'Nobody's willing to make a decision here': Sask. teachers' union calls for mandatory COVID-19 vaccines in schools

Saskatoon -

The head of the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation says the union is calling on the province to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations in schools.

"We feel that it's important in order to protect especially those students who are under 12 and are not eligible for vaccines, but also for protecting our colleagues and our coworkers, and their families, that everybody in our building should be vaccinated if they're eligible," Maze told CTV News.

Maze said "alternative options" such as remote learning could be offered in situations where eligible students are not vaccinated.

"Employers have a responsibility to provide a safe workspace, and as such, they should be making sure that students who are eligible and employees in the buildings who are eligible are getting vaccinated in order to keep everyone safe," Maze said.

Maze is critical of the provincial government's decision to leave much of the decision-making regarding the upcoming academic year to school divisions and local health officials.

"They've downloaded the responsibility onto the 27 school divisions across the province and some school divisions have already indicated that they're going to download the responsibility onto the local health authority," Maze said.

"It seems like nobody's willing to make a decision here."

Cory Neudorf, professor of community health and epidemiology at the University of Saskatchewan, said a decision to mandate vaccines in schools is all about timing.

“We’re at the start of what looks like a fourth wave of COVID right now with the Delta variant. If there's ever a time to consider this type of policy, it would be now.”

During an unrelated news conference in Regina Tuesday morning, Premier Scott Moe was asked about the idea of mandating vaccines for teachers and other workers who fall under the provincial government's purview.

"It's not something the government has discussed up to this point," Moe said, instead framing the issue as a matter of personal responsibility.

"Most certainly I would encourage, you know, every individual in this province to look at the data that we're providing. Look at how effective vaccines are, and you will please make your decision, and I hope that decision is one that you go out, find the vaccine as soon as possible," Moe said.

--With files from Tyler Barrow

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