Vaccine

Thursday October 21, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday October 21, 2021

Vaccine mandate coming to House of Commons, MPs rule

Anyone entering the House of Commons precinct — including MPs — will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Nov. 22, the Board of Internal Economy has ordered.

Thursday August 19, 2021

The new rule starts on the day the 44th Parliament kicks off.

“This requirement will apply to any person who wishes to enter the House of Commons precinct, including members and their staff, political research office employees, administration employees, members of the parliamentary press gallery, parliamentary business visitors, contractors and consultants,” said Speaker Anthony Rota in a statement.

The cross-party committee of MPs that oversees the workings of the House of Commons made this decision following a two-hour closed-door meeting on Tuesday.

August 17, 2021

“Details with respect to the implementation of the Board’s decision are being developed and will be communicated in due course,” reads the Speaker’s statement. “These decisions were made to meet ongoing recommendations from public health authorities to help limit the spread of COVID-19 within the work environment.”

The House is considering people to be fully vaccinated 14 days after they have received the recommended doses of one or a combination of Health Canada-approved vaccines.

September 17, 2021

The decision to include MPs as part of the vaccination mandate comes amid discussions over parliamentary privilege and whether there would be a different set of rules for elected officials than there would be for those around them.

The Liberals, New Democrats, and Bloc Quebecois have said that all their MPs are fully vaccinated, though the Conservatives have continued to refuse to say how many of their MPs are vaccinated. Given the timing of this order coming into effect, it’s possible unvaccinated Conservatives would not be able to enter the House of Commons next month unless they have a medical exemption.

According to the new policy, in cases of individuals who have a “medical contraindication,” they will have to provide proof of a recent negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test to be able to enter the buildings that are part of the House precinct. These requirements to get on the Hill will not apply to anyone under the age of 12.

This news follows the federal government announcing on Oct. 6 that “core” federal public servants will have to attest to being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 29 or face being put on leave without pay by Nov. 15.

While the House of Commons and Senate were not part of that mandate, they were among the federal employers asked to mirror the government’s vaccine policy in developing their own approaches. (CTV) 

 

Wednesday October 13, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday October 13, 2021

Canada faces wave of terminations as workplace vaccine mandates take effect

Canada is facing a potential wave of terminations tied to mandatory workplace vaccine policies as a growing number of employers require workers to be fully inoculated against COVID-19 – or risk losing their jobs, legal experts say.

September 15, 2021

Governments, institutions and companies have spent months hammering out vaccine mandates in a bid to curb an unrelenting pandemic fuelled by variants.

As employer deadlines to be fully vaccinated approach, unvaccinated workers could soon be placed on unpaid leave or terminated altogether, lawyers say.

“We’ve been contacted by thousands of people from across Canada who all have these ultimatums in front of them saying they have to be vaccinated by a certain date or risk losing their jobs,” employment lawyer Lior Samfiru, a partner with Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, said in an interview.

“We’re going to see the biggest wave of terminations we’ve seen since the pandemic started,” he said, noting that his firm has been contacted by workers in a range of industries including health care, education, banks, construction and restaurants.

“It will be significant.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled Canada’s new mandatory vaccine policy on Wednesday. It requires the core public service, air travel and rail employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of October.

The federal vaccine mandate mirrors provincial policies, such as in Nova Scotia where all school and health-care workers are required to have two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of November.

Private companies have also developed corporate vaccine mandates, with looming deadlines for staff to be fully vaccinated.

The situation has left legal experts grappling with the tension between protecting the rights of individual workers and ensuring employers meet their health and safety obligations toward staff, clients and the public. (CTV) 

 

Friday September 24, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday September 24, 2021

Shocking anti-vaccine protests that plagued Canada’s election spawned resurgent far-right movement

While vaccines and mask policies are viewed favorably by most Canadians, the vocal minority who oppose them are a growing threat — not only to public health, but to public safety and even democracy itself.

September 15, 2021

Leading up to the election, anti-vaccine protests drew angry, unruly crowds outside hospitals and other health care facilities across Canada, blocking patients and employees trying to access the buildings, and in at least one instance, forcing cancer patients to get out of cars and walk through the unmasked mob. Protesters have reportedly verbally and physically assaulted health care workers, while others have used social media to issue threats of violence against doctors and nurses.

Last month, anti-vaccine protesters showed up at the home of an Ontario education minister and, upon learning that he wasn’t there, decided to harass his neighbours instead. On the campaign trail, Trudeau has been tracked by angry crowds of anti-vaxxers shouting profanities and making Nazi references. Less than two weeks after security concerns forced him to cancel a rally in Ontario, Trudeau was hit with gravel thrown by an anti-vaccine protester at one of his campaign events.

