A group of university students across Canada are calling on their institutions to revoke COVID-19 vaccine mandates, calling them unjust. .While many Canadian universities suspended their vaccine mandates, a few kept them in place or enacted booster policies. Other universities said their vaccine mandates were suspended, not revoked, implying they could be brought back if COVID-19 case counts increase. .Former Toronto Metropolitan University urban and regional planning student Curtis Heinen was entering his third year when a vaccine mandate was enacted. Heinen said he did not want to disclose his vaccine status to Toronto Metropolitan because of privacy concerns. .Heinen said he felt it was wrong for the university to impose a vaccine mandate. .“I believe it doesn’t have a scientific basis,” he said. .“I believe it violates fundamental tenets of medical ethics.” .He went on to say he did not attempt to seek an exemption because he would have to disclose his vaccine status. He added not complying with the mandate had a negative effect on his university experience. .Heinen was removed from in-person courses for the winter 2022 semester. Toronto Metropolitan suspended its mandate, but Heinen is taking time away from his studies because he's concerned about it being reinstated. .Heinen joined with a group of fellow students to file a lawsuit against the university over what happened. They are waiting for a court date to request an injunction. .READ MORE: Ryerson students file lawsuit against university over COVID-19 vaccine mandate.“I don’t believe students should be coerced into taking injections they have a personal reason for not taking,” he said. .Former McMaster University genetics and molecular biology student Sofia Romashova was heading into her second year when a vaccine mandate was announced. Romashova said she was unvaccinated because she felt the COVID-19 vaccines were rushed to market. .Romashova said she had concerns about adverse effects to the vaccines. .“Sometimes we're forced to do something we don’t really like, and at the same time, we are trying to find other ways to still be on the good side,” she said. .She attempted to seek a religious exemption, citing the Nuremberg Code, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and her creed. McMaster waited a few weeks before saying her request was declined. .Romashova said the ordeal traumatized her. She was removed from in-person classes. .Many students have a perfect vision of going to high school, entering university, and finding work upon graduation. She said this vision has been disrupted for her, as she is taking time away from school for fears the mandate will come back. .“We are all humans,” she said. .“They are all tolerant and they are all pro-choice and they are all pro-freedom until it comes to health situation and the real actions in a real sense.” .Fourth-year Western University music student Hannah Salamon-Vegh was surprised when her school enacted a vaccine mandate, as university administrators had told her they would not be. Salamon-Vegh chose not to take COVID-19 vaccines because of religious reasons. .She was pregnant at the time, and she had concerns about how the vaccines could affect her baby. .“I believe it should be based on choice, and there was not enough research at that time about whether the vaccine was safe for every body, especially someone young like myself,” she said. .Salamon-Vegh was able to receive a religious exemption with a letter from her pastor, documents from Liberty Coalition Canada, and a notarized form. Her exemption was approved, but the process led to excessive stress. .She said she was concerned she was going to have a miscarriage because of all of the stress. This ordeal affected her university experience because she was unable to access Western’s gym and event spaces. .Salamon-Vegh had to undergo regular testing, which she attempted to avoid. She ended up being banned from campus for a little while for trying to sneak by, but she was able to come back after doing more testing. .“I’m very sad to see that my university is continuing down the route of mandating the vaccine,” she said. .“I personally think that it is very unwise of Western with what they’re doing.” .Western announced August 22 it will require students and staff to have taken a COVID-19 booster shot to come to campus, and they will need to be masked in classrooms and seminar rooms. .READ MORE: Ontario university enacts COVID-19 booster mandate, reinstates mask requirement.“While we can’t predict when the next wave of COVID-19 might come, we believe these measures will help us protect the in-person experience that Western is known for,” said Western provost and vice-president, academic Florentine Strzelczyk. .“We want to do everything we can to offer our students a great on-campus experience throughout the academic year.” .COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to prevent serious illness and death, but they have lower efficacy against non-serious illness.
