Ontario needs to 'reassess the value' of COVID-19 vaccine passport system, top doctor says

Ontario needs to "reassess the value" of the COVID-19 vaccine passport system in the coming weeks to decide if it should be ended, the province’s top doctor says. 

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore made the comment on Thursday, saying while the COVID-19 vaccine offers significant protection against severe disease, two doses doesn't do much to limit the spread of transmission.

"The vaccine isn't providing significant benefit at two doses against the risk of transmission, as compared to someone unvaccinated,” Moore said. "We have to reassess the value of the passports in the coming weeks and months."

"When we see a vaccine that doesn’t provide the sterile immunity like it did provide against Delta, we have to reassess some of the public health measures we put in place, reassess whether we maintain a proof-of-vaccination certificate certification process given the decreased benefit against transmission."

Moore said ending the COVID-19 proof-of-vaccination system would ultimately be a government decision. 

Ontario's vaccine certificate program went into effect on Sept 22. In January, it was extended indefinitely as Omicron cases soared in the province. 

While three doses of the vaccine does offer increased protection against COVID-19 transmission, Premier Doug Ford previously said he is not considering changing the definition of fully vaccinated to include a booster shot. 

Ford was originally against a vaccine certificate system all together, saying in July he "has never believed" in it.

"We aren't doing it, simple as that, as we’re just going to move forward," Ford said. "The answer is no, we aren't going to have a split society."

On Sept. 1, he announced the program and blamed the federal government for not creating a Canada-wide vaccine passport system. 

"All the provinces are stepping up and putting together our vaccine certificates," Ford said.