{"id":58536,"date":"2021-08-04T08:00:55","date_gmt":"2021-08-04T12:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=58536"},"modified":"2021-08-03T14:51:09","modified_gmt":"2021-08-03T18:51:09","slug":"mandatory-covid-19-vaccines-on-university-campuses-an-obvious-solution-or-a-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/mandatory-covid-19-vaccines-on-university-campuses-an-obvious-solution-or-a-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"Mandatory COVID-19 vaccines on university campuses: An obvious solution or a problem?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

In the\u00a0United States<\/a>,\u00a0more than 600 institutions of higher education<\/a>\u00a0are requiring\u00a0students to be vaccinated<\/a>\u00a0to return to campus this fall.<\/p>\n

In Canada,\u00a0Seneca College<\/a>\u00a0in Ontario is making vaccination mandatory for anyone attending campus. The\u00a0University of Ottawa<\/a>\u00a0and others will require<\/a>\u00a0students living on campus to be vaccinated.<\/p>\n

The University of Toronto has announced that in addition to requiring vaccination for\u00a0students living in residence<\/a>, it will \u201crequire students, faculty, staff and librarians who participate in activities that carry a\u00a0higher risk of COVID-19 transmission to be vaccinated \u2014 and require all community members to self-declare their vaccination status<\/a>\u201d on an online platform. The university will use \u201canonymous, aggregate data on vaccination status, by campus,\u201d to inform health and safety measures.<\/p>\n

As September approaches, more post-secondary institutions\u00a0will announce how they are managing COVID-19-related decisions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We are two researchers with an interest in social and structural determinants of health who have been\u00a0discussing and writing<\/a>\u00a0about the pandemic for the last 16 months.<\/p>\n

We are involved in research about increasing\u00a0COVID-19 knowledge and protective behaviours, and reducing pandemic stress among diverse LGBTQ+ and racialized people<\/a>, and\u00a0how harm-reduction programs for people who use drugs, and other addiction services<\/a>\u00a0and HIV prevention have changed in response to COVID-19.<\/p>\n

While one of us is more supportive of mandatory vaccination on campuses \u2014 given voluminous evidence for COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness \u2014 we are both nevertheless concerned about mandatory vaccination.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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#UofT<\/a> to require vaccination for high-risk activities, self-declaration of vaccination status https:\/\/t.co\/zvvlpLkUAU<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/RzPkyYxQkC<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 University of Toronto (@UofT) July 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n