Vaccinations
Campus vaccination clinics
Student Wellbeing will be hosting vaccination clinics across campus at various locations throughout the fall semester. Visit the Vaccinations at TMU webpage to learn more. Employees and students who would like to discuss vaccine eligibility should book an appointment with one of the Medical Centre physicians through the Student Wellbeing page. Additionally, you may review the Government of Ontario How to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment. (external link)
As of May 1, 2022, the university’s vaccination policy is suspended.
The university continues to monitor the impact of COVID-19 in our city and province, and will be nimble in responding to changes, and in planning for the future. The university may need to reinstate requirements for vaccinations should public health indicators change.
As a primary health and safety measure, the university continues to encourage all who are able to be vaccinated to do so.
All community members are encouraged to keep COVID-19 vaccinations current, per public health guidelines
While COVID-19 vaccination is no longer required in order to access campus, community members are asked to keep their vaccination status in the TMU Safe app up to date.
Keeping track of the vaccination status of all of our community members will allow the university to shift back to requiring vaccination to attend campus quickly and easily, should it become necessary. Please note that your ability to continue to participate in academic, work and other activities at the university may be impacted if the requirement for mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 is reintroduced, based on the updated information you provide about your vaccination status.
The university remains committed to the health and safety of our community. Each of us has an important role to play in keeping our campus safe. We encourage all community members to be fully vaccinated, including the booster shot(s) as recommended by public health, to stay home if you are ill, wear a mask while on campus, and to practice good hand and respiratory hygiene.
Students who have not been able to register for classes with in-person requirements are now able to do so for the Spring/Summer 2022 term.
If you have already submitted your vaccination status in TMU Safe
If you have already indicated your vaccination status in TMU Safe and there has been no change in your status, no further action is required from you. For individuals who previously indicated they are not fully vaccinated and have had a change in status, please update your status in TMU Safe.
How to submit proof of vaccination status or update your status
There are two ways to submit your proof of vaccination:
- Download the TMU Safe App, if you do not already have it.
- Open the TMU Safe app on your mobile device.
- If you already have the TMU Safe app downloaded, you may need to update your settings to view the new option. To update your settings, tap the TMU logo at the top of your screen.
- Select “COVID-19” > “Submit Proof of Vaccination”
- Students, faculty and staff will be required to enter their TMU credentials.
- Complete the vaccine disclosure process by selecting the option that best applies to you:
- I am fully vaccinated.
- You will be required to submit proof of vaccination.
- I am not fully vaccinated.
- I am fully vaccinated.
- Once complete, you will receive a badge which will reflect your vaccination status and a confirmation email.
We encourage all community members to download the TMU Safe app as it is the university’s tool for mass notification that will send alerts in urgent situations that pose an immediate safety or security risk to the community.
If you do not wish to download the app, you can also access the required vaccine disclosure by:
- Visiting the TMU Safe COVID-19 Submit Proof of Vaccination webpage (external link) .
- Complete the vaccine disclosure process by selecting the option that best applies to you:
- I am fully vaccinated.
- You will be required to submit proof of vaccination.
- I am not fully vaccinated.
- I am fully vaccinated.
- Once complete, you will receive a badge which will reflect your vaccination status and a confirmation email.
Individuals who submit proof of being fully vaccinated will receive an “Vaccinated” status with a green badge upon completion of the submission.
Individuals who indicate they are not fully vaccinated will receive a “Not Vaccinated” status, with a red badge upon completion of the submission.
COVID-19 Vaccination FAQ
TMU’s vaccination policy
As of May 1, 2022, TMU’s COVID-19 Vaccination Policy has been suspended. However, the university continues to monitor the impact of COVID-19 in the city and province and may need to reinstate requirements for vaccinations should public health indicators change.
While COVID-19 vaccination is no longer required in order to access campus, community members are asked to keep their vaccination status in the TMU Safe app up to date. Please note that your ability to continue to attend class, work and participate in these and other activities at the university may be impacted if the requirement for mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 is reintroduced, based on the updated information you provide about your vaccination status.
Prior to its suspension, the vaccination policy came into effect on September 7, 2021 in response to a binding recommendation from the (PDF file) Council of Ontario Medical Officers of Health (external link) and instructions from Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health that required all post-secondary institutions to have mandatory vaccination policies. Under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, the University was required to comply with the recommendations and instructions from public health officials and, accordingly, implemented its COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.
The policy required that individuals accessing campus were required to be fully vaccinated or have received an approved exemption from the university by October 18. Individuals who were exempt were required to participate in the Rapid Antigen Testing Program.
