A group of psychologists urged the end of BC’s vaccination obligations for regulated health care workers

A group of psychologists opposed this policy shortly before BC’s disposal plan, which requires all regulated health care professionals to be vaccinated with COVID-19. Shortly before that, local health officials also pointed out evidence that mandatory vaccines do not reduce viral transmission.

On March 10, Dr. Bonnie Henry of the State Department of Health said the state would officially withdraw from the originally announced plan in October to make vaccination a condition for licenses for everyone from dentists to dietitians. rice field.

Under the order, all private sector health care workers were required to be vaccinated at least once by March 24th.

The policy change was made a few days after the lawyer representing the “Large Group of BC Psychologists”. I sent a letter Attorney General David Evie’s office has been warned that industry-wide vaccine obligations will have a detrimental effect on staff, patients, and the general public.

“When we are in the midst of a mental health crisis BC, thousands of patients will be left without a psychologist,” the lawyer writes.

In a nine-page letter, Kelowna-based Doak Shirreff Lawyers cited scientific data from around the world that the COVID-19 vaccine cannot prevent or prevent viral infections.

If the British Columbia government intends to advance its expanded vaccine obligations, lawyers say their clients welcome receiving science and information that authorities trust to justify their decisions. rice field.

On February 16, Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) officials emphasized evidence that COVID-19 could spread to both vaccinated and non-vaccinated. In the letter To the University of British Columbia. Authorities quoted current BC data, urging the university to withdraw plans to cancel registrations for students who did not declare COVID-19 vaccination status or did not follow mandatory tests.

Henry did not consider the concerns raised by psychologist lawyers and VCH staff to be the reason for withdrawing the vaccine obligation, but mentioned “ongoing consultations” with 18 state health schools. ..

She gave little explanation for the dramatically different approaches, saying that it was primarily based on reduced cases and hospitalizations.

“We are taking a more subtle, risk-based approach,” she told reporters. “For some people, it means that you need to be vaccinated to practice in a particular setting, but you can do it with more tailored standards for each regulated medical profession. going.”

Henry I posted a new order On March 7, all private health care workers are required to submit vaccination status to the university by March 31.

The new plan will give patients access to information about their healthcare provider’s vaccine status and will allow them to decide whether to move their business elsewhere. However, authorities have not provided details on how the system works.

The British Columbia Department of Health told the Epoch Times that the order was designed to ensure the safety of patients and health care workers. However, it did not specify how the vaccination status would be disclosed to the patient, how the order would be enforced, or what penalties would be imposed for the breach.

“The ministry continues to work closely with universities to determine how to deal with medical professionals who do not obey orders,” the ministry said in an email.

The latest order states that it is designed to prevent or reduce the infection and risk of COVID-19 infection by medical professionals, but the ministry has requested that it provide scientific evidence to support its claim. I didn’t answer.

No scientific basis: Lancet study

In their letter, the lawyer representing the psychologist Recent research It was published in The Lancet. This paper showed that the effects of vaccination on community infections of circulating variants of COVID-19 “did not appear to be significantly different from those among unvaccinated people.”

This study has no scientific basis to assert a widespread claim that policymakers carry out compulsory vaccination on the premise of preventing infection, or that this is an “unvaccinated pandemic.” I