Vancouver school board joins Surrey, Abbotsford in not mandating vaccination

VANCOUVER -

B.C.’s second largest school district has decided against implementing a vaccine mandate for teachers and other staff.

Vancouver’s school board made the announcment two days after the province’s largest district – Surrey – announced it wouldn’t mandate immunization. And, like Surrey, Vancouver based its decision on advice from public health.

“Vancouver Coastal Health has told us that with youth and adults in Vancouver Coastal Health, the vaccination rate is around 90 per cent, and that schools can operate safely without 100 per cent vaccination rate(s),” said Vancouver School Board chair Carmen Cho.

Maintaining adequate staffing was another reason behind the decision not to mandate vaccination.

“We want children to be in school,” said Cho. “That’s where they need to be. So even if a very small number of staff were unvaccinated, there may be areas where we face challenges.”

Surrey mom Lyndsey Locke, whose daughter has underlying health conditions and isn’t old enough to be vaccinated, was hopeful that after her district decided against a mandate, Vancouver would step up and be first.

“It’s disappointing no one wants to be a leader and say, ‘This is what needs to be done for safety,’” Locke said. “I don’t think safety is being thought of as much as, ‘Oh, we may lose people.’”

Along with Surrey and Vancouver, Abbotsford and New Westminster’s school boards have also announced they won’t mandate vaccines. The remaining 56 districts in B.C. have yet to make a decision.

“Our advice has remained they need to look at all of the positive and negative impacts of a vaccinate mandate,” said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, who has left the decision on mandatory vaccination for school staff up to individual school boards.

“They have to understand the vaccination rate in their community, in their schools, in their employees.”

Vaccine advocates are concerned other school districts that are debating the issue will be swayed by the decision of B.C.’s two largest districts.

“If parents and caregivers spoke up and said, ‘This is what we want,’ then perhaps there is a chance,” said Safe Schools Coalition founder Kyenta Martins.

“But it feels like there’s not a lot of hope right now.”