TDSB trustees vote unanimously to develop mandatory COVID-19 vaccine plan

Toronto District School Board (TDSB) trustees have voted unanimously to develop a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine plan.

The vote took place during a regular board meeting on Wednesday evening.

In a release, spokesperson Ryan Bird said trustees agreed that TDSB staff will develop a procedure “which would require all TDSB staff, trustees, and visitors to disclose and provide proof of vaccination status and to be fully vaccinated to help protect the health and safety of both staff and students.”

The procedure is expected to cover the following main areas:

• Those who come under the purview of procedure must submit a formal attestation and provide proof of vaccination if they are fully vaccinated.
• Those who have not been vaccinated will be required to attend mandatory education on the benefits of vaccination.
• The procedure will include a schedule with dates by which unvaccinated people must disclose if they have received their first and second shots of the COVID-19 vaccines.
• The procedure will “contemplate” where regular COVID-19 testing would be required.
• The finalized strategy is to be implemented before school reopens on Sept. 9 if possible, or as soon as possible after school starts.
• Accommodations will be made for those who are legally entitled to exemptions.

“The data is clear — being fully vaccinated significantly reduces the risks of the most serious outcomes of COVID-19,” said board chair Alexander Brown in a statement. “This is an important step to ensure we are making our schools and workplaces as safe as possible for staff and students — particularly younger students who are not eligible to receive the vaccine.”

The trustees also voted to have the board chair write a letter to Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health and the Minister of Education reaffirming that the board supports that COVID-19 vaccines be added to the list of compulsory vaccinations for all eligible students, as advocated in a statement by the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association.