Publication date: Aug 30, 2022 • 3 hours ago • 4 min read • 78 Comments Western University students walk around campus. (Mike Hensen/The London Free Press)

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Western University should be more transparent about the reasons behind its mandate for a booster dose for staff and students, experts say, following a weekend protest on campus over the policy.

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The university was likely to be at the center of whether it kept masks and required boosters or abandoned both, bioethicist Maxwell Smith said Monday, but the administration could quell some criticism by being clear about the exact reason for its decision. Subscribe to receive a curated collection of links and highlights from our award-winning breaking news coverage, in-depth analysis and unparalleled investigative weekday features. By clicking the subscribe button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300

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“My reading from the press release accompanying the policy is that they believe this is the right move in order to preserve the learning experience. That’s really important to emphasize,” said Smith, an assistant professor in Western’s school of health studies. “Even just explaining this to the public is an important way to guard against irrelevant objections to it and help them understand the goal. . . . You can argue whether that’s a good goal for Western, but that’s their goal and they can give reasons to support it.”

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Under the policy, which was announced nearly two weeks before classes began, students and staff have until Oct. 1 to provide the university with proof of at least one booster dose. The mandate is an expansion of the one Western implemented last school year, which required students and staff to get two shots for COVID-19. Of the colleges and universities in Southwestern Ontario, Western — and sister colleges Huron and King’s, which also enforce the main campus policy — are alone in enforcing an enhanced mandate. The University of Brescia, also an affiliate of the West, as well as Fanshawe College, the University of Windsor, St. Clair College, Lambton College and Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo do not require proof of vaccination from students and staff this year.

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Similar to Western, Laurier is requiring masks in classrooms this fall. Several Ivy League universities in the US, including Harvard and Yale, mandate COVID-19 booster doses. Western students who oppose the booster dose requirement and a large crowd of non-student anti-pandemic activists protested outside Western’s community center on Saturday. The outsized criticism of the university’s policy is partly because it intrudes on various advocates and anti-restriction groups, Smith said. “Commands in general are so politicized and weaponized. Western stuck its neck out there as one of the only institutions in Ontario to do this. They called this control and flak from . . . those who were quite vocal about the restrictions,” he said.

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“This does not necessarily reflect the reactions on campus. It reflects the wider reaction we’ve seen in society at large from a vocal minority.” Western was unable to provide the number of students requesting booster dose waivers Monday. The university administration needs to be more clear about the science and data informing its decision and the consultations it had in developing the policy, said Zain Chagla, an infectious disease specialist and associate professor at McMaster University. The mandates should never be taken lightly and the benefits must be weighed against the potential harms of the policy, particularly as Ontario moves beyond the emergency phase of the pandemic, he said Monday.

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“We’ve seen Omicron cross Canada in the context of high vaccine rates. Three doses may have a transient effect on transmission,” Chagla said. “When you start seeing a giant mandate being imposed on students, some who got their shots in December or January, it becomes harder to justify.” While Western certainly had the best intentions with the boost order, the policy reflects pre-Omicron thinking, Chagla said. He is not sure if the mandate will have the desired impact on reducing disease in the Western community when students inhabit a world without restrictions. Meanwhile, imposing a third dose policy on students will be a barrier to education for some and may reduce goodwill and response on campus if another public health issue, such as a meningitis epidemic, breaks out and sparks a separate vaccination push , Chagla said.

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He said he would prefer to see Western gradually spend its time building enhanced trust with students, increasing COVID-19 testing on campus and ensuring strong supports are in place for students to stay home when they are unwell. Institutions in the London area are mixed regarding booster dose requirements. The Middlesex-London Health Unit includes booster doses in its staff COVID-19 vaccine mandate, while the London Health Sciences Center still requires its employees to get only two shots. Ontario’s vaccine passport system, which barred unvaccinated people from certain public facilities, including bars and restaurants, took just two doses before it was abandoned in March. After a phased rollout to older adults and high-risk groups last fall, all adults 18 and older became eligible for third-dose boosters in December 2021.

