Higher Health SA says it is still too early to make vaccination against COVID-19 mandatory for the higher education sector.
This comes after the proposal to make vaccination mandatory for university students and staff.
However, student bodies have since rejected the idea.
The Higher Health says each institution will have to look at its structure before making the decision.
The CEO of Higher Health SA, Ramneek Ahluwalia says, “Before any university makes any decision of this kind, a proper consultation [with all stakeholders should be conducted] until [everyone] understands the environment they are in.”
“Each university is very unique at this moment, and each university has to look at its uniqueness of why it has to take a decision of that kind and how quickly it has to take a decision of that kind.”
More universities contemplating mandatory vaccination:
Meanwhile, the Student Representative Council (SRC) at the University of the Free State (UFS) says a mandatory vaccination policy is not necessary.
The SRC says it is against the direction the university is intending to take next year.
This after the university indicated that if the policy is approved, all staff and students must be vaccinated and be able to provide their vaccination certificates from the 1st of February next year to enter campuses.
The university is also planning on bringing back staff and students in a phased-in approach.
The university’s mandatory vaccination policy is yet to be presented before the university’s council in November for approval.
University of the Free State SRC reacts to possible mandatory vaccines:
In September, some students at the University of Cape Town (UCT) said a possible plan to implement a policy that will require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before registering at the institution will infringe on the rights of students.
UCT confirmed that a proposal on mandatory vaccinations will be considered by its senate during a meeting.
SA will struggle to protect citizens from mandatory vaccines: Expert
