Western took the lead and was the first University in Canada to mandate Covid-19 vaccination as a condition for students returning to residence. This was a great first step but it did not go far enough.

There is overwhelming evidence that Covid-19 spreads in congregant settings and is a particularly acute problem when people are assembled indoors. Canada and Ontario have among the highest vaccination rates in the world. However we see that infections with the delta variant are rising even in highly vaccinated populations such as England and Israel. It is estimated that unless we have high vaccination rates, likely exceeding 90%, we will continue to be vulnerable to outbreaks. No strategy short of full vaccination will mitigate this risk.

For this reason, we urge the leadership at Western to again be forward thinking, bold, and strategic and mandate that students, staff and faculty need to have proof of two doses of a Health Canada approved vaccine to return to campus this fall. This would protect us all, not least the vaccine hesitant. Of course exemptions must be in place for reasons of health or conscience.

We have all experienced the ‘September cold’ that occurs with the mild viruses that return with students when they arrive on campus from around the world. Let’s ensure that we put a firewall in place to prevent something worse this September.