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At the time, during the rise of the Omicron-fueled fifth wave, public health officials encouraged people to get the extra shot to reduce the chance of serious outcomes and symptomatic illness. In the London area, third dose uptake is highest among the oldest population, at more than 80 per cent aged 65 and over. The third booster dose rate among London County and Middlesex residents aged 18 to 24 is about 40 percent as of Aug. 20. Adults 18 to 59 became eligible for fourth-dose boosters late last month. Fourth doses are not required under the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for Western students and staff. [email protected] Twitter.com/JenatLFPress

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title: “Western Must Explain Rationale For Covid Boost Order Experts Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-03” author: “John Callaway”

Publication date: Aug 30, 2022 • 3 hours ago • 4 min read • 78 Comments Western University students walk around campus. (Mike Hensen/The London Free Press)

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Western University should be more transparent about the reasons behind its mandate for a booster dose for staff and students, experts say, following a weekend protest on campus over the policy.

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The university was likely to be at the center of whether it kept masks and required boosters or abandoned both, bioethicist Maxwell Smith said Monday, but the administration could quell some criticism by being clear about the exact reason for its decision. Subscribe to receive a curated collection of links and highlights from our award-winning breaking news coverage, in-depth analysis and unparalleled investigative weekday features. By clicking the subscribe button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300

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“My reading from the press release accompanying the policy is that they believe this is the right move in order to preserve the learning experience. That’s really important to emphasize,” said Smith, an assistant professor in Western’s school of health studies. “Even just explaining this to the public is an important way to guard against irrelevant objections to it and help them understand the goal. . . . You can argue whether that’s a good goal for Western, but that’s their goal and they can give reasons to support it.”

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Under the policy, which was announced nearly two weeks before classes began, students and staff have until Oct. 1 to provide the university with proof of at least one booster dose. The mandate is an expansion of the one Western implemented last school year, which required students and staff to get two shots for COVID-19. Of the colleges and universities in Southwestern Ontario, Western — and sister colleges Huron and King’s, which also enforce the main campus policy — are alone in enforcing an enhanced mandate. The University of Brescia, also an affiliate of the West, as well as Fanshawe College, the University of Windsor, St. Clair College, Lambton College and Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo do not require proof of vaccination from students and staff this year.

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Similar to Western, Laurier is requiring masks in classrooms this fall. Several Ivy League universities in the US, including Harvard and Yale, mandate COVID-19 booster doses. Western students who oppose the booster dose requirement and a large crowd of non-student anti-pandemic activists protested outside Western’s community center on Saturday. The outsized criticism of the university’s policy is partly because it intrudes on various advocates and anti-restriction groups, Smith said. “Commands in general are so politicized and weaponized. Western stuck its neck out there as one of the only institutions in Ontario to do this. They called this control and flak from . . . those who were quite vocal about the restrictions,” he said.

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“This does not necessarily reflect the reactions on campus. It reflects the wider reaction we’ve seen in society at large from a vocal minority.” Western was unable to provide the number of students requesting booster dose waivers Monday. The university administration needs to be more clear about the science and data informing its decision and the consultations it had in developing the policy, said Zain Chagla, an infectious disease specialist and associate professor at McMaster University. The mandates should never be taken lightly and the benefits must be weighed against the potential harms of the policy, particularly as Ontario moves beyond the emergency phase of the pandemic, he said Monday.

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Content of the article

“We’ve seen Omicron cross Canada in the context of high vaccine rates. Three doses may have a transient effect on transmission,” Chagla said. “When you start seeing a giant mandate being imposed on students, some who got their shots in December or January, it becomes harder to justify.” While Western certainly had the best intentions with the boost order, the policy reflects pre-Omicron thinking, Chagla said. He is not sure if the mandate will have the desired impact on reducing disease in the Western community when students inhabit a world without restrictions. Meanwhile, imposing a third dose policy on students will be a barrier to education for some and may reduce goodwill and response on campus if another public health issue, such as a meningitis epidemic, breaks out and sparks a separate vaccination push , Chagla said.

