Recently the University of Adelaide sent out an email stating that they have begun drafting plans to mandate TGA approved COVID-19 vaccines for students on campus. Students who have a medical exemption or do not wish to disclose their vaccination status, are required to provide two Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) for each week that they attend the University in person. For persons with medical exemptions, these tests will be provided by the University, for others, they will have to source and purchase these tests themselves.

This petition aims to gather public support against the mandating of COVID-19 vaccines to attend Australian universities, particularly the University of Adelaide and Flinders University. As we have seen with the rise of Omicron, the vaccine mandates do not stop the spread of COVID, and they do not stop you from getting COVID. Globally, mandates are now being reviewed as they have not assisted in reducing the spread of the virus, it is time that we follow suit! Please note, this is a petition against mandates, NOT an anti-vaccine petition.

Recent events globally and nationally have shown the following:

·        The Australian Bureau of Statistics show between the ages of 10-29 (the ages which make up 87% of the University’s demographic), the chance of passing away by contracting COVID is approximately 0.00319%.

·        We now know that the vaccine does not effectively prevent infection or transmission, so any community spread benefit of enforcing a mandate is negligible.

·        The vaccines carry with them a risk profile for the student’s attending university, of myocarditis and other adverse effects particularly for young men.

The University’s draft for COVID-19 vaccine mandates, although a partly positive outcome for students does not consider reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Vaccine hesitancy comes from mistrust in the governing body of an organisation or country. With information changing, public health advice contradicting itself, information being covered up and media-wide censorship, for some it is difficult to trust these governing bodies. It has been found that mistrust sentiments in the governing bodies of an institution or country are most prevalent in minority groups and low socio-economic communities. Hence, students requiring the RATs may be financially challenged by their cost. Many families and individuals are currently experiencing financial hardship due to the pandemic and the additional cost of two RATs a week will escalate this further. Students will be forced to work extra hours to pay $40 to $100 for their weekly RATs.

The pandemic and the mandates have affected us all in many ways. We can no longer sit by as governments and organisations destroy livelihoods and force Australians to choose a side. In the words of JFK, “Our problems are man-made – therefore, they can be solved by man.” It is time we take a stand and solve these man-made problems, starting with our universities, the places where the future is being written. Young Australians should not be forced to choose between their future careers and livelihood due to their medical preferences. We need to reinstall the Australian values of freedom, respect, fairness and equality of opportunity back into our society, starting with our esteemed tertiary institutions, The University of Adelaide and Flinders University.

Our goal is to remove the university mandates, so that everyone that is seeking an education is not discriminated against on any grounds. Education is a human right, and everyone should be provided with the opportunity to receive an education and pursue the career of their dreams based on merit. We need your help! Please sign the petition and share with as many friends and family members as possible, this would be greatly appreciated. Even if you are not directly affected by the mandates or the restrictions being imposed, consider how you would feel if you weren’t allowed to receive the best education available or you were restricted and unable to enjoy the full and free life that we all want. Who among us would want to be in that place?

TAKE ACTION NOW