The University of Pretoria (UP) has issued an “important message” to its first year students as well as their parents and guardians regarding the the 2022 academic year and the university’s stance on vaccinations.
“We strongly encourage everyone to vaccinate. We want everyone to vaccinate. Vaccines protect everyone’s health and significantly reduce severe illness, hospitalisation and death. Vaccines are safe. Those who have doubts or are hesitant should seek more information from medical experts, including staff from our Faculty of Health Sciences,” writes Professor Tawana Kupe, Vice-Chancellor and Principal.
Kupe goes on to highlight that, at the end of 2021, UP had started opening up its campuses to a small number of students under new health regulations in a bid to restart in-person education while maintaining safety.
For 2022 UP plans to have a larger re-opening under the same rules. Due to the vast number of undergraduate students it’s impossible at this time, according to the announcement, to open all campuses to all students, so this will be done on a rotational basis.
The aforementioned students / parents / guardians will be informed on the specifics of this in the next few weeks, but for now some details are provided about the steps are being taken to ensure the safety of students and staff on the open campuses and this may include a requirement for vaccination.
“…the risk assessment process has identified some areas of operation where vaccination is required. This requirement is informed by science and limited to the identified area and based on an identified need to protect staff, students and/or third parties. For example, in the area of Health Sciences. The ongoing risk assessment process may in addition identify where work-integrated learning poses a real risk to the students and those who interact with them,” Kupe continues.
While this is a bit conflicting the short version seems to be that there is no general vaccination requirement at UP at this time, but certain areas of the university will necessitate vaccination and more information will be provided as the situation develops.
As of today, 26th January, almost 100 000 South African lives have been lost to COVID-19 according to information from the government. Added to this is three and a half million infections balanced out by only 29 540 132 vaccinations. That latter number is less hopeful when you consider that two jabs are required for most people.
[Image – cromaconceptovisual on Pixabay]
