No vaccinations required for Yukon Quest this winter

The Yukon Quest sled dog race returns this winter, in an altered form — and no COVID-19 vaccinations will be required.

"Participants, spectators, anybody who is coming to the Quest — we do not have a rule that they have to be vaccinated, at all," said Bonnie Michaudville, the event's executive director in Canada.

"The only rule would be if we have people coming across the border from Alaska ... They have to follow the guidelines coming into Canada."

It's a different story with the other major dog sled race, Alaska's Iditarod. Officials with that event announced last week that they were "hyper focused to ensure zero community transmission" of COVID-19, and so COVID-19 vaccinations would be required for all participants in the 2022 race.

"This applies to the entire Iditarod community, mushers, staff, contractors, volunteers, pilots, veterinarians, etc.," reads a news release from Iditarod officials.

"This decision was made in concert with feedback from rural Alaska and is reflective of the Iditarod's broad community health consciousness."

Michaudville said the Yukon Quest set its own rules a while ago, before there was much talk about vaccine passports anywhere.