TORONTO — Ontario teachers' unions are calling for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations in the province's schools, saying the government's immunization policy for the education sector falls short of what's needed.
Unions representing elementary, secondary, Catholic and French teachers issued a statement today in response to an announcement from the government on Tuesday.
The province said it will require unvaccinated staff at publicly funded schools to regularly get tested for COVID-19.
The unions say too few details have been provided about the plan, which is still being finalized by the Education Ministry, and note that the new academic year starts in just a few weeks.
They say they support mandatory vaccinations in schools, with accommodations for people who can’t be vaccinated for medical or religious reasons.
They also argue those who aren't vaccinated for any reason should have to follow stricter safety protocols than others.
"A mandatory vaccination program with proper provincial direction would provide greater protection against the spread of COVID-19 in school communities and protect students, especially those under the age of 12, as well as others who are unable to vaccinate or do not have access," the unions said in a joint statement.
"As the fourth wave of the pandemic intensifies, the Ford government cannot continue to abdicate its responsibilities by downloading COVID-19 planning onto school boards at the last minute."
Leaders of opposition parties have also called for a stronger mandatory vaccination policy ahead of the school year.
They argue the government's plan won't protect vulnerable children who aren't yet eligible for the shots.
Starting Wednesday, Ontario children born in 2009 became eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. That shot had previously been limited to those aged 12 at the time of their vaccination.
The province said it widened eligibility to 11-year-olds who will turn 12 this year after monitoring data from Alberta and British Columbia, which didn't identify risks after administering the shot to that age group for months.
The province said it's offering the shot to more children "to further support a safer return to school."
Ontario reported 485 new COVID-19 cases and three more deaths from the virus on Wednesday, with a majority of the cases among unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people.
The province has seen an upward trend in daily infections driven by the highly contagious Delta variant recently and Ontario's top doctor has warned that it will be "a difficult fall."
Eighty-one per cent of Ontarians aged 12 and older have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 73 per cent have both shots.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2021.
Holly McKenzie-Sutter, The Canadian Press
