Trustees split on adding COVID-19 vaccine to the list of mandatory immunizations
Posted Aug 31, 2021 12:30:00 PM.
Discussions around adding COVID-19 to the list of mandatory immunizations became a prickly issue for some Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) trustees at Monday's meeting.
After the board had heard a school reopening preparation presentation from staff, trustees asked questions and some brought forward their motions.
One of those asked the school board to write to the Ministry of Education, chief medical officer of Ontario, and public health officer for the Region of Waterloo to ask for the COVID-19 vaccine to be added to the list of immunizations for those eligible to receive it.
The request didn't sit well with Cindy Watson, trustee for Cambridge/North Dumfries.
“I would have liked some notice on this so I could have given it some thought,” she said. “This seems to me as if we're not welcoming students whose parents choose not to get vaccinated. Is that what we're saying?”
Carol Millar, trustee for Waterloo/Wilmot, defended her motion.
“We currently have vaccines that are mandatory for our students,” she said. “In case of families who choose for whatever reasons that choose not to vaccinated, there are protocols to follow. The only difference is we're adding COVID-19 vaccine to the list of already mandatory vaccines that our students must have.”
Watson continued airing her disagreement.
“My concern is, and I've seen this pattern growing more and more, we're making decisions and not consulting,” she said. “And quite frankly, I've had it up to here with motions flying around.”
Her partner trustee for Cambridge/North Dumfries, Jayne Herring, clarified that the trustees had looked into the matter.
“She does not know who we have consulted with,” she said, talking about Watson. “Just because she does not see consultation occurring, doesn't mean it's not occurring.”
Watson wasn't convinced.
“You can't guarantee we've consulted in a broad way,” she said. “I will be abstaining from voting for this, simply because of the trend we're promoting.”
Mike Ramsay, trustee for Kitchener, sided with Watson.
“I do share her concerns,” said Ramsay, adding he would abstain from voting on the motion. “We write these letters to the ministry of education and we get a response we don't like, does this set us up to bar the students from school?”
Bill Lemon, elementary school superintendent for Area 7, explained that the school board works in collaboration with public health to enforce the Immunization for School Pupils Act.
“During the school year, when students are dismissed from school to get that process undertaken and satisfied,” he said. “It's not a permanent suspension; it has an end date.”
Ramsay said he also had concerns about the messages being sent through the motions.
“I, too, have had conversations with constituents and they've told me they want this scare mongering to cease,” he said. “I think we need to tone the rhetoric down a bit.”
With that, Ramsay said, he was going to vote against the motion to register his disagreement.
The motion was passed with a majority despite two trustees voting against it and one abstaining.
A second motion was also brought forward during the meeting, but it met with way less resistance from those around the table.
Herring said she'd heard from staff about wanting to wear KN-95 or N-95 masks instead of the ones being provided by the school board. The report presented to the board did not mention the type of masks being provided.
“The level of masks provided to staff should be enhanced,” she said, adding the ministry should also foot the bill for the enhanced masks. “I would like to move a motion to send a letter to the minister of education urging the ministry to provide a strong level of masks for staff and students.”
More information on the return to school plan is available on the WRDSB website.
