Posted on: May 30, 2022
The Research Ethics & Compliance Office at Island Health has released updated information Regarding COVID-19. Researchers continue to be required to complete a Research Safety and Vaccination Attestation survey in REDCap for all face-to-face/in-person research involving Island Health staff and sites.
The REBs will continue to define “Island Health researcher" broadly to include all affiliates, will require COVID-19 vaccines for researchers as directed by the PHO and Island Health, and will require researchers to wear masks in most face-to-face interactions.
The REDCap form will serve as attestation of researcher vaccine status, and will prompt for site safety plans and protocol adjustment plans in the event of a significant surge. Researchers will not be required to submit safety plans or protocol adjustment plans to the REBs for review.
We would like to thank Dr. Laura Shanner for the support she provided to the Research Ethics & Compliance Office in developing this update. Dr. Shanner's interests focus on health care ethics and policy, with a good dose of feminist theory, social justice and other practical applications. She earned her PhD from Georgetown in 1994, and taught in the Philosophy department at University of Toronto, and the School of Public Health at University of Alberta before moving to Nanaimo in 2012.
Dr. Shanner is an Ethics consultant and currently serves on both the Island Health Clinical REB and Health REB. She has previously served on the Canadian Biotechnology Advisory Committee, CIHR Stem Cell Oversight Committee, VIU REB and several clinical ethics committees.