The Hastings Prince Edward District School Board Committee of the Whole voted in favour of having the board chair write a letter advocating to consider the addition of the COVID-19 vaccine to student immunization records.
If approved by the board, the chair would draft a letter to the local Medical Officer of Health, the Ontario Medical Officer of Health and the Minister of Education for Ontario in support of the consideration.
The matter was brought before the committee at Monday’s meeting which was attended by both Hastings Prince Edward Medical Officer of Health Dr. Piotr Oglaza and impending acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Ethan Toumishey.
Both Oglaza and Toumishey spoke in favour of vaccinations for all eligible people.
Under the Immunization of School Pupils Act a student may be exempt from the required immunizations with a written medical exemption or due to religious/philosophical beliefs.
Any parents seeking non-medical exemptions for their child will need to undergo an education session on immunizations.
Students who are exempt and do not have the vaccines may be temporarily removed from school if there is an outbreak of any of the vaccine preventable illness.
At the Committee of the Whole meeting there was discussion on the wording of the motion specifically on removing the word compulsory.
Some board members were in strong opposition of the motion citing the desire for immunization to be left private and up to the parents.
The matter was called to a recorded vote and was passed by a count of five in favour to three opposed.
It will now move forward for approval to the school board.
