CANCDTGEN 004/23

Canadian Cadet General Order (CANCDTGEN)

Update - COVID-19 Vaccine Policy and General Disease Prevention Guidance

Refs:

1. CANCDTGEN 009/22, Update - COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Cadets
2. Canadian Immunization Guide
3. CDS Directive 003 on CAF COVID-19 Vaccination for Operations and Readiness
4. COVID-19: Force Health Protection Recommendations (link accessible only on the DWAN)

1. The Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers Group (CJCR Gp) is continuing to monitor the epidemiology of the COVID-19 pandemic and has consulted with the Canadian Army Surgeon and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Directorate of Force Health Protection, Communicable Disease Control Program regarding the posture for 2023 cadet and Junior Canadian Ranger (JCR) activities.
2. It is impossible to reliably predict the course of the COVID-19 pandemic or to predict outbreaks of other communicable diseases for that matter. The risk of emergence of highly transmissible variants of COVID-19 poses a continued risk to cadet and JCR activities and operations. It follows that corps/squadrons/patrols should continue to be poised to adapt to risks of disease transmissibility and to potentially changing public health recommendations.
3. The use of preventive health measures, and the practice of temporary self-isolation of people who test positive or have symptoms of a transmissible disease including COVID-19, will remain key to ensuring safe and effective spring and summer activities. For positive cases of COVID-19, self-isolation periods of up to seven days may be expected in order to prevent the spread of the disease. The duration of self-isolation may be subject to change and will consider the state of the pandemic, the recommendations made by Senior Medical Authorities, and be informed by guidance from the CAF Directorate of Force Health Protection’s Communicable Disease Control Program, and Provincial or Territorial public health recommendations at the time.
4. Vaccines are effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. Therefore, in line with Health Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommendations, CJCR Gp strongly recommends, but does not require, that adult staff, cadets and JCRs be up to date with the COVID-19 vaccine primary series and booster doses for which they are eligible. In line with this recommendation, this CANCDTGEN supersedes and replaces reference A effective immediately.
5. “Up to date” can be defined as having received all COVID-19 vaccine doses for which the individual is immediately eligible, based on NACI’s recommendations. In general, this would include completion of a primary series plus at least one booster dose, with the booster dose typically given at the interval of 6 months after a previous COVID-19 vaccine dose or a prior COVID-19 infection. Specific recommendations, dosing and booster schedules for the COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines can be found at reference B.
6. Notwithstanding the recommendations made in Para 5, all personnel should recognize that some activities may be subject to other local access requirements regarding COVID-19 vaccinations. This may include, but is not limited to, activities planned at contracted locations not on federal property, certain CAF infrastructure, and other closed cohort activities. Personnel is to review and communicate such policies during the planning stages in order to enable vaccine requirements to be fulfilled, where they are required.
7. Strategic CAF guidance on COVID-19 vaccine and force protection recommendations are provided at references C and D. Recognizing that the implementation of a vaccine policy is a decision requiring strategic and administrative consideration, it may become necessary to revise the COVID-19 vaccination policy in the future for situations with different federal/provincial legislation or epidemiologic or public health requirements.
8. General questions about this CANCDTGEN as it pertains to cadet or JCR activities may be directed to the attention of the RCSU Medical Liaison Officers. Enquiries about CAF preventive health policy, and CAF Health Services Group Advisory Message 6636-80 can be submitted to DFHP by e-mail at DFHP-DPSF@forces.gc.ca.