Hopefully everyone has been able to enjoy quality leisure time of
rest and renewal with their families over the summer. School is
starting and with it the intensifying hype for primary grade students
and those in high school to submit to boosters and new vaccines.
As well, each year the pressure increases for post secondary students at
the college and university level to prove they are fully vaccinated or
comply with vaccine mandates drummed up by various educational
institutes.
VRAN receives more inquiries from post secondary students and healthcare
workers seeking vaccine exemptions than any other aspect of the
vaccines issue. While there are no “mandatory” vaccination laws in
Canada, students must negotiate vaccine exemptions on a case by case
basis using the few legal resources available to them to defend their
Informed Consent rights. There are no clearly
defined federal or provincial laws that prevent educational
institutions from making arbitrary and unfair regulations about
vaccination. Nor is there a specific law that protects a
person's right to education or employment if they choose to reject
vaccine demands made by an employer or educational institution.
We respond to each inquiry by providing students and healthcare workers
with an outline of resources they can draw on when applying for vaccine
exemptions, such as Canadian Charter guarantees, Canadian Medical Law
and provincial healthcare Acts.
Watch for our new Healthcare Workers’ page soon to be posted on
the VRAN website which will provide resources, links to studies and
ethical parameters in defense of every person’s right to Informed
Consent protections.
VRAN’s Annual General Meeting by teleconference is coming up in a few
weeks on September 17. If you wish to volunteer your skills and
are a Member in good standing you are invited to attend. For more
details, please email Edda West at
info@vran.org.