'Caught between battling adults,' some N.B. youth sidelined by vaccine rule

As New Brunswick loosens restrictions, and schools prepare to reopen Monday, some students are expected to be sidelined from sports, clubs and committees if they aren't vaccinated against COVID-19.

It's a prospect that's raising concerns for those under 16, who will be left unable to participate in many activities outside the classroom because of a decision left up to their parents in most cases.

"So if their parents are against vaccination … it pushes those children, those, those teenagers into a position where, you know, they could be ostracized, they could miss out on things for reasons that have nothing to do with themselves," said Kerry Bowman, a professor of biomedical ethics at the University of Toronto.

On Monday, Education Minister Dominic Cardy said students will be required to get their COVID-19 shots if they want to participate in sports, extracurricular activities and clubs through their school, summarizing what was already contained in his department's Health and Safe Schools winter plans for kindergarten to Grade 8, and Grade 9 to Grade 12.

Cardy's reminder about the mandate came ahead of the province's planned move from Level 3 to the less restrictive Level 2 of its COVID-19 winter plan on Saturday, and the reopening of schools to in-person classes next Monday after being closed since the holiday break because of record cases of COVID-19.

With schools reopening under Level 2, no unvaccinated students in kindergarten through Grade 12 will be allowed to participate in any indoor or outdoor sports and extracurricular activities, including, choir, drama, and band.

Vaccinated students will be allowed to play sports, with varying rules for different age groups as well as contact versus non-contact sports, according to Premier Blaine Higgs in a Thursday news conference.

Cardy wasn't made available for an interview and his department didn't answer questions from CBC News about how the mandate will work, or the impact it could have on some students.

Jennifer Russell, the province's chief medical officer of health, had urged parents and guardians to get their five-to-11-year-olds vaccinated before in-person classes resumed.

As of Friday, the single-dose vaccination rate for children five to 11 stood at 55.5 per cent, with just four per cent double-dosed. Meanwhile, 81.2 per cent of youth 12 to 19 years old have received two doses, lagging behind the provincial average of 84 per cent.

Matt Firth coaches boys under 15 hockey in the Hampton area.

Originally reluctant to give permission for his 13-year-old son to get vaccinated, Firth changed his mind last fall so his son could continue playing the sport.

Last September, youth sports leagues in New Brunswick required that all youth 12 or older get vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to play.

However, not all the parents of the players on Firth's team made the same choice.