TORONTO, CANADA – Brock University will require all student-athletes to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 if they want to compete in 2021-22.
The Brock athletics department announced the decision on Friday morning, as Brock joined uOttawa as the first two of 56 U SPORTS universities to mandate vaccines for their student-athletes.
“We’re grateful that varsity and club sports have been given the green light to resume this fall, but we want to make sure they’re being conducted in a way that keeps our athletes, coaches, supporting staff and fans safe,” said Anna Lathrop, Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Students in a media release. “This vaccination requirement is an important part of that effort and will help us get back to the exceptional student experience Brock is known for.”
The move followed Brock University’s announcement that all students living in on-campus housing will be required to be fully vaccinated. Many other universities have mandated this for residence buildings, but none have taken it to another level.
Seneca College, which plays collegiate sports in the OCAA, remains the only Canadian post-secondary infatuation to require full vaccination for students attending campus. There are no vaccination requirements for Ontario.
“It comes down to setting that standard for duty of care for our athletes and ensuring their health and safety is part of our return-to-play strategy,” said Melissa Krist, Director, Brock Sports, in the media release. “Keeping our student-athletes safe is our No. 1 job at all times, but especially as we deal with this ongoing pandemic.”
Brock will recognize Health Canada-approved vaccines and those on the World Health Organization’s Emergency Use Listing, and vaccinations wil not be required for students using athletics facilities or in intramural competitions.
With Brock’s first OUA game (women’s soccer) scheduled for Sept. 24 and Ontario having a minimum four-week wait between doses, student-athletes must have at least their first dose by Aug. 24. All student-athletes will be required to be fully vaccinated by Saturday, Sept. 4 or 14 days before competition
For more information, you can view the official release HERE.