COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

Effective September 7th, 2021

Medix & NATS COVID 19 Vaccine Policy

To continue to protect the health and safety of Medix & NATS community from the spread of COVID-19, this policy provides direction on the conditions under which individuals will be permitted on Medix & NATS campuses as of September 7, 2021.  

Scope 

This policy applies to all Medix & NATS students, including students on practicums, employees, clients, contractors, visitors and/or any other attendees on campuses.  

  

KEY DEFINITIONS 

Accepted Vaccine 

A COVID-19 vaccine that has been approved for use by Health Canada and/or the World Health Organization.  

Attestations 

A sworn statement indicating that an individual has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Campus(es) 

Medix & NATS owned or leased grounds, buildings, offices, and instructional spaces 

Client 

An individual or company that comes on campus to access educational services provided by the Career College Group & its divisions, Medix & NATS. 

Contractor(s) 

An individual or company that provides services, materials and/or labour on campus. 

Educational Sessions 

Information sessions provided to those individuals who refuse to receive a COVID -19 vaccination. 

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Employee 

All persons employed by Medix & NATS including but not limited to full- and part-time faculty and staff. 

Fully Vaccinated 

Having received the completed series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine. An individual is considered fully vaccinated 14 days after receiving their completed dose as per public health guidelines.  

Grace Period 

The period of time, as determined by Medix & NATS, that a student or employee can attend a Medix & NATS campus after receiving their first dose of an accepted two-dose vaccine before receiving their second dose, provided that vaccines are reasonably available. During the grace period, the individual will require a rapid antigen testing performed at an interval determined by Medix & NATS and provide a negative test result minimally once a week. 

Medical Exemption 

Grounds to be exempted from getting a COVID-19 vaccine based on the risk of substantive injury and/or disability. The medical documentation must include the reason for not being fully vaccinated against COVID -19 and the effective time-period for the medical exemption. 

Proof of Vaccination 

Proof of vaccination, in the form of an official dose administration receipt, is required by all individuals coming on campus in the form of either a QR Code or a receipt from the Ministry of Health with the individual’s name, date of vaccination and product name, along with secondary identification matching the information on the vaccination.  

Student 

A person (student) who has contracted with Medix & NATS for a Diploma or Certificate program. 

Rapid Antigen Screening 

A COVID-19 testing tool that many people complete daily before attending work or school. 

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Undue Hardship 

Special circumstances that partially or fully exempt a person or organization from performance of a legal obligation so as to avoid an unreasonable or disproportionate burden or obstacle. 

Vaccinated 

As defined by the Province of Ontario, individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series or two weeks after receiving the Johnson and Johnson one-dose protocol vaccine.  

Visitors and/or any other Attendees 

Individuals seeking to enter Medix & NATS campuses who are not Medix & NATS students, employees, clients, or contractors working in the facilities. 

 

Policy 

Policy Statement 

• To protect the health and safety of our community, Medix & NATS is requiring that individuals be vaccinated as a condition to come on campus. 

• Medix & NATS on-campus activities as well as this policy, will continue to be subject to federal, provincial, and local public health regulations related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

• Public health guidance on measures for fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, and unvaccinated individuals may continue to evolve and could affect this policy. 

Accepted Vaccines 

• Medix & NATS will accept the COVID-19 vaccines approved by Health Canada and/or the World Health Organization (WHO). 

• Individuals who have been vaccinated with a vaccine other than those approved by Health Canada and/or the WHO will not be allowed on campus until 14 days after either having received their approved single-dose vaccine or the first dose of an approved double-dose vaccine.  

Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination 

• All individuals coming on campus will be required to provide proof of having been fully vaccinated with an accepted vaccine or of having received the first dose of a two-dose vaccine. 

• Personal health information, including attestations and other proofs of vaccination collected by Medix & NATS, will be stored in accordance with the Career College Group Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Policy and Personal Health Information Protection Act Statement. 

• Individuals’ private health information will not be disclosed alongside any other identifying data. 

• Individuals who make false attestations about, or provide false documents related to, being vaccinated may be subject to disciplinary actions, up to and including expulsion for students, termination for employees, voiding of contracts for clients and contractors and removal/restriction from campus for visitors and/or any other attendees. Such individuals could also be at risk of criminal liability.  

