COVID-19 vaccine mandate for children not necessary right away: uOttawa epidemiologist
Posted Nov 4, 2021 11:12:00 PM.
An epidemiologist at the University of Ottawa feels that mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for school-aged children won't be necessary right as the shots become available, since he believes most parents will get their children vaccinated against the virus right away.
Dr. Raywat Deonandan estimates 50 to 75 per cent of parents will want to vaccinate their children as soon as possible, which he feels will be sufficient in avoiding a mandate.
He explains more work needs to be done before a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for school children should be introduced.
“I think we have a lot of public education, a lot of hand-holding, a lot of managing people's concerns first,” Dr. Deonandan told CityNews Ottawa's The Sam Laprade Show on Thurday, November 4.
He adds it is also important to provide information to help people understand how scientific decisions are made, and how to assess evidence and risk.
Dr. Deonandan anticipates the COVID-19 vaccine will eventually become a mandatory shot for school children, but doesn't expect that to happen for at least a year.
