FREDERICTON -- With more vaccine on the horizon, some are already suggesting COVID-19 shots should be mandatory.

The idea of making vaccinations against childhood diseases mandatory in public schools prompted great debate in New Brunswick just last year.

However, Education Minister Dominic Cardy -- the politician who pushed mandatory vaccinations among schoolchildren -- isn't yet calling for it this time.

Since he was elected two years ago, Cardy has fought for mandatory vaccines within New Brunswick's school system.

But COVID-19 vaccines are not ready to be used on children, and the education minister says he's not ready to suggest they be made mandatory.

"When I was talking about mandatory vaccines in the school system, I was talking in most cases about vaccines that have been around for decades and in some cases, way longer than that," Cardy said. "I'm looking forward to getting the vaccine at the first available opportunity, but I think pushing for something to be mandatory when it's first being rolled out like this would be premature."

Politicians on opposite ends agree:

"Vaccination does work, but it will be a personal choice," said Liberal Leader Roger Melanson.

People's Alliance of New Brunswick Leader Kris Austn thinks most people will get vaccinated, but he doesn't "think it's government's role to force that."

Green Party Leader David Coon wonders if certain places will require it, like long-term care homes.

"It would be appropriate to say, if you're visiting in a setting like that, where people are at very high risk, then you need to have a vaccine to do so, if in fact it reduces the transmission of the virus, and unfortunately we don't know that yet," Coon said.

Prince Edward Island is not considering making the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory and Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Robert Strang, says we still need more information.

"Is it possible that, even though I'm vaccinated, that I could still be infected and be an asymptomatic transmitter of the virus? That question is being actively studied, but we don't have an answer," Strang said.

Dr. Noni MacDonald says there there may be certain circumstances where a particular industry or a particular sport requires you to be immunized.

"If you want to sing in my choir, I want to have evidence that you've been immunized because I don't want you to put other people at risk," MacDonald said.

MacDonald believes that could extend to countries, as is the case with Uganda, where travellers need yellow fever vaccine to enter.

MacDonald doesn't think there will be provincial or national requirements for it to be mandatory.

"I do think there will be places where people are going to say, 'I'm not comfortable if you're not immunized,'" MacDonald said.

It's a conversation that's likely months away -- at least until the vaccine is more widely available.