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He said he would prefer to see Western gradually spend its time building enhanced trust with students, increasing COVID-19 testing on campus and ensuring strong supports are in place for students to stay home when they are unwell. Institutions in the London area are mixed regarding booster dose requirements. The Middlesex-London Health Unit includes booster doses in its staff COVID-19 vaccine mandate, while the London Health Sciences Center still requires its employees to get only two shots. Ontario’s vaccine passport system, which barred unvaccinated people from certain public facilities, including bars and restaurants, took just two doses before it was abandoned in March. After a phased rollout to older adults and high-risk groups last fall, all adults 18 and older became eligible for third-dose boosters in December 2021.

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Content of the article

At the time, during the rise of the Omicron-fueled fifth wave, public health officials encouraged people to get the extra shot to reduce the chance of serious outcomes and symptomatic illness. In the London area, third dose uptake is highest among the oldest population, at more than 80 per cent aged 65 and over. The third booster dose rate among London County and Middlesex residents aged 18 to 24 is about 40 percent as of Aug. 20. Adults 18 to 59 became eligible for fourth-dose boosters late last month. Fourth doses are not required under the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for Western students and staff. [email protected] Twitter.com/JenatLFPress

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title: “Western Must Explain Rationale For Covid Boost Order Experts Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-25” author: “Marjory Andon”

Publication date: Aug 30, 2022 • 3 hours ago • 4 min read • 78 Comments Western University students walk around campus. (Mike Hensen/The London Free Press)

Content of the article

Western University should be more transparent about the reasons behind its mandate for a booster dose for staff and students, experts say, following a weekend protest on campus over the policy.

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Content of the article

The university was likely to be at the center of whether it kept masks and required boosters or abandoned both, bioethicist Maxwell Smith said Monday, but the administration could quell some criticism by being clear about the exact reason for its decision. Subscribe to receive a curated collection of links and highlights from our award-winning breaking news coverage, in-depth analysis and unparalleled investigative weekday features. By clicking the subscribe button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300

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A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, check your spam folder. The next issue of the LFP Noon News Roundup will be in your inbox soon. We encountered a problem with your registration. PLEASE try again

Content of the article

“My reading from the press release accompanying the policy is that they believe this is the right move in order to preserve the learning experience. That’s really important to emphasize,” said Smith, an assistant professor in Western’s school of health studies. “Even just explaining this to the public is an important way to guard against irrelevant objections to it and help them understand the goal. . . . You can argue whether that’s a good goal for Western, but that’s their goal and they can give reasons to support it.”

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Content of the article

Under the policy, which was announced nearly two weeks before classes began, students and staff have until Oct. 1 to provide the university with proof of at least one booster dose. The mandate is an expansion of the one Western implemented last school year, which required students and staff to get two shots for COVID-19. Of the colleges and universities in Southwestern Ontario, Western — and sister colleges Huron and King’s, which also enforce the main campus policy — are alone in enforcing an enhanced mandate. The University of Brescia, also an affiliate of the West, as well as Fanshawe College, the University of Windsor, St. Clair College, Lambton College and Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo do not require proof of vaccination from students and staff this year.

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Content of the article

Similar to Western, Laurier is requiring masks in classrooms this fall. Several Ivy League universities in the US, including Harvard and Yale, mandate COVID-19 booster doses. Western students who oppose the booster dose requirement and a large crowd of non-student anti-pandemic activists protested outside Western’s community center on Saturday. The outsized criticism of the university’s policy is partly because it intrudes on various advocates and anti-restriction groups, Smith said. “Commands in general are so politicized and weaponized. Western stuck its neck out there as one of the only institutions in Ontario to do this. They called this control and flak from . . . those who were quite vocal about the restrictions,” he said.

