Carleton University laid out new COVID-19 vaccine requirements on Aug. 5 for students and faculty returning to campus this fall.
In addition to all members of the Carleton community now being required to self-declare their vaccination status, the university also requires students participating in activities that carry a higher risk of COVID-19 transmission to be fully vaccinated for the upcoming semester.
Higher-risk activities include living in residence, participating in varsity and competitive club sports and participating in music instruction. The announcement states the list of higher-risk activities may change as public health guidelines evolve.
Carleton is currently recognizing vaccinations approved by Health Canada and those “listed as emergency use” by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Health Canada has approved four vaccines also authorized by WHO: AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson). WHO also recognized Sinopharm and Sinovac. Sinopharm has been approved by 59 countries, while Sinovac has been approved by 39 countries.
An individual must have received a second dose at least 14 days prior to declare full vaccination status.
If students moving into residence or engaged in high-risk activities have not yet received a full series of Health Canada-authorized vaccinations, they have until Sept. 10 to book their first dose and they must receive their second dose by Oct. 15. Students who received two doses of Sinovac or Sinopharm do not need to receive additional vaccines to return to campus.
Vaccination clinics will be held on campus in mid-August, early September and in October, according to the university’s announcement. Clinics on campus will offer Health Canada-authorized COVID-19 vaccines by appointment.
Those vaccines are available to Carleton employees, students and approved contractors aged 18 or older who are unvaccinated. Vaccines are also available for those who have waited four weeks since their first dose of an mRNA vaccine or eight weeks since the first dose of an AstraZeneca vaccine.
Individuals who cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons or other grounds recognized by the Ontario Human Rights Code can request an exemption via email.
All individuals on campus regardless of vaccination status are required to follow all public health guidelines, including wearing a mask and physical distancing.
Other universities across Ontario and Canada mandated vaccine requirements earlier in the summer, including the University of Ottawa where students must submit proof they received their first dose of a WHO-approved vaccination before moving into on-campus residence.
Featured image provided by Unsplash.