July 3, 2021

As election day neared, Canada’s anti-vaccine movement became more active — and more angry — than ever, and some extremism experts are worried about what will happen when the protesters no longer have an election to direct their outrage towards.

“They’re going to be trouble for some time,” Kurt Phillips, board member of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network and founder of Anti-Racist Canada, told Canada’s National Observer. “The rage that exists in the movement — I don’t know where that goes [after the election]. It could explode.”

Nonetheless, possibly the first time ever in Canada, and certainly the first time in recent history, vaccination had taken the centre stage as a major campaign issue in the federal election.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the pandemic when he announced the election in August, saying voters deserve to have a say in who leads the country during its recovery from COVID-19. While mask requirements, vaccine mandates, and other restrictions are already in place, Trudeau promised to pursue an aggressive strategy to combat COVID if the Liberal government remains in power, and criticized his opponent, Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, for opposing vaccine mandates. In August, Trudeau pledged a billion dollars to help provinces create their own vaccine passport systems — a move that has widespread public support.

February 26, 2021

Similar to in the U.S., the anti-vaccine movement in Canada is driven by a multitude of factors, including distrust of the government and other institutions, animosity towards experts and authorities, cultural grievances, rejection of mainstream science, and the creeping influence of extremism in mainstream discourse on the right. Much of the anger and opposition to vaccination is propelled by misinformation and conspiracy theories alleging that vaccines are unsafe, harmful, or part of some sort of plot aimed at establishing a biometric surveillance system or other form of government control.

The anti-vaccine movement has close ties to extremist groups, Christian nationalists, QAnon conspiracy theorists, run of the mill grifters and scam artists, and other right-wing causes like the Yellow Vest movement, which now airs its grievances under the banner of anti-vaccine activism.

“Every single prominent Yellow Vester that I’m aware of is now an anti-vaxxer,” Phillips said.

May 7, 2019

Like the Yellow Vest movement — which saw oil and gas pipeline protest being used as cover for right-wing extremist activity — the anti-vaccine movement has become entangled with far-right extremism as white nationalists and other extremists use the guise of vaccine skepticism to push increasingly extreme conspiracy theories targeting Jews, immigrants, health care workers, and others.

European populist parties like Italy’s Five Star Movement have grown their coalition by raising baseless concerns about vaccine safety and campaigning against vaccine mandates, resulting in decreased childhood vaccination rates and resurgences of diseases like measles. From the start of the pandemic, far-right extremists in Italy have flooded social media with articles blaming migrants for the deadly pandemic, while in Austria and Germany, far-right politicians have used the pandemic to spread conspiracy theories about vaccines and call for crackdowns on immigration. Anti-Semitic vaccine conspiracy theories have also been linked to a rise in hate crimes targeting synagogues and Jewish schools in Switzerland.

Federal Election 2021

The link between populism and anti-vaccine sentiment is apparent in Canada, too. Throughout 2020 and 2021, the People’s Party of Canada (PPC) has capitalized on the grievance-based energy of the anti-vaccine movement to mobilize supporters and draw in new voters. PPC leader Maxime Bernier is a founding member of the “End the Lockdown Caucus” and has made opposition to public health measures such as mask mandates, vaccine passports, and lockdowns — which he calls “tyrannical” and “Orwellian” — a centerpiece of his campaign. (Continued: National Observer) 

 

Wednesday September 15, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday September 15, 2021

Politicians, medical groups condemn protests outside hospitals across Canada

A series of protests — against vaccine mandates and other COVID-19-related public health measures — held outside hospitals across Canada on Monday was condemned by politicians and health-care organizations as unacceptable and unfair to staff and patients.

May 8, 2021

The protests were organized by Canadian Frontline Nurses, a group founded by two Ontario nurses who have promoted conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and attended rallies in the U.S. for those who think the pandemic is a “fraud.”

The group says the “silent vigils,” expected in all 10 provinces, are meant to critique public health measures put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Organizers oppose what they call “tyrannical measures and government overreach,” adding that they are not encouraging nurses to walk out on their shifts or abandon patients.

One of the group’s founders, registered practical nurse Sarah Choujounian, was at the Toronto protest. 

“We have thousands with us across Canada, but obviously, we’re only a few speaking because we’ve been fired,” said Choujounian, who formerly worked at a local long-term care home. 

August 28, 2021

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, whose government drew similar protests after he announced plans for a proof-of-vaccine system, condemned the latest round on Sunday in a tweet, describing such events as “selfish, cowardly and reckless.”

