Pressure mounts for COVID-19 vaccine passport in Canada
Canada's largest insurance company Manulife announced this week it's increasing out of country medical benefits for anyone who has been fully vaccinated.
The problem? Canada still doesn't have any kind of vaccination passport or standardized document to show who has been vaccinated and who hasn't.
Martin Firestone with Travel Secure Inc. said many other countries have them in place and that “we are running terribly behind.”
A Leger survey released last month found the majority of Canadians are in favour of having some kind of document that shows if you've been fully vaccinated.
The survey asked if vaccine passports should be required for public gatherings, sporting events, restaurants and businesses and 61 per cent of Canadians supported the idea.
When asked about traveling domestically and internationally, 79 per cent of Canadians were in support of some type of vaccine passport.
Jason Allsopp, Vice-President of Leger said that, “at the end of the day Canadians are very strong on their support for a vaccine passport, certainly in relation to travel.”
Some type of vaccination documentation is already being used by the European Union, China and Israel. The United States does not have vaccination passports, but instead uses vaccination cards that Americans can use to show they are fully vaccinated.
Firestone says Manulife has increased out of country medical benefits from $1 million to $5 million for anyone who has been fully vaccinated, but he says there is currently no standard vaccination certificate to use as proof.
Firestone believes Canada needs to hurry up and get it done.
“You will need this to get on an airplane, to get into a country, to show to an insurance company that you are fully vaccinated and that you want the limits they are putting on the policy for you," said Firestone.
The federal government has said it is working on some type of vaccination travel document. Firestone said he believes many Canadians won't travel until they have one.
If Canada does develop a vaccination passport of some kind it's not clear how it would work. It could be a vaccination certificate, a bar code on your phone or even a stamp on your regular passport.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Regina police officer injured after being accidentally shot by fellow officer's gun
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.