Vancouver School Board asked to reconsider mandatory vaccines for staff

The Vancouver School Board is being urged to reconsider its decision on mandatory vaccines for staff by the union representing elementary teachers in the city.

On Nov. 4, the board announced it will not be requiring immunization of staff. This was a few weeks after the province opted against a B.C.-wide mandate, instead, leaving the decision up to individual school districts to decide.

While the vice president of the Vancouver Elementary School Teachers’ Association would prefer a provincial mandate, she says the decision in Vancouver wasn’t made with proper consultation and should be revisited.

“We think that the safety of staff and students should come first in all of the considerations and that the Vancouver School Board (VSB) could lead the way in the absence of government leadership,” says Jody Polukoshko.

“It’s our opinion that the VSB should err on the side of avoiding any and all COVID illnesses in schools. As far as we can see, there’s no downside to proceeding with a vaccine mandate in schools. This is a global pandemic that’s spilling into the third school year.”

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The decision was not made during a meeting that was open to the public, which Polukoshko says means staff, parents, and others were not able to voice their opinion.

“Part of our concern is that the matter of the vaccine mandate was not debated in an open session of the board. So as a result, not only were stakeholders not invited to engage in direct conversation with the trustees and with other stakeholder groups, but furthermore, the public hasn’t been provided a comprehensive rationale — and that’s contrary to what we should expect in a global health crisis,” she says.

“We’re hoping that there could be a reconsideration of the decision, and we think that the reconsideration and the discussion on this matter should take place in a public board meeting.”

While vaccination rates in Vancouver and among teachers are high, the union says a mandate would only add a layer of protection.

“There are contingency plans that can be put in place and there are discussions that can happen around those few people who aren’t vaccinated or who aren’t interested in becoming vaccinated,” she says.

“We think that the safety of staff and students should come first in all of the considerations.”

No school district on the Lower Mainland has opted to bring in a vaccine mandate.