On January 28, 2022, Flinders University emailed students a draft plan to mandate TGA approved COVID-19 vaccines for students on campus. The purpose of the mandate, as stated in the draft, is that ‘requiring vaccination is a key control measure against the risk of COVID-19 infection.’
 
As has been revealed with the rise of the Omicron variant, vaccine mandates neither reduce the risk of infection or transmission. Globally, mandates are now being reviewed as they have not assisted in reducing the spread of the virus.

This petition aims to gather public support against the mandating of COVID-19 vaccines to attend Australian universities, particularly Flinders University and the University of Adelaide. Please note, this is a petition against mandates, NOT an anti-vaccine petition.·     

 The NSW government is not mandating a COVID booster even for its health care workers. (The Guardian, 4 February 2022) Yet the Flinders University draft vaccine requirement states, by the relevant Health Department recommended timeframe from the date of the second dose, received a booster dose of an Approved Vaccine and by a date to be specified by the University to have received any further booster doses as recommended by the relevant Health Department.

The Australian Human Rights Commission states, the guiding human rights principles for considering measures taken to advance public health are:
 
·      They must be reasonable, necessary, and proportionate
·      They must take into account the potential for discrimination
 
Excluding students from university based on vaccination status is denial of a key socio-economic right to education. It does not take into account the potential for discrimination against those whom for medical, personal or religious beliefs choose to not have a COVID vaccination.
 
‘So far the science shows that people with only two doses of a COVID vaccine have only a 4 % protection against being infected by the Omicron variant,’ (Premier Mark McGowan, 2022, January 20)

Mandating a medical procedure that offers 4% protection against being infected and does not stop transmission is unreasonable, unnecessary, and disproportionate.
 
Our goal is to remove the university mandates, so that anyone that is seeking an education is not discriminated against on any grounds. We need your help! Please sign the petition and share with as many friends and family members as possible.