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Should the COVID-19 vaccine be mandatory for students this fall

Vaccines like measles, mumps, and other diseases are mandatory vaccines for children but the question of concern now is will the COVID-19 vaccine be compulsory for students. We know vaccinations that are required for students to be in school.
Eco committeeWEB

Vaccines like measles, mumps and other diseases are mandatory vaccines for children but the question of concern now is will the COVID-19 vaccine be compulsory for students.

We know vaccinations that are required for students to be in school. Those who aren't vaccinated get a notice from public health saying you can't send your kid to school unless your kid is not vaccinated.

"We need an education task force with all the players at the table including teachers, parents, students with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education. This will help determine if we should make the vaccine mandatory or not," said Annie Kidder, executive director for People for Education.

She adds we should allow schools to turn into vaccination hubs.

"There have been times where kids got vaccinated at school, and that to me seems like the best way we can make sure that right at the beginning of school students those who want the vaccine can get it."

There is an understanding of the vaccination hesitancy. Kidder suggested having a vaccination hubs at school may ease the hesitation for some because now it has become more convenient. In addition, the province has a system where you have to show proof or show why you are not vaccinated. Kidder adds the table should consider this as a possibility. 

With the new school year being right around the corner, Kidder said they had heard many different things about the teaching models over the last year and a half. As a result, they have done several surveys on all the principles in the province, and this year they have already surveyed them twice.

The hybrid model of learning did have its advantages. Teachers were encouraged to learn new ways of working and learning. "People are saying it is easier to have a meeting with parents. It's been easier to bring people together and collaborate because you can do them virtually now.

Kidder adds, while there were advantages to online learning, they did have their disadvantages. "The education sector did expose all the cracks in the system, particularly with the inequity. So, families that were already struggling struggled way more during the pandemic.  

It is now more important than ever to provide students with the support they need. "Kids have lost some big milestones in their lives. All the social parts, relationships, graduations, chances to work in real-life situations, those are real losses and these moments they won't get back." Said Kidder.  

She adds in the fall, we have to think about what kids need to recover, move on, and find resilience in this time. and have all the support they need for their well-being. "There is a lot of work to be done."