Liberals would add vaccine to school list

The Ontario Liberals pledged on Saturday to add COVID-19 vaccination to the immunization schedule for schools, if elected, though parents could still get “conscience” exemptions.

Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca said the best way to get back to normal is to make classrooms safer.

“There are nine existing vaccines … in that roster of universal required vaccines,” Del Duca said during a campaign stop in Ottawa. “We will add the COVID-19 vaccine to that list. And we’re going to do that because the science is settled on this.”

But Del Duca said current exemptions would continue to apply. Parents can exempt their kids from the school vaccination requirements through either a statement of medical exemption or for reasons of conscience or religious beliefs.

Provincial data shows about 35 per cent of children aged five to 11 have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 93 per cent of teens aged 12 to 17 have received two doses.

The Liberals say Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford did not do enough to promote COVID-19 vaccination, particularly for children.

“I think a lot of parents in this province have seen the current leader of the province effectively wave a white flag of surrender on vaccinations because Doug Ford, from the very beginning, has wanted this to be all over,” Del Duca said at a city playground.

The Liberals would also require all front-line educators to be immunized.