THE Vancouver School Board announced on Thursday that after careful consideration, it will not mandate COVID-19 vaccines for staff.

“As a Board, we continue to be very committed to ensuring schools are safe and inclusive places to learn and work,” said Carmen Cho, Vancouver School Board Chair. “We are pleased that approximately 90 per cent of eligible youth and adults in the Vancouver Coastal Health region are vaccinated, and we continue to strongly encourage anyone who has yet to be vaccinated to make an appointment and do their part to keep everyone healthy and safe.”

The Board said it considered a full range of possible implications a vaccine mandate could have on the delivery of education and educational programs. In doing so, the Board reviewed the K-12 Sector Guidelines for Vaccination Policies developed by the Ministry of Education, BC Public School Employers’ Association and the provincial advisory group.

In making this decision, the Board said it carefully considered all implications of a vaccine mandate for staff, including information and guidance of public health officials.