The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario and Ontario Medical Association issued a joint statement “strongly condemning” the disruptions and calling for designated safe zones around health-care facilities to protect staff and patients — a proposal the province’s New Democrats have also floated.

“Nurses, doctors and other health-care workers have been working around the clock on the front lines of the pandemic for 18 months helping to keep our communities safe,” the joint statement said.

July 8, 2021

The University Health Network, which runs Toronto General Hospital, said staff who have cared for people dying of COVID-19 are particularly disheartened, noting health-care workers have been caring for COVID-19 patients for 18 months despite risks to themselves and their families.

“To see protests in front of hospitals is demoralizing for all who work here but particularly for the staff who have cared for the people dying of COVID-19, often without all of their family and loved ones around them,” the network said in a statement.

May 5, 2021

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney condemned the protests at hospitals in Edmonton and Calgary, saying peaceful demonstrations are a constitutional right but they also have limits.

In a statement, he raised the possibility of the protesters facing legal action, “including the potential use of the Critical Infrastructure Defence Act,” an act passed in 2020 which allows fines against anyone who blocks, damages or enters without reason any “essential infrastructure.”

Meanwhile, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau vowed to criminalize blocking access to hospitals amid the protests, saying in a tweet: “There is no place for intimidation or threats at our hospitals and clinics.” 

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh agreed it is wrong to protest at hospitals.

“No health-care worker, no patient, no one seeking health care should in any way be limited or have a barrier to getting the care they need,” he said while campaigning in Sioux Lookout, Ont.

Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole also expressed frustration.

“This type of harassment and protest in front of hospitals is completely unacceptable,” he said. (CBC) 

Tuesday August 31, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday August 31, 2021

It’s better late than never for vaccine passports

To the long and still growing list of pandemic reversals by the Ontario government, add vaccine passports. Late last week government sources confirmed that after months of what Premier Doug Ford called “a hard no” to passports, public and expert pressure forced the government to change course.

April 29, 2021

As far as we know now, this is all good. Like it was good when Ford reversed himself on paid sick days. Like it was when he gave police unnecessary new powers to enforce pandemic regulations, and then reversed himself shortly after.

So, better late than never … all’s well that ends well, right? Or maybe this is more like the devil is in the details. At the time of this writing, the premier still had not met with his cabinet to go over the plan for passports, even though it is supposed to be finalized in the next couple of weeks.

August 11, 2021

And so the pressure continues. On Monday, the mayor of Ottawa wrote a letter calling for passports. Business groups like the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, various municipalities and nearly all public health officials are on board. But the government, and especially Ford himself, remained ideologically opposed, not unlike the conservative government of Jason Kenney in Alberta, which is still steadfast in its opposition in spite of pandemic numbers worse than all other provinces.

British Columbia has them, as does Quebec. Prairie provinces either have or are getting passports or something similar. The United Kingdom. All European nations. The question is not whether Ontario should have a proof of vaccination system, it is what took so long?

For weeks, businesses and organizations have been struggling to come up with their own pandemic regulations. How much money, stress and energy went into that work which could have been saved had the government just done the right thing in the first place?

August 25, 2021

Vaccine passports are not a panacea. There are challenges. They are not perfect. Some businesses are warning that if passports come into force without a relaxation of other measures, like capacity limits, for example, the real potential won’t be realized. Advocates for poor and vulnerable people worry about those who don’t have permanent addresses or even cellphones to display their certificate of vaccination.

And, maybe the biggest problem: Given that the government is being dragged into this kicking and screaming, will it deliver a partial solution or one with enough loopholes to limit its effectiveness? That would serve no one’s interests, least of all Ford’s.

Unquestionably, any proof of vaccination system is a double-edged sword. Just as passports protect those of us wise enough to get vaccinated, they will take away a lot of choices from people who choose not to get vaccinated. (Those with legitimate reasons for remaining unvaccinated should not be harmed.)

May 29, 2020

Armed with our passports, we can attend sporting and concert events. We can feel more comfortable going out for dinner in a restaurant filled with other vaccinated people.

No doubt some businesses will try to capitalize on keeping their doors open to unvaccinated consumers. It will be interesting to see how the government deals with that. But provided businesses and organizations clearly indicate they are following — or not following — provincial vaccine passport regulations, consumers can make an informed choice. We can patronize businesses and events where we feel relatively safe and avoid those where we do not.

Passports are just another tool, not unlike vaccination, distancing and masking. We will need all our tools in this fourth wave. (Hamilton Spectator Editorial)