Naturopaths, chiropractors lag behind other health professionals in vaccination rates
The B.C. government has revealed the vaccination rates among different health professions, though letting the public know which individual service providers have their shots will be much more complicated.
Officials shared data on 18 of the province’s 19 health colleges Tuesday, confirming that overall, 94 per cent of members have been vaccinated – a proportion in line with the general population.
Physicians and surgeons, dieticians, and occupational therapists are at the high end, with rates as high as 98 per cent.
At the bottom of the list, with rates below the average for the general population, are naturopaths, chiropractors and those practicising traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncturists. Only 69.2 per cent of naturopathic physicians have been vaccinated.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry told reporters that vaccination has been crucial in limiting the spread of COVID-19.
"I cannot imagine where we'd be if we had not stepped up across this province,” Henry said, while thanking everyone who “did their bit by getting vaccinated.”
Asked about what may account for the differences among health professions, Henry responded, "Some people have been reluctant or slow to respond to the colleges' need for this information so it's probably an underestimate.”
“We know that some regulated health professionals have views about the vaccination,” she added.
Data from the College of Nurses and Midwives is not yet available because of how many people need to be accounted for.
The challenge in letting patients know who has their two doses and who hasn’t primarily has to do with privacy. Henry said talks are underway with the colleges to figure out next steps.
"There are ethical principals around protection of privacy that are very very important, and there are principals around patient safety that trump everything," she added.
Rates of vaccination among health professionals, according to the Ministry of Health, are as follows:
- Naturopathic physicians, 69.2 per cent
- Chiropractors, 78.1 per cent
- Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists, 79 per cent
- Massage therapists, 87.9 per cent
- Dental technicians, 90.7 per cent
- Audiologists/hearing instrument practitioners, 91.9 per cent
- Dental hygienists, 92.6 per cent
- Dental assistants, 92.8 per cent
- Denturists, 92.9 per cent
- Speech language pathologists, 92.9 per cent
- Opticians, 94.9 per cent
- Physical therapists, 95.2 per cent
- Dentists, 95.9 per cent
- Optometrists, 96 per cent
- Psychologists, 96.1 per cent
- Pharmacists, 96.7 per cent
- Pharmacy technicians, 96.8 per cent
- Occupational therapists, 96.9 per cent
- Dieticians, 98 per cent
- Physicians and surgeons, 98 per cent
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.