Doctor facing discipline for spreading COVID-19 misinformation in B.C., college says

Effigies of Premier John Horgan and Health Minister Adrian Dix are seen at a protest outside the B.C. legislature on Dec. 9, 2021.

A doctor is facing discipline in B.C. for spreading COVID-19 and anti-vaccine misinformation – including on one occasion when he allegedly did so against a backdrop of provincial officials hanging in effigy.

A citation was issued by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia Thursday outlining the allegations of professional misconduct by Dr. Daniel Yoshio Nagase. A hearing will be held at a later date.

According to the disciplinary notice, the college said Nagase's "public addresses" included making "misleading, incorrect, or inflammatory statements about vaccinations, treatments, and measures for COVID-19." The misconduct is said to have taken place "on or around Dec. 9, 2021."

On that day, a small crowd gathered outside the B.C. legislature to hear speakers opposed to vaccines and public health orders. Effigies with the faces of Premier John Horgan, Health Minister Adrian Dix, and Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth were hanged prominently behind the stage.

The college's citation does not explicitly refer to this event but does say that Nagase made some of his statements "while appearing in front of effigies of political figures who were hung from nooses." Those statements included endorsing the use of ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19 and saying that vaccination against the virus is dangerous.

Nagase's registration status with the provincial regulatory body is "resigned." He is listed as a family doctor, but information about where he practiced is not provided.

Nagase was also registered with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta. His status in that province is listed as "inactive." He is also included on a list of "physicians with COVID-19 practice restrictions."

A notice about these limitations was posted online on Dec. 6, 2021. In addition to being prohibited from issuing letters exempting people from vaccination and mandatory mask-wearing, he was also restricted from treating patients who had been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The Alberta college also placed conditions on his public statements about the pandemic, specifically those about ivermectin and vaccines.

When commenting online or in-person, Nagase was required to disclose that his opinions are "contrary to the accepted views of the profession," which are that vaccinations "have been shown statistically to save lives and to reduce the severity of COVID-19 symptoms" and that "ivermectin is not authorized to prevent or treat COVID-19 and may cause serious health problems."