Saturday, November 20, 2021

Open Letter Re: U of T to require vaccination for high-risk activities, self-declaration of vaccination status

 

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We are a group of returning undergraduate and graduate University of Toronto students from various faculties and fields of study. We are writing this letter in response to the university’s recent announcement of its intention to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for students participating in certain “high-risk” in-person activities, including Varsity sports, music performance, and educational placements.

We believe that a student’s medical history and medical decisions should not be the basis for differential treatment by an academic institution. Students should not be required to disclose their medical history or wear it like a badge of honour or shame — through differential treatment or other means — for their fellow students and faculty members to see and judge. In addition, requiring a student to disclose private medical information may be in violation of Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act.

It is typically argued that such privacy violations and medical mandates are justified by the unusually high risk posed by COVID-19; however, this justification falls apart when examining the assumptions that underpin it.  (more...)

Re: U of T to require vaccination for high-risk activities, self-declaration of vaccination status



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