A survey of Vernon School District staff found 92 per cent of respondents said they have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The survey drew responses from 813 of 1,100 staff members, or 74 per cent. Of those who participated, 56 per cent were teachers.
Just 0.62 per cent of respondents had only one dose, and 3.44 per cent had no dose. Seven per cent claimed to be vaccine exempt and just under 4 per cent preferred not to answer.
There are currently 14 schools in the Vernon/Lumby area on Interior Health’s COVID-19 potential exposure list, 10 of which belong to the Vernon School District.
Earlier this month, two independent schools — Vernon Christian School and Salmon Arm’s King’s Christian School — were closed for two weeks due to COVID-19 outbreaks.
The province has left it to individual school boards to decide whether to make vaccines mandatory for school staff.
There is no board decision as of yet in the Vernon district.
“The Ministry of Education, BCPSEA (BC school Public Employers’ Association) and partners (including CUPE, BCTF, BCCPAC, etc.) are convening an ad hoc advisory committee to develop common framework, guidelines and templates to support boards with the potential implementation of vaccines mandates,” superintendent Christine Perkins said.
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