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Content of the article

“This does not necessarily reflect the reactions on campus. It reflects the wider reaction we’ve seen in society at large from a vocal minority.” Western was unable to provide the number of students requesting booster dose waivers Monday. The university administration needs to be more clear about the science and data informing its decision and the consultations it had in developing the policy, said Zain Chagla, an infectious disease specialist and associate professor at McMaster University. The mandates should never be taken lightly and the benefits must be weighed against the potential harms of the policy, particularly as Ontario moves beyond the emergency phase of the pandemic, he said Monday.

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Content of the article

“We’ve seen Omicron cross Canada in the context of high vaccine rates. Three doses may have a transient effect on transmission,” Chagla said. “When you start seeing a giant mandate being imposed on students, some who got their shots in December or January, it becomes harder to justify.” While Western certainly had the best intentions with the boost order, the policy reflects pre-Omicron thinking, Chagla said. He is not sure if the mandate will have the desired impact on reducing disease in the Western community when students inhabit a world without restrictions. Meanwhile, imposing a third dose policy on students will be a barrier to education for some and may reduce goodwill and response on campus if another public health issue, such as a meningitis epidemic, breaks out and sparks a separate vaccination push , Chagla said.

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Content of the article

He said he would prefer to see Western gradually spend its time building enhanced trust with students, increasing COVID-19 testing on campus and ensuring strong supports are in place for students to stay home when they are unwell. Institutions in the London area are mixed regarding booster dose requirements. The Middlesex-London Health Unit includes booster doses in its staff COVID-19 vaccine mandate, while the London Health Sciences Center still requires its employees to get only two shots. Ontario’s vaccine passport system, which barred unvaccinated people from certain public facilities, including bars and restaurants, took just two doses before it was abandoned in March. After a phased rollout to older adults and high-risk groups last fall, all adults 18 and older became eligible for third-dose boosters in December 2021.

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Content of the article

At the time, during the rise of the Omicron-fueled fifth wave, public health officials encouraged people to get the extra shot to reduce the chance of serious outcomes and symptomatic illness. In the London area, third dose uptake is highest among the oldest population, at more than 80 per cent aged 65 and over. The third booster dose rate among London County and Middlesex residents aged 18 to 24 is about 40 percent as of Aug. 20. Adults 18 to 59 became eligible for fourth-dose boosters late last month. Fourth doses are not required under the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for Western students and staff. [email protected] Twitter.com/JenatLFPress

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title: “Western Must Explain Rationale For Covid Boost Order Experts Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-22” author: “Judith Burchard”

Publication date: Aug 30, 2022 • 3 hours ago • 4 min read • 78 Comments Western University students walk around campus. (Mike Hensen/The London Free Press)

Content of the article

Western University should be more transparent about the reasons behind its mandate for a booster dose for staff and students, experts say, following a weekend protest on campus over the policy.

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Content of the article

The university was likely to be at the center of whether it kept masks and required boosters or abandoned both, bioethicist Maxwell Smith said Monday, but the administration could quell some criticism by being clear about the exact reason for its decision. Subscribe to receive a curated collection of links and highlights from our award-winning breaking news coverage, in-depth analysis and unparalleled investigative weekday features. By clicking the subscribe button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300

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A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, check your spam folder. The next issue of the LFP Noon News Roundup will be in your inbox soon. We encountered a problem with your registration. PLEASE try again

Content of the article

“My reading from the press release accompanying the policy is that they believe this is the right move in order to preserve the learning experience. That’s really important to emphasize,” said Smith, an assistant professor in Western’s school of health studies. “Even just explaining this to the public is an important way to guard against irrelevant objections to it and help them understand the goal. . . . You can argue whether that’s a good goal for Western, but that’s their goal and they can give reasons to support it.”

