B.C. 'absolutely' considering mandatory COVID-19 vaccines for long-term care staff, Henry says
B.C.'s top doctor says the province is considering mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for workers in long-term care homes, along with a suite of other potential policies aimed at ensuring that residents of such facilities have as much protection from the coronavirus as possible.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry revealed the ongoing deliberation in response to questions from reporters at her news conference on B.C.'s pandemic response Thursday.
Asked whether the province would look at mandatory vaccination for long-term care workers or policies that would allow care home operators to reassign staff members who have not been vaccinated, Henry was unequivocal.
"Absolutely," she said. "We're looking at all of the options around how do we ensure that residents in long-term care are protected to the fullest extent possible."
Part of that protection, Henry said, will be ensuring that people who work in long-term care facilities are immunized, but she added that there are "a number of different factors to consider" when it comes to staff vaccination.
"(Those factors include) access to vaccine - first and second doses - and what other measures need to be in place for people who, for whatever reason, are unable to be immunized?" Henry said. "So, yes, we are actively working on all of those in terms of the progression of the policy for workers in long-term care."
Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix noted that care home policies have largely not been tied to B.C.'s reopening plan.
The province resumed allowing visitors at long-term care and assisted-living homes in late March, just days before health officials introduced stricter "circuit-breaker" rules for the general population.
Dix and Henry did not specify when new policies for care homes might be implemented, but they made it clear that changes are coming.
"We have still in place a single site (staffing) order, and as part of moving forward into the next phase of this we will be looking at how do we ensure that everybody in those most highly vulnerable settings are immunized, with two doses, as much as possible," Henry said.
Ontario recently announced new rules requiring each of that province's 626 long-term care homes to have immunization policies in place. At a minimum, those policies require workers who do not get both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to "participate in an educational program about the benefits of vaccination and the risks of not being vaccinated."
Dix said Thursday that 33,219 long-term care residents in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 20,703 have received a second dose. Among staff members, 41,486 have received a first dose and 27,755 have received a second.
Site-specific immunization numbers for care home residents were published in February, but haven't been updated since. The province has never released site-specific vaccination numbers for care home staff.
With files from CP24's Chris Fox
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
Video shows suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Ottawa injects another $36M into fund for those seriously injured or killed by vaccines
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Ex-SNC executive sentenced to prison term in bridge bribery case
The RCMP says a former SNC-Lavalin executive has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison in connection with a bribery scheme for a bridge repair contract in Montreal.