Nov. 8, 2021 (Ottawa) — “For more than 50 years, vaccines have helped prevent and control the spread of deadly diseases and have saved the lives of millions of people. That is why regulating the safety, efficacy and quality of vaccines is of particular importance.” — Health Canada
HealthCareCAN, whose member institutions provide healthcare and conduct health research throughout Canada, finds it unfortunate that provincial governments are reluctant to send a clear public health message by mandating vaccination of all healthcare workers against COVID-19, especially after the tragic events of this pandemic that shook the country.
This is a double-edged sword issue: mandatory vaccination versus loss of healthcare providers. Ontario and Quebec have changed their position out of fear that the system does not have enough personnel to replace unvaccinated healthcare workers. This is a direct result of the failure of governments of all levels to properly resource Canada’s healthcare system.
If a healthy society is non-negotiable, so should be the vaccination of the population in the wake of a pandemic with 1,722,570 cases of infection and 29,095 deaths in the country since its onset
Laws already exist in various provinces requiring vaccination or proof of immunity for many diseases, including measles, rubella, chickenpox and tuberculosis. COVID-19 should be no exception.
HealthCareCAN urges provincial governments to mandate vaccination to protect not only the health workforce that keeps Canada’s healthcare system functioning, but indeed all Canadians. Beating COVID requires us all to do our parts.
As discussions about easing of public health restrictions to battle the pandemic are ramping up, and Canadians are understandably weary after 20 months of battling COVID, the fight is far from over. Vaccination remains our best chance to truly end this pandemic and it is vital that we all do our part.
Spiritual leader Thich Nhat Hanh said it well: “The best way to take care of the future is to take care of the present moment.”
We urge all healthcare workers to seize this moment and get vaccinated.
Paul-Émile Cloutier,
President & CEO
HealthCareCAN is the national voice of healthcare organizations and hospitals across Canada. We foster informed and continuous, results-oriented discovery and innovation across the continuum of healthcare.
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Media contact: Alexandria Rowe, Communications and Member Services
ARowe@healthcarecan.ca
855-236-0213/613-241-8005 ext. 221 │ Cell: 613-220-1023
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