THUNDER BAY – Lakehead University has joined the growing number of post-secondary institutions implementing mandatory vaccine policies for its students and staff.
All students, faculty, and staff must have received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 7, in order to access campus facilities, Lakehead announced in a statement Tuesday morning. Full vaccination will be required by Oct. 7.
Lakehead's announcement came just hours before the provincial government said Tuesday it would introduce vaccination policies of its own for post-secondary schools.
University president Moira McPherson said the policy would put Lakehead in line with other schools, and was necessary in face of ongoing public health concerns driven by the Delta variant.
“Over the past week, Ontario's post-secondary sector's response to vaccination requirements on university and college campuses has evolved dramatically,” she said. “While COVID-19 vaccination rates in Ontario have increased over the summer to levels that allowed for the relaxation of certain restrictions, certain variants of the virus continue to proliferate, with the highly contagious Delta variant now accounting for the majority of cases in Canada.”
Details of the policy, including how it will apply to visitors, are still being developed, McPherson said.
Lakehead joins a growing roster of post-secondary institutions in the country implementing vaccine requirements, including leading institutions like the University of Toronto, Queen’s University, Western University, and the University of Ottawa.
However, details around what proof is required and exemptions allowed have varied widely.
The move has the backing of local health authorities, with McPherson saying the Thunder Bay District Health Unit and Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit both “strongly supported the implementation of a mandatory vaccination requirement.”
Lakehead had announced a mandatory vaccine policy for students living in residence in July. At the time, the university encouraged all students and staff to get vaccinated, but said it wouldn’t be mandatory.
Confederation College announced a similar policy on Monday.
