Universities mull mandatory vaccinations

South African universities are planning to compel students and staff to get vaccinated, in a bid to bring back productivity levels to the higher education sector, writes Simnikiwe Hlatshaneni for The Citizen.

Stellenbosch University (SU) Rector and Vice-Chancellor Professor Wim De Villiers confirmed the university is exploring the possibility of mandatory vaccinations. De Villiers says the institution will be guided by the experience of other institutions and organisations in South Africa and worldwide. To this end, SU’s Institutional Committee for Business Continuity appointed a task team last month to conduct the risk assessment required in terms of a health and safety direction, which was promulgated in June.

At the same time, the University of the Free State (UFS) recently held a panel discussion on how universities are tackling vaccine hesitancy and envisioning the future of higher education. Panellists concurred that vaccine mandates at universities would be beneficial on multiple fronts, because COVID-19 jabs have been scientifically proven to lower the risk of serious illness, hospitalisation and death.
Full report on The Citizen site