UPDATE: The university has relocated the monkeypox vaccination clinic to the Carleton Technology and Training Centre (CTTC) building, which is home to the university’s health and counselling services, according to CUSA president Anastasia Lettieri.
Carleton University announced in a press release on Aug. 30 it will be holding a monkeypox vaccination clinic with Ottawa Public Health on campus Sept. 7 from 1 PM to 7 PM at the Fenn Lounge in Residence Commons.
The clinic will be open to all students, staff and faculty eligible to receive the vaccine in Ottawa.
Currently, sex workers and anyone who self-identifies as belonging to the gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men community may be eligible for the vaccine. Their sexual partners and pregnant or immunocompromised persons in the same households may also be eligible, according to Ottawa Public Health.
In a statement to the Charlatan, Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) president Anastasia Lettieri said CUSA welcomes the monkeypox vaccination clinic but called on the university to hold the clinic in a more private space.
“The choice to host the vaccination clinic in a public setting, such as the Fenn Lounge, may risk outing gay and bisexual students, men who have sex with men and students who engage in sex work,” she said. “We recommend moving the vaccination clinic location to a more private area with less foot traffic to mitigate stigma and offer privacy to students.”
The university also announced it would continue to strongly recommend wearing masks but not mandate them, in line with current municipal public health guidelines.
The university is also recommending students and staff remain up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations and continue uploading proof of vaccination and subsequent booster doses onto CuScreen.
“The university will continue to monitor the situation and to communicate any changes,” the press release read. “We ask that everyone remains vigilant and continues to show patience and compassion as we navigate our collective return to campus.”
On Aug. 22, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) local 4600, which represents all 3,000 teaching assistants, internally-funded research assistants and contract instructors at Carleton, filed a grievance against the university for failing to consult with the union on the decision to end its mask mandate and failing to protect workers.
CUPE 4600 could not be reached for comment in time for publication.
According to the Canadian Press, 14 Canadian universities recently surveyed by the news agency will be mandating masks this fall.
Featured graphic by Sara Mizannojehdehi.
