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UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO VACCINE POLICY COULD BOOST UPTAKE, BUT MORE NEEDED TO DRIVE INCREASE: EXPERTS

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

A Toronto university’s decision to require those living in student residences to have at least three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine could boost third-dose uptake among young adults, but it won’t drive a significant increase unless other schools follow suit, experts say.

The University of Toronto announced last week that it was reinstating a vaccination requirement for those living in its residences and updating it to mandate at least one booster shot. It also recommended all others on campus stay “up-todate” on COVID-19 vaccinations.

Dr. Fahad Razak, the scientific director of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, said the policy could help boost uptake among younger adults, noting the university’s large student body and evidence about the effect of vaccine requirements. But he said there would likely be a greater impact on uptake if other universities and colleges implemented a similar policy.

Third-dose uptake in the 18-29 age group is currently about 36 per cent nationally, lower than every other adult age group in Canada. By comparison, roughly 86 per cent in that young adult cohort have two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

TORONTO

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2022-08-06T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-08-06T07:00:00.0000000Z

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