A group of university students across Canada are calling on their institutions to revoke COVID-19 vaccine mandates, calling them unjust. .While many Canadian universities suspended their vaccine mandates, a few kept them in place or enacted booster policies. Other universities said their vaccine mandates were suspended, not revoked, implying they could be brought back if COVID-19 case counts increase. .Former Toronto Metropolitan University urban and regional planning student Curtis Heinen was entering his third year when a vaccine mandate was enacted. Heinen said he did not want to disclose his vaccine status to Toronto Metropolitan because of privacy concerns. .Heinen said he felt it was wrong for the university to impose a vaccine mandate. .“I believe it doesn’t have a scientific basis,” he said. .“I believe it violates fundamental tenets of medical ethics.” .He went on to say he did not attempt to seek an exemption because he would have to disclose his vaccine status. He added not complying with the mandate had a negative effect on his university experience. .Heinen was removed from in-person courses for the winter 2022 semester. Toronto Metropolitan suspended its mandate, but Heinen is taking time away from his studies because he's concerned about it being reinstated. .Heinen joined with a group of fellow students to file a lawsuit against the university over what happened. They are waiting for a court date to request an injunction. .READ MORE: Ryerson students file lawsuit against university over COVID-19 vaccine mandate.“I don’t believe students should be coerced into taking injections they have a personal reason for not taking,” he said. .Former McMaster University genetics and molecular biology student Sofia Romashova was heading into her second year when a vaccine mandate was announced. Romashova said she was unvaccinated because she felt the COVID-19 vaccines were rushed to market. .Romashova said she had concerns about adverse effects to the vaccines. .“Sometimes we're forced to do something we don’t really like, and at the same time, we are trying to find other ways to still be on the good side,” she said. .She attempted to seek a religious exemption, citing the Nuremberg Code, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and her creed. McMaster waited a few weeks before saying her request was declined. .Romashova said the ordeal traumatized her. She was removed from in-person classes. .Many students have a perfect vision of going to high school, entering university, and finding work upon graduation. She said this vision has been disrupted for her, as she is taking time away from school for fears the mandate will come back. .“We are all humans,” she said. .“They are all tolerant and they are all pro-choice and they are all pro-freedom until it comes to health situation and the real actions in a real sense.” .Fourth-year Western University music student Hannah Salamon-Vegh was surprised when her school enacted a vaccine mandate, as university administrators had told her they would not be. Salamon-Vegh chose not to take COVID-19 vaccines because of religious reasons. .She was pregnant at the time, and she had concerns about how the vaccines could affect her baby. .“I believe it should be based on choice, and there was not enough research at that time about whether the vaccine was safe for every body, especially someone young like myself,” she said. .Salamon-Vegh was able to receive a religious exemption with a letter from her pastor, documents from Liberty Coalition Canada, and a notarized form. Her exemption was approved, but the process led to excessive stress. .She said she was concerned she was going to have a miscarriage because of all of the stress. This ordeal affected her university experience because she was unable to access Western’s gym and event spaces. .Salamon-Vegh had to undergo regular testing, which she attempted to avoid. She ended up being banned from campus for a little while for trying to sneak by, but she was able to come back after doing more testing. .“I’m very sad to see that my university is continuing down the route of mandating the vaccine,” she said. .“I personally think that it is very unwise of Western with what they’re doing.” .Western announced August 22 it will require students and staff to have taken a COVID-19 booster shot to come to campus, and they will need to be masked in classrooms and seminar rooms. .READ MORE: Ontario university enacts COVID-19 booster mandate, reinstates mask requirement.“While we can’t predict when the next wave of COVID-19 might come, we believe these measures will help us protect the in-person experience that Western is known for,” said Western provost and vice-president, academic Florentine Strzelczyk. .“We want to do everything we can to offer our students a great on-campus experience throughout the academic year.” .COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to prevent serious illness and death, but they have lower efficacy against non-serious illness.
