Windsor-Essex Catholic School Board trustees back mandatory vaccination policy
Board supports motion calling for COVID-19 vaccines for students, staff
The board of trustees for the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board supports a mandatory vaccination policy for students and employees.
The board passed a motion at a meeting Wednesday night to send a letter calling on the provincial government to add COVID-19 to the list of vaccines that are mandatory for students under the Immunization of School Pupils Act.
The letter also recommends that COVID-19 shots be mandatory for all school employees, volunteers and agencies, with the exception of those unable to get vaccination for a medical reason.
Earlier this month, the province announced that it will set up a vaccine disclosure policy for education workers.
Local cases growing
The motion was put forward by board chair Fulvio Valentinis. It comes as COVID-19 cases are surging in Windsor-Essex, with 448 active cases as of Thursday.
Students in the Catholic board return to the classroom from summer break on Sept. 7.
Currently, about half of those aged 12 to 17 in Windsor-Essex are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 63.7 per cent have at least one dose, according to statistics from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.
Anyone born in 2009 or before is eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.