Attestations 

A written attestation expressing an individual has received full vaccination will be accepted in lieu of an official vaccination receipt until October 30, 2021.  (This date may change in accordance with public health guidelines) 

Partial COVID-19 Vaccination Grace Period 

• All individuals who have received the first dose of an accepted two-dose vaccine will, after a minimum of 14 days from receiving the first dose, be able to participate in on-campus activities, for a grace period that allows them to receive a second dose, provided that vaccines are reasonably available for those individuals.  

• All Individuals who are not fully vaccinated will be required to follow additional health and safety precautions not applicable to fully vaccinated individuals. 

• At the end of the grace period, individuals will not be permitted on campus until they have received their second dose of an accepted vaccine. 

• Restrictions applied during the grace period will continue for 14 days after the second dose is administered. A rapid antigen point of care testing for COVID-19 will be performed at an interval determined by the College and must provide a negative test result.  

 

After the vaccination grace period, staff and students not fully or partially vaccinated will be placed on unpaid leave or expulsion.  

 

Exemptions 

• Medix & NATS will consider on an individual basis requests from students and employees for exemptions on medical grounds. 

• To continue to protect the health and safety of the campus community, at the sole discretion of Medix & NATS, students, or employees with an approved exemption to being vaccinated may be accommodated through measures which will continue to keep the Medix & NATS community safe.  

• All individuals who are not vaccinated will be required to follow additional health and safety precautions not applicable to fully vaccinated individuals, such as regular antigen point of care testing for COVID-19 at an interval determined by the College and provide a negative test result.  

• Requests for medical exemptions will be considered upon completion and presentation of appropriate medical documentation. The College reserves the right to have the documentation reviewed by applicable medical specialists. 

• Exemptions will not be extended to clients, contractors, visitors and/or any other attendees.  

Accommodations For Students and Employees 

• Only those students and employees with a medical exemption will be considered for an accommodation. 

• To continue to protect the health and safety of the campus community, at the sole discretion of Medix & NATS, students or employees with an approved exemption to being vaccinated may be accommodated through measures which will continue to keep the Medix & NATS community safe.  

• Individuals who are not vaccinated will be required to follow additional health and safety precautions not applicable to fully vaccinated individuals, such as regular rapid antigen point of care testing for COVID-19 at an interval determined by the College and provide a negative test result.  

• Individuals who receive a medical exemption and are legally required to be accommodated will be accommodated to the point of undue hardship. 

• Accommodations will be considered on a case-by-case basis for clients, contractors, visitors and/or any other attendees.  

 

Individuals Who Do Not Provide Proof of Vaccination 

For those individuals who do not provide proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and who wish to attend the campus in person, they must provide proof of having completed an educational session about the benefits of COVID 19 vaccination. The education sessions will address at a minimum: 

• How COVID-19 vaccines work 
• Vaccine safety related to the development of the COVID 19 vaccinations 
• Benefits of the vaccination against COVID-19 

• Risks of not being vaccinated against COVID-19 
• Possible side effects of COVID 19 vaccination  

Individuals who do not provide proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID 19 must: 

• Submit to regular rapid antigen point of care testing for COVID-19 at an interval determined by the College (minimum once weekly) 
• Provide proof of a negative test result in a manner that the College has determined. 

Clients, Contractors, Visitors and/or Any Other Attendees 

• Contractors, Clients & Visitors who choose not to be fully vaccinated will not be allowed on Medix & NATS campuses. 

• Contractors must ensure that all of their employees on Medix & NATS campuses are fully vaccinated. Individuals not fully vaccinated will not be allowed on Medix & NATS campuses. 

• Sending an employee who is not fully vaccinated to a Medix & NATS campus will be deemed cause for the College to terminate the contract with that contractor. 

• As of September 7, 2021, Medix & NATS campuses will not be open to visitors and/or any other attendees with the exception of individuals on approved, official College business. 

• Approved visitors and/or any other attendees must comply with this policy.  

 

Collection, Documentation and Reporting  

The College will collect, maintain, and disclose statistical (non-identifiable) information and summarize the information to submit to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities for statistical studies. 

The documentation includes: 

• The number of individuals that provided proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 
• The number of individuals that provided a documented medical reason for not being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 
• The number individuals that completed an educational session about the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination where applicable 
• Individuals who provided an attestation (only accepted to October 30, 2021 – this date is subject to change in accordance with Public Health guidelines) 
• The total number of individuals to whom the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health’s (OCMOH) instructions apply 

• The number of rapid antigen point of care testings completed per month. 

This policy may be modified according to Public Health guidelines. 

Click here for the official instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health.