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Content of the article

Under the policy, which was announced nearly two weeks before classes began, students and staff have until Oct. 1 to provide the university with proof of at least one booster dose. The mandate is an expansion of the one Western implemented last school year, which required students and staff to get two shots for COVID-19. Of the colleges and universities in Southwestern Ontario, Western — and sister colleges Huron and King’s, which also enforce the main campus policy — are alone in enforcing an enhanced mandate. The University of Brescia, also an affiliate of the West, as well as Fanshawe College, the University of Windsor, St. Clair College, Lambton College and Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo do not require proof of vaccination from students and staff this year.

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Content of the article

Similar to Western, Laurier is requiring masks in classrooms this fall. Several Ivy League universities in the US, including Harvard and Yale, mandate COVID-19 booster doses. Western students who oppose the booster dose requirement and a large crowd of non-student anti-pandemic activists protested outside Western’s community center on Saturday. The outsized criticism of the university’s policy is partly because it intrudes on various advocates and anti-restriction groups, Smith said. “Commands in general are so politicized and weaponized. Western stuck its neck out there as one of the only institutions in Ontario to do this. They called this control and flak from . . . those who were quite vocal about the restrictions,” he said.

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Content of the article

“This does not necessarily reflect the reactions on campus. It reflects the wider reaction we’ve seen in society at large from a vocal minority.” Western was unable to provide the number of students requesting booster dose waivers Monday. The university administration needs to be more clear about the science and data informing its decision and the consultations it had in developing the policy, said Zain Chagla, an infectious disease specialist and associate professor at McMaster University. The mandates should never be taken lightly and the benefits must be weighed against the potential harms of the policy, particularly as Ontario moves beyond the emergency phase of the pandemic, he said Monday.

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Content of the article

“We’ve seen Omicron cross Canada in the context of high vaccine rates. Three doses may have a transient effect on transmission,” Chagla said. “When you start seeing a giant mandate being imposed on students, some who got their shots in December or January, it becomes harder to justify.” While Western certainly had the best intentions with the boost order, the policy reflects pre-Omicron thinking, Chagla said. He is not sure if the mandate will have the desired impact on reducing disease in the Western community when students inhabit a world without restrictions. Meanwhile, imposing a third dose policy on students will be a barrier to education for some and may reduce goodwill and response on campus if another public health issue, such as a meningitis epidemic, breaks out and sparks a separate vaccination push , Chagla said.

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Content of the article

He said he would prefer to see Western gradually spend its time building enhanced trust with students, increasing COVID-19 testing on campus and ensuring strong supports are in place for students to stay home when they are unwell. Institutions in the London area are mixed regarding booster dose requirements. The Middlesex-London Health Unit includes booster doses in its staff COVID-19 vaccine mandate, while the London Health Sciences Center still requires its employees to get only two shots. Ontario’s vaccine passport system, which barred unvaccinated people from certain public facilities, including bars and restaurants, took just two doses before it was abandoned in March. After a phased rollout to older adults and high-risk groups last fall, all adults 18 and older became eligible for third-dose boosters in December 2021.

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Content of the article

At the time, during the rise of the Omicron-fueled fifth wave, public health officials encouraged people to get the extra shot to reduce the chance of serious outcomes and symptomatic illness. In the London area, third dose uptake is highest among the oldest population, at more than 80 per cent aged 65 and over. The third booster dose rate among London County and Middlesex residents aged 18 to 24 is about 40 percent as of Aug. 20. Adults 18 to 59 became eligible for fourth-dose boosters late last month. Fourth doses are not required under the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for Western students and staff. [email protected] Twitter.com/JenatLFPress

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Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourages all readers to share their views on our articles.  Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site.  We ask that you keep your comments relevant and respectful.  We’ve enabled email notifications—you’ll now receive an email if you get a reply to your comment, there’s an update on a comment thread you’re following, or if a user follows the comments.  Visit the Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.