About 30,000 health workers in public system not vaccinated: Quebec health minister

By The Canadian Press

MONTREAL – Even though a vaccine mandate for health workers could lead to cancelled surgeries and other service disruptions, the health order is necessary to protect workers and patients, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube said Thursday.

Some workers may choose to quit their jobs instead of being vaccinated, but the ones who stay will be protected from the novel coronavirus and likely won’t need to take sick leave, Dube told a legislature committee in Quebec City.

Dube and other members of the government took part in the first of two days of hearings on their decision to force health-care workers in the public and private sector to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Workers will have until Oct. 15 to get two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine or risk being reassigned or suspended without pay, he said.

About 30,000 workers in the public health-care system are not vaccinated, Dube said, adding that the number in the private health system is likely even higher. And while some may choose to quit, which could lead to service disruptions, the alternative is worse, he said.

“In an environment where resources are extremely stretched, we cannot allow more staff to be withdrawn for reasons that could have been avoided through proper vaccination,” Dube told the committee.

“Our objective with this measure is to protect our most vulnerable, but also to maintain our hospital capacity and maintain our level of care, notably by reducing absenteeism.”

At the peak of the pandemic, 12,000 health-care workers were absent due to medical reasons, Dube said, adding that around 2,000 workers are currently on medical or preventive leave.

Mandatory vaccination would also protect vulnerable patients, the health minister added.

The hearings will also discuss whether the vaccine mandate should be extended to other workers such as teachers.

The Opposition Liberals have called for mandatory vaccination to be expanded to all government workers, university staff and students, as well as teachers and early childhood educators.

Quebec’s public health director, Dr. Horacio Arruda, told the committee that mandatory vaccination for health-care workers is necessary because Quebec is in a fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic that’s being driven by the Delta variant. He said it’s also important because the return to school will lead to an increase in contacts and an expected rise in COVID-19 cases.

“We consider this a temporary measure,” Arruda said, but declined to say when he thought it would end.

Nancy Bedard, president of Quebec’s largest nurses union, said she was surprised by the government’s announcement that vaccination would be mandated for health-care workers, adding that she’s concerned the decision had already been made before Thursday’s hearings.

Bedard said the Federation Interprofessionnelle de la sante du Quebec, which also represents respiratory therapists and other health-care professionals, is in favour of vaccination but she worries making it mandatory will diminish trust in the government.

She said also doesn’t understand why workers are being subject to a vaccine mandate at a time when other restrictions are being relaxed in health-care settings because of the high rate of vaccination among health staff.

Quebec’s public health institute says more than 91 per cent of health-care workers at public facilities and at private facilities that have contracts with the government have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and more than 86 per cent are considered adequately vaccinated.

Meanwhile, Quebec reported 603 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday and one more death attributed to the novel coronavirus. The Health Department said the number of hospitalizations linked to the pandemic rose by nine, to 119, and 36 people were in intensive care, a rise of three.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 26, 2021.

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