U of S student withdraws from studies over possible COVID-19 booster mandate, privacy concerns

Justin Cole was part of the two per cent of students at the University of Saskatchewan who are not considered fully vaccinated — but he has received both his shots.

The third-year physiology and pharmacology student was working his way towards medical school, but said an email from the U of S — announcing that booster shots, when made available to student age groups, would be mandatory to be considered fully vaccinated — left him feeling off balance.

As a result, Cole has since made the decision to discontinue his studies at the U of S.

In October, the university announced it would be removing proof of a negative COVID-19 test as an option for students to attend classes on campus, as well as staff and faculty.

To do so, individuals must prove they are fully vaccinated, which is currently defined by the university as having received the full series of a COVID-19 vaccine authorized by Health Canada or a combination of those; one or two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine not authorized by Health Canada, followed by a dose of an approved mRNA vaccine; or three doses of a vaccine not approved by Health Canada.

In all instances, a person is only considered vaccinated 14 days after they’ve received their last required dose.

Any person who does not provide proof of this will not be allowed on the U of S campus. As of early December, 98 per cent of students and 99 per cent of staff and faculty had declared themselves fully vaccinated.

But an email from the U of S on Oct. 28 shared with 650 CKOM provided a caveat to this rule, changing the definition of fully vaccinated when COVID-19 booster shots are accessible to younger residents.

“However, when you are eligible for your third COVID-19 booster shot, proof of that will be required for you to continue to be considered fully vaccinated. More information on third shots will be available as soon as the province begins announcing its COVID-19 vaccine booster shot plans,” the email stated.

On Dec. 7, Saskatchewan announced that anyone in the province over the age of 50 was eligible to receive their COVID-19 booster five months after their second dose. Further announcements about lower age groups becoming eligible in the province are expected in the new year.

“When and if it comes, then that’s a conversation to have then,” is the position Cole takes.

Cole is pro-vaccine, but he believes it’s a decision that people should make for themselves as booster shots become more widely available in Canada, at least for the time being.

“I am a huge advocate for the vaccine for most people. I’m a huge advocate for everyone having a decision and the conversation with their physician … (or) whoever their trusted health-care provider is to make the decision that’s right for them,” Cole said.

“We don’t know what the recommendations will be, so they’re pre-emptively stating a health-care decision on our behalf when we have limited data on the third dose because very few places are doing it.”

In a statement provided to 650 CKOM, Dr. Darcy Marciniuk, chair of the pandemic response and recovery team for the U of S, said the university is “currently assessing the latest available information and consulting with public health and other experts regarding requirements for possible booster vaccinations for in-person campus activity.”

He said communication was shared last Friday — the same day 650 CKOM requested a statement from the U of S — with the campus community that more guidance on boosters would be made available in early 2022.

Marciniuk said the university is bound by The University of Saskatchewan Act and The Saskatchewan Employments Act, which task the U of S with the responsibility “to provide for the safety of the campus community.”

The statement said COVID-19 measures taken by the U of S, including the enhanced vaccination policy announced on Oct. 28, were “developed in consultation with legal and medical experts.”
“These ongoing and evolving safety measures are necessary for the continued health and safety of our campus community,” Marciniuk said.

Cole maintained that provinces will know more as more people get their booster doses. But while that’s happening, he wishes the university would hold back on mandating the additional shot.
“To me, it seems like they’re attempting to just get out in front of it so they can stabilize their tuition income,” he said.

Cole also takes issue with the university’s policy on disclosing proof of vaccination. The U of S has required that students upload their vaccine status to be allowed on campus. Cole is fully vaccinated but concerned about his privacy. As such, he requested the chance to disclose his vaccination status in a different way to the university, similar to how one would access a restaurant or event centre in Saskatchewan.

However, the U of S will not allow Cole to do that and will not permit him to be on campus without uploading his vaccine status to their servers.

Conversely, as of early December, the University of Manitoba shared it would allow students who are unwilling or unable to upload their QR code showing proof of full vaccination to “find alternative ways of demonstrating double vaccination status.”

Marciniuk said in his statement that the university’s portal, PAWS, is “the most secure and efficient way for USask to allow significant increase in on-campus activities,” adding the information submitted through the portal is protected in accordance with the university’s policies and the province’s Act regarding freedom of information and protection of privacy.

“Only those who administer and enforce this program may have access to this information on a need-to-know and identifiable level,” Marciniuk stated. “Information will only be retained as long as necessary to support the program.”

“I understand there must be some give and take,” Cole said. But he wants to see that balance between protecting “public health but also to protect individual privacy and responsibility.”

Cole said his frustration comes from the unwillingness of the university to accommodate his concerns, given the policy is intended to prevent unvaccinated students from being on campus — which he is not — for the health and safety of its students.