COVID-19: Two-tiered vaccine exemption system favours public servants, lawyer argues

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Two-tiered vaccine exemption system favours public servants

“There is much more consideration given to the rights of those who are unionized members of the public service than for others, like health-care workers,” said Charlene Le Beau.

“It was so demoralizing for them,” she said. “Some health-care workers applied but were refused an exemption. I know at least one petitioner who did not even apply because they knew it would not be approved. They felt boxed in and defeated before even trying because they saw how narrow the criteria was.”Article content

Also, public service workers who have received certain medications to fight COVID are automatically exempted from having to be vaccinated for at least 90 days, but there is no such option for health-care workers.Article content Health Minister Adrian Dix acknowledged to Postmedia that there are differences in what can be considered for a medical exemption because health-care workers and public servants fall under two different programs.

Dix said he does not expect any further accommodations will be made for health-care workers, even those in administrative positions.Article content Close to 2,500 health-care workers were fired in November for failing to get fully vaccinated. The Ministry of Finance did not provide statistics on how many public servants were fired for refusing to become vaccinated. It said 363 workers are on leave without pay and it is “currently processing terminations on a case-by-case basis.”

 

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