St. Lawrence College to require COVID-19 vaccination for Fall 2021

St. Lawrence College (SLC) has announced that both students and employees will be required to have COVID-19 vaccinations in order to attend campus this fall.

“This decision was guided by local and provincial public health experts and is in response to the latest developments and insights as the world continues navigating the pandemic,” said St. Lawrence College in a release.

“As we look to September, the safety of our students and employees is our number one priority. While vaccination rates are rising, we must acknowledge the continued spread of the virus and its variants,” said Glenn Vollebregt, SLC President and CEO. “Guided by public health recommendations, to ensure SLC is a healthy, safe place to learn and work, SLC now requires students, employees, visitors, and contractors coming to an SLC campus to be fully vaccinated this fall.”

The College says that it will be sharing details next week about a grace period and its process. “The expectation is that students and employees have at least their first dose by Orientation Day, September 7. The College recognizes there will be individuals unable to be vaccinated for medical or other reasons,” said the college.

SLC said that it will be running vaccine clinics on each campus later this month and in September to assist those in the SLC community who require their first and/or second vaccine dose to be fully vaccinated.

“We hope this decision will help vaccination rates in our communities surpass provincial averages as part of the College’s role in protecting the health of our shared communities,” Vollebregt said. “The more we can do to help Ontario’s population become vaccinated and protected, thereby reducing the impact of the pandemic in our community and on our campuses, the better.”