The Lennox Island First Nation is making vaccines mandatory for employees who work with children in the community.

The band council said in a statement posted on social media that people who work directly with children will have to be fully vaccinated "or else seek employment elsewhere.

"Our population is very vulnerable for many reasons and at this point in this global pandemic, where variants are developing, our children especially are the most vulnerable, so strong measures must be taken to ensure that everything that can be done to lessen risk to the children and elders as well, absolutely must be taken."

The council said employees who do not work directly with children will be assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine whether they can work while adhering to safety precautions.

"We have always prided ourselves on getting ahead of the curve and in this instance it is better to be taking strong measures now so that we can get back to some semblance of normal and save lives," it said.