Vancouver mom taking 3 generations back home to Greece worried inconsistent proof of vaccination may not be adequate overseas
Michelle Larigakis can’t wait to take her parents back to their favourite restaurant on the Greek island of Skopelos.
“It means a lot to them to go back every summer and to reconnected with family,” Larigakis said, though they weren’t able to travel the past two years.
Her parents are getting older, she said, and this could be one of their final years to make the trip.
So Larigakis has booked flights to Athens next week with her father, Spyros, 91, her mother, Toula, in her 80s, and her sons Julian, 20, and Alexi, 17.
Everyone is fully vaccinated, with Greek authorities either requiring a negative COVID-19 test before arrival, or what its tourism ministry calls a “vaccination certificate issued by a certified authority.”
Everyone has some form of proof, except Toula, who Michelle said lost her written vaccination record card.
Making matters more complicated, while Michelle could download the B.C. Services Card app, go through steps to set up an account, and link it to what’s called her HealthGateway, it turns out Toula could not, because of a glitch with her birthdate in the provincial system.
So Michelle helped her apply for a replacement B.C. Services Card, which won’t arrive for a month or two.
They can’t access Toula’s electronic vaccination records without it.
“It’s not working for us and we are digitally savvy,” Michelle said.
And she’s raising questions on behalf of all international travellers, worried the handwritten B.C. vaccination cards, or the different forms of records, could confuse or might be rejected by the Greek authorities.
“It would be great if there was just a standard, official-looking document,” she said.
Anita Huberman, the CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade, agrees.
And for Huberman, it’s more about creating consistency between the provinces and territories so that if businesses ask for proof of vaccination, they’re all looking for the same thing.
On Monday, she sent a letter to provincial and federal officials asking for “a centralized, Canada-wide approach” to immunization proof.
“Ever since the pandemic began, we’ve had a patchwork of solutions, a patchwork of mixed messaging across the country,” Huberman said.
“That’s really confused employers, confused employers.”
While B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has said she doesn’t support the idea of so-called vaccine passports within the province, she has previously said she expects one for international travel.
Ottawa hasn’t provided details on when that system could potentially be ready.
An email to Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada, which is overseeing the development and rollout vaccine passports, was acknowledged, but wasn’t responded to by deadline.
In Victoria, the Ministry of Health told CTV News in a statement it was “working to improve the way that people can easily obtain their COVID immunization records and will have more information on what this will look like available in the coming days.”
In the meantime, the ministry indicated those who had lost their immunization records or weren’t able to access the HealthGateway could request copies by:
- Reaching out to their local health unit if they were immunized at a mass immunization clinic, through their local health unit, or through mobile clinics in their health region.
- Reaching out to their pharmacist if they were immunized at their local pharmacy.
- Reaching out to their community health nurse if they were immunized in a First Nations community.
The ministry also reiterated it’s working with the federal government to ensure “people will be able to travel internationally and their privacy will be protected,” a statement read.
With Michelle’s permission, CTV News reached out to Vancouver Coastal Health Monday morning to ask about obtaining a copy of Toula’s proof of vaccination.
Whether asking questions made any difference, by Monday afternoon, Michelle had copies of both her parents’ records.
“I think it looks official enough,” she said, showing CTV documents that listed names, birthdates, health numbers, plus vaccination dates, products, and lots numbers.
The first thing she plans to do when they arrive in Skopelos?
“Pour my dad a glass of ouzo,” she said.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
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.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.