Ontario science table calls on Ford to mandate vaccines for health-care workers
A group of scientists advising the Ford government on the COVID-19 pandemic are speaking up in favour of mandating vaccines for all health-care workers, calling it an “evidence-based policy that protects Ontarians.”
Premier Doug Ford had written a range of experts and stakeholders last week asking for their opinions on the merits of introducing a vaccine mandate that would no longer allow unvaccinated health-care workers to remain on the job by participating in a regular testing program.
In a response to Ford’s letter, released by Ontario’s Science Advisory Table on Tuesday, the doctors argue that such a mandate “can enhance safety and reduce the risk of staffing disruptions due to COVID-19."
“COVID-19 vaccines help to protect the people working in Ontario’s hospitals, as well as the unvaccinated and vulnerable patients more at risk of SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 complications," they say. “Requiring that hospital workers be vaccinated is an evidence-based policy that protects Ontarians.”
The Ontario Medical Association has been calling for a vaccine mandate for health-care workers since July but the Ford government has so far refused to go that far, even as it introduced a vaccine requirement for many non-essential activities.
In his letter, Ford said that approximately 15 per cent of Ontario’s health-care are believed to be unvaccinated and suggested that a mandate, similar to one introduced in Quebec and British Columbia, could force hospitals to place thousands of workers on unpaid leaves during a time in which they continue to be under immense strain.
But in their response, members of the science table said that the likelihood of unvaccinated workers contracting COVID-19 and being forced to miss significant time could have a bigger impact on human resources, given research suggesting that only a “small” number of workers will “actually leave the workforce to avoid vaccination.”
“Vaccine mandates for health-care workers are not new. Mandates for influenza vaccines for health-care workers in high-risk settings, such as hospitals and long-term care homes, have been in effect across Canada and the United States for more than two decades,” they say. “Studies of influenza vaccination mandates demonstrate that these policies can increase vaccine uptake. During the 2019-2020 influenza season, vaccine uptake among long-term care workers in the United States was approximately 70 per cent, however, in settings with mandates, more than 85 per cent of workers were vaccinated.”
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore has previously said that about 40 per cent of hospitals have implemented their own vaccine mandates for workers and a number of them have already placed hundreds of employees on unpaid leaves.
In its response to Ford, the science table did acknowledge research showing “lower vaccine acceptance among those who are racialized, rural and have experienced discrimination” and said that “trust-building strategies to increase uptake are important to counter equity and ethical concerns for hospital workers” should a mandate be introduced.
The Ford government previously mandated vaccination for long-term care workers earlier this month amid data suggesting a number of homes had vaccination rates lower than 70 per cent.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.