate in a brief statement online.
“Students, faculty, and staff will be required to be fully vaccinated with two doses of an approved vaccine,” the statement said. “Those who are unvaccinated will be required to participate in regular COVID-19 testing.”
The statement also said more information and deadlines will be announced next week “after further consultation with New Brunswick Public Health.”
Patrick Hickey, a student representative on UNB Saint John’s board of governors, said he’s pleased by the announcement, but disappointed by what he believes is a lack of concrete information.
“We saw from the announcement from Mount Allison University,” he began. “They, I think, were the first one in New Brunswick to provide concrete deadlines of October 1st.
“I hope that, very soon, UNB will show those plans and give students enough time to prepare into the fall semester.”
Université de Moncton is requiring students, faculty and staff at all three of its campuses to be vaccinated fully by October 15, or face frequent rapid tests.
“The vast majority of people currently infected with COVID-19 in the province are those who are not fully vaccinated,” said Dr. Denis Prud’homme, President of the Université de Moncton.
“That’s proof that vaccination works. It is therefore to protect the members of our university community, as well as the children, seniors and immunosuppressed people we all interact with, that we must participate in the collective effort to achieve a very high vaccination rate.”
Schools in Nova Scotia are opting against full-scale mandates and instead targeting specific segments of the university population.
Saint Mary’s University announced Friday it will require vaccinations for students in residence and anyone associated with varsity sports.
University president Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray said the goal is to have all students, faculty and staff vaccinated fully by October 15, even without a widespread mandate.
“We have tremendous confidence in our community that they, through education and their sense of responsibility, will do the right thing,” Summerby-Murray said. “We have preliminary data that we have a high level of vaccination across our community here at Saint Mary’s.”
Dalhousie University said it’s not implementing a full policy, but is examining its options.
“We continue to expect all students, faculty and staff to get fully vaccinated,” said Dalhousie University Provost and Vice-President Academic Frank Harvey, in a memo dated Aug. 19. “We are also exploring vaccination requirements for select potentially higher-risk activities (examples could include residence, athletics, etc.).”
Mount Saint Vincent University tells Global News it is expecting to make a decision on vaccine mandates very soon.
Cape Breton University informed residence students in July that they would be required to have at least one dose of a vaccine 14 days prior to their move-in date, but have not implemented any other policies.