Ontario requires mandatory vaccines for students against nine illnesses, but says it won't for COVID-19
The Ontario government says they won't force students to be immunized against COVID-19 because they "respect the choices individuals will make" despite already requiring children to be vaccinated against nine other illnesses.
Unless a student has a valid exemption, children in Ontario who attend primary or secondary school must be immunized against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps rubella, meningitis, whooping cough and chickenpox.
"Children who do not get immunized are at increased risk of disease," the government website says. "They may be removed from school during a disease outbreak."
Parents must provide proof a child’s immunization to their local public health unit and keep immunization records.
Despite not clearly stating why, the Ontario government has remained firm in stating the COVID-19 vaccine won't be added to this list.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore said Wednesday that the province won't even be informed of a child's COVID-19 immunization status when students return to the classroom in September.
"There shouldn't be any barriers or stigmatization of children who have not received a vaccine in any way," he said.
Toronto-based infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch says there may be a variety of reasons as to why the government is leaving COVID-19 vaccines off the list of required inoculations.
He said part of it could be for political reasons, and that the government might also be waiting "for more highway miles with these vaccine."
"We know that there certainly is a low, but not zero per cent chance of myocarditis with the vaccines, that’s the inflammation of the heart, and even though it’s rare, it’s more common in younger populations," Bogoch said.
"I think if we look at what’s happening now and we appreciate there are no mandates for this vaccines in schools, and we fast forward, I’m just going to make up a number here, a year, two years, three years, I would imagine at some point in the future when we have more highway miles with this vaccine, when we have tremendous amount of data with the safety and efficacy of these vaccines, I wouldn't be surprised if it was added to the list of vaccines required."
CTV News Toronto reached out to the government to clarify why the COVID-19 would not be required while other vaccines are, but was told to refer to the comments made by Education Minister Stephen Lecce earlier on Wednesday.
Those comments referred to respecting the individual choices of parents and students, but did not explain what the difference is between COVID-19 and the illnesses students are already required to be vaccinated against.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.