A group of British Columbia community organizations wants changes to the province害羞草研究所檚 COVID-19 vaccine card, saying it fails to account for the needs of people who face legitimate barriers to getting a vaccine or proof of immunization.
A joint letter to Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the plan could restrict access to services for people who can害羞草研究所檛 get a shot for medical reasons, as well as people without government identification.
It was released by Vancouver-based Pivot Legal Society this month and says B.C. has failed to identify a workaround for people without ID, which could include women fleeing violence, people who are homeless and undocumented migrants.
The vaccine card system requires patrons to show proof of at least one vaccine dose by Monday and two doses by Oct. 24 to access certain indoor settings, including ticketed sports events, concerts, restaurants, gyms and movie theatres.
The card will not be required at grocery and liquor stores, pharmacies, fast food restaurants, salons, barbers, hotels, banks, retail stores, food banks and shelters.
B.C. residents need a personal health number to order a paper copy of their vaccine card or to download the card online for display on a smartphone. The card will be checked alongside government identification.
害羞草研究所淚f you害羞草研究所檙e homeless and living outside, carrying around a piece of paper is just not going to work out,害羞草研究所� said Rowan Burdge, director of the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition and a signatory of the letter. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e seen encampments where people害羞草研究所檚 belongings have been taken away.害羞草研究所�
The letter says the province hasn害羞草研究所檛 done enough to follow the advice of organizations that understand how best to navigate public health guidelines for those living in poverty or with a disability, for example.
Disability Alliance BC, which also signed the letter, said in a separate statement that mandating so-called vaccine passports without accommodating people who cannot get vaccinated due to their medical condition is 害羞草研究所渂latant discrimination.害羞草研究所�
The Health Ministry said in a statement it appreciates the groups害羞草研究所� feedback and it has 害羞草研究所渂een doing what we can to address some of these challenges.害羞草研究所�
Asked about accommodation for people who cannot get vaccinated for medical reasons, the ministry said there will be an exemption process 害羞草研究所渇or extremely rare circumstances.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淒r. Henry has said that if you are unvaccinated, for whatever reason, these kind of indoor settings with lots of people are high risk right now,害羞草研究所� it said.
Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba have also introduced vaccine passport programs.
Burdge said she doesn害羞草研究所檛 want requests made in the letter to be conflated with anti-vaccination rhetoric.
害羞草研究所淲e absolutely are supporting people to get vaccinated. 害羞草研究所� But we害羞草研究所檙e worried about the systemic barriers that are going to come from this particular policy.害羞草研究所�
READ MORE:
A number of B.C. communities have seen protests against the vaccine card, including outside hospitals.
Dr. David Naylor, co-chair of Canada害羞草研究所檚 COVID-19 immunity task force, said there害羞草研究所檚 a widespread sense that COVID-19 has 害羞草研究所渉ijacked our lives,害羞草研究所� leading some people to scapegoat the public health measures adopted to protect the health-care system and those who are too young to receive a vaccine.
But Naylor said those measures, including achieving a higher rate of vaccination, are the 害羞草研究所渙nly way to restore normalcy in the months ahead,害羞草研究所� particularly as the highly contagious Delta variant makes up the majority of Canada害羞草研究所檚 COVID-19 cases.
Vaccine passports have a role to play in curbing the fourth wave by encouraging immunization among people who may be late getting their first shot, but who aren害羞草研究所檛 staunchly opposed to vaccination, said Naylor, who led a review of Canada害羞草研究所檚 public health system after the outbreak of SARS in 2003.
Those opposed to vaccination or vaccine cards are 害羞草研究所渟imply inviting continuation of some of the measures that everyone would like to avoid,害羞草研究所� he said in an interview.
Naylor said even staunch libertarians, or those who believe in maximal freedom of choice and minimal government regulation, acknowledge that one person害羞草研究所檚 civil liberties stop when they lead to harm or encroach on the liberties of others.
害羞草研究所淭he notion here that you have people who could do harm to other people is relevant in considering the constraints on the civil liberties claim by people who choose to remain unvaccinated in the midst of an unprecedented global pandemic.害羞草研究所�
The Canadian Press
Like us on and follow us on .
