Cardiff University Expels Student Who Refused to be Vaccinated

Currently, vaccinations are not mandatory in the UK and, according to recent reports, the UK’s position on mandatory vaccination is unlikely to change. According to the British Medical Association, in 2003, the Department of Health issued guidelines clearly stating that none of the vaccinations available in the UK were compulsory and that they were all offered on a voluntary basis. These issues were once again debated by the British Medical Association (BMA) earlier this year, and once again, UK doctors voted against making vaccinations compulsory in the UK. This being the case, it is difficult to imagine why a so-called reputable university such as Cardiff would actively choose to dismiss a student physiotherapist from his course, simply because he refused to be vaccinated. In September 2015, Edward Thompson registered with Cardiff University to study for a Bachelor of Science degree (BSc) in physiotherapy. According to Mr. Thompson and his family, when he registered for the course, his vaccination status was not discussed and there was no mention of vaccinations being required, in either the university’s literature or at his interview. However, six weeks after his course had begun, Mr. Thompson was asked to attend an appointment with the Occupational Health Department, where the subject of vaccination was broached by the university for the first time.