TORONTO – All against Ford. Ontario Science Advisory Table, Canadian Medical Association, Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, Ontario Hospital Association, doctors and scientists from all over the province, contacted by Premier Ford, had said they were in favor of the vaccination obligation for health workers. And now they do not hide their disappointment and bitterness for the opposite decision taken by Ford. “It’s not supported by science,” they said in unison.
For its part, the Canadian Medical Association does not send them to say and while acknowledging that governments have a “double responsibility for the safety and protection of the health system” criticized the rejection of the Ontario government as well as had vitriolic words for the decision of the Quebec government to modify the vaccination obligation so that it is applied only to new employees. “When governments are unable to take all the necessary health measures to protect their population during a pandemic, because doing so will mean that the current staff shortage will worsen, we are facing the failure of the system,” said CMA President Dr. Katharine Smart while the Ontario Hospital Association said the province “cannot afford to let its guard down.”
Ontario’s current policy allows unvaccinated health workers to continue working as long as they undergo rapid testing for Covid-19 but for some time now, some hospitals, given the government’s inadm in this regard, have put stricter regulations into practice on their own.
Dr Michael Warner, director of critical care at Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto, said Ford’s decision was a “bad decision” that will endanger patients and increase the risk of absenteeism due to Covid-19.
It would have been the Covid-19 vaccination obligation in British Columbia, which went into effect last month – which has already put more than 3,000 unvaccinated health workers on unpaid leave, many of whom could be laid off from work if they do not receive at least one dose before the November 15 deadline – that frightened Prime Minister Ford. “This is a complex issue,” Ford said, “but when the impact of the potential layoffs of tens of thousands of health workers is related to the small number of outbreaks currently active in Ontario hospitals, I am not willing to jeopardize the care needed by millions of Ontario residents.” He spoke of tests, two days ago Ford, evidence that would have convinced him not to implement mandatory vaccination for health personnel.
And this unspecified evidence irritated NDP leader Andrea Horwath. “We want Ford to tell us what is the evidence that convinced him to reject the vaccination obligation – thundered Horwath – unvaccinated personnel should not be admitted to intensive care, in pediatric wards with sick children, in the homes of fragile patients who need home care, in any other part of health care or in our children’s schools”, said Horwath. “Ford has chosen anti-vax over cancer patients – added Steven Del Duca, leader of the Liberals – he is endangering our most vulnerable patients because he is afraid that the no-vax Conservative community will not otherwise support his re-election. He should be ashamed.”
Ford’s decision, however, was no surprise to those who can read between the lines: the premier has never been a convinced supporter of vaccines or green passes but this time he really made a meager figure by asking for opinions from the medical community and then doing exactly the opposite.