On October 7, 2021, Ontario updated the definition of “fully vaccinated against COVID-19”. You are considered fully vaccinated in Ontario if you have received:
(i) the full series of a COVID-19 vaccine authorized by Health Canada, or any combination of such vaccines,
(ii) one or two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine not authorized by Health Canada, followed by one dose of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine authorized by Health Canada, or
(iii) three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine not authorized by Health Canada.
Additionally, the final dose must have been received at least 14 days ago.
If reinstated, the vaccination policy applies to any physical indoor space or outdoor grounds that are owned, leased, licensed, operated, or otherwise occupied by Toronto Metropolitan University. Different requirements may apply to premises leased or licensed to external parties for their exclusive use by the university.
On October 7, 2021, Ontario updated the definition of “fully vaccinated against COVID-19”. You are considered fully vaccinated in Ontario if you have received:
(i) the full series of a COVID-19 vaccine authorized by Health Canada, or any combination of such vaccines,
(ii) one or two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine not authorized by Health Canada, followed by one dose of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine authorized by Health Canada, or
(iii) three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine not authorized by Health Canada.
Additionally, the final dose must have been received at least 14 days ago.
Based on this, Toronto Metropolitan University will accept a Health Canada (external link) approved COVID-19 vaccine. This includes:
- Pfizer
- Moderna
- AstraZeneca, also known as Covishield
- Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)
Individuals who received vaccines not approved by Health Canada may submit:
- one or two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine not authorized by Health Canada, 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.
You can find your closest vaccination clinic, primary care clinic or pharmacy offering vaccines on the province’s central vaccine booking site. (external link)
The two closest vaccination clinics to campus are the Regent Park Community Health Centre COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic (external link) and Sherbourne Health COVID Vaccine Clinic (external link) .
Proof of Vaccination
You may have received an email receipt confirming your vaccination status, which is considered proof of vaccination. Individuals who were vaccinated in Ontario can obtain their vaccination receipt through the Ontario government’s COVID-19 vaccination system. (external link) Individuals who were vaccinated outside of Ontario should submit equivalent documentation.
While being vaccinated is no longer a requirement to access campus as of May 1, 2022, community members are still asked to update their vaccination status via the TMU Safe app if they haven’t already.
Keeping track of the vaccination status of all of our community members will allow the university to shift back to requiring vaccination to attend campus quickly and easily, should it become necessary. Please note that your ability to continue to attend class, work and participate in other activities at the university may be impacted if the requirement for mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 is reintroduced, based on the updated information you provide about your vaccination status.
You are only required to complete the proof of vaccine disclosure process once, via the TMU Safe App, unless your status changes.
Once you submit your proof of vaccination, you will receive a badge which will reflect your vaccination status and a confirmation email. This badge should be green, which indicates you will be approved to access campus should vaccination become a requirement for accessing campus in the future.
If you are having trouble uploading your documentation or are having technical difficulty with the app, email support@apparmour.com. Alternatively, if you have uploaded your proof of vaccination but are still having trouble confirming if it is submitted properly, email ServiceHub, who can check your submission.
Your TMU Safe vaccine badge is red because you have indicated that you are not fully vaccinated. You are currently approved to attend campus, however please note your ability to continue to participate in academic, work and other activities at the university may be impacted if the requirement for mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 is reintroduced, based on the updated information you provide about your vaccination status.
Toronto Metropolitan University is committed to the protection of personal information. Only a limited number of people required to view your submission for the purposes of their role will have access to the information you submit.
Information may be shared at an aggregated level for health and safety planning.
Data will be retained in the TMU Safe app as long as the Vaccination Policy is in effect. This includes the period during which the policy is suspended. Once the policy is no longer in effect, this personal information will be retained for two years.
Yes, regardless of whether you have had COVID-19 or not, you must participate in this process. According to public health, it is recommended that individuals get vaccinated, even if you’ve already tested positive for COVID-19.
Generally speaking, individuals should not request to see one another’s vaccination status.
While being vaccinated is no longer a requirement to access campus as of May 1, 2022, community members are still asked to update their vaccination status via the TMU Safe app.
Keeping track of the vaccination status of all of our community members will allow the university to shift back to requiring vaccination to attend campus quickly and easily, should it become necessary. Please note that your ability to continue to attend class, work and participate in other activities at the university may be impacted if the requirement for mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 is reintroduced, based on the updated information you provide about your vaccination status.
Individuals who submit false proof of vaccination will have their future access to campus impacted.
Students are subject to the Code of Non-Academic Conduct, faculty and unionized staff are subject to university policies, collective agreements and Human Resources processes, non-unionized staff are subject to Human Resources processes, contractors are subject to contracts, and visitors are subject to the authority of the senior university administrator host.
Prior to May 1, 2022
If you are participating in Experiential Learning (EL) activities at high-risk locations you are required to provide your vaccination status in the TMU Safe app and you must be 'fully vaccinated'. Failure to do so may result in your removal from your placement.
If your EL opportunity is entirely off-campus, please follow the vaccination and masking requirements of the individual EL site.
Beginning May 1, 2022
Effective May 1, 2022 TMU will be suspending its vaccination policy. Students, staff, faculty, and community members accessing campus during the Spring/Summer semester must update their vaccination status via the TMU Safe app by May 1, 2022, if they have not yet done so.
While vaccination proof is not required by Toronto Metropolitan University for Spring/Summer 2022, students must fulfill any vaccination and face-covering requirements established by the EL partner site/location. If students will be engaging in EL activities with providers that have asked TMU to collect their vaccination statuses, please contact the EL Hub at experiential@torontomu.ca for assistance.
General questions about COVID-19 vaccines
Immunization is a step that most individuals can take to protect themselves and others. The university encourages everyone who can be vaccinated to do so, and to stay up to date on any vaccines and boosters recommended by public health.
We understand that many of our community members might be nervous about the COVID-19 vaccines and some might even be experiencing information overload.
All vaccines approved by Health Canada provide strong protection against COVID-19 and its variants. The available vaccines were approved after independent and thorough scientific reviews for safety, efficacy and quality.
COVID-19 vaccines work by training our body’s immune system to recognize and fight the virus. The vaccine uses certain molecules or parts of the virus called antigens which trigger an immune response when they are introduced into the body through vaccination.
A mixed mRNA model – mixing Pfizer and Moderna for first and second doses – has been approved by both the federal and provincial governments. Toronto Public Health is encouraging people to get whichever vaccine is easiest or fastest for them to access.
As of June 17, 2021, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (external link) (NACI) recommends that an mRNA (Pfizer or Moderna) vaccine is now preferred as the second dose for people who received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. If you received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, you can choose to either receive a second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, or an mRNA (Pfizer or Moderna) vaccine for your second dose.
For the latest information on safely mixing vaccines, please visit the Toronto Public Health website (external link) .
Key Policy Dates
Date |
Policy step |
---|---|
Sunday, May 1, 2022 |
Effective date of the suspension of the COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.
|
Wednesday, December 15, 2021 |
Students who remain non-compliant (either through not attesting to their status, or remaining not fully vaccinated), will be removed from any in-person winter courses, and may lose access to key TMU systems. |
Sunday, November 21, 2021 |
Students who have not provided their vaccination status in the TMU Safe app by 11:59 p.m. on this date will not receive their winter timetables. |
Monday, November 1, 2021 |
Deadline for all community members to submit their vaccination status or apply for an exemption. |
Monday, October 18, 2021 |
Individuals must be fully vaccinated in order to access campus or in-person activities, unless an exemption is granted by the university. Individuals who receive an exemption are still required to participate in the Rapid Antigen Testing Program. As of this date, individuals who are not fully vaccinated and have not been granted an exemption will no longer be allowed to access campus. |
Monday, September 20, 2021 |
Individuals attending campus in the fall semester must have submitted their vaccine status in TMU Safe, including proof if they are fully vaccinated. Individuals applying for an exemption must have submitted their request. Only individuals who are still working towards becoming fully vaccinated or those who have applied for an exemption will be eligible for the Rapid Antigen Testing Program to access campus. |
Wednesday, September 8, 2021 |
Community members may begin to submit proof of vaccination via the TMU Safe app to indicate:
Faculty and staff who submit their proof of vaccination are required to forward the TMU Safe proof of completion to their direct supervisors. |
Tuesday, September 7, 2021 |
Effective date of the COVID-19 Vaccination Policy. Individuals accessing campus in the fall semester must be fully vaccinated or participate in the Rapid Antigen Testing Program. |
Questions?
Topic | Contact |
TMU Safe technical support |
|
General questions about Vaccination Policy and its implementation |
Students: ServiceHub Staff: Please connect with your leader Faculty and Contract Lecturers: Please connect with your Dean (faculty) or Chair/Director (contract lecturers) Leaders: Contact your human resources partner |