Important Update to Western's Vaccine Policy

Important updates are being made to Western's vaccine policy to align with the Province of Ontario’s revised definition of "fully vaccinated status." These changes will affect individuals who have received vaccines outside of Canada.

Fully vaccinated will now be defined as:

  • The full series of a COVID-19 vaccine authorized by Health Canada (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD and Janssen/Johnson & Johnson), or any combination of such vaccines,


OR

  • One or two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine not authorized by Health Canada (note, the vaccine does NOT need to be WHO-approved), followed by one dose of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine authorized by Health Canada.

OR

  • Three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine not authorized by Health Canada (note, the vaccine does NOT need to be WHO-approved, for example, the Anhui Zhifei Longcom COVID-19 vaccine)

AND

  • They received their final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days ago

What does this mean for students? 

  • Students who were previously considered fully vaccinated with two doses of Sinovac or Sinopharm will now need one dose of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) to be considered fully vaccinated.
  • Beginning Monday, September 27, students who were previously considered fully vaccinated but do not meet the revised definition must begin rapid antigen testing twice per week in order to be permitted to come to campus.
  • Students who have received three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine not authorized by Health Canada are considered fully vaccinated, even if their vaccine is not WHO-approved. For example, Anhui Zhifei Longcom COVID-19 vaccine from China is not WHO-approved, but it is a three-dose series, so as long as students have received all three doses, and it is 14 days after their last dose, they are considered fully vaccinated.
  • Nothing has changed with vaccine requirements for quarantine exemption. Students must have received a full series of Health-Canada authorized vaccines to be considered for possible quarantine exemption upon arrival to Canada. However, they must still be prepared to quarantine and complete the mandatory registration of their Quarantine & Travel plan with Western.

A table outlining the vaccine type and requirements as per the revised is available on our website: Vaccine FAQ for International Students. 

Students requiring an additional mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) AND/OR rapid testing can book an appointment through Western's Vaccination and Testing Centre.

If you have questions about the revised policy, please contact vaxinfo@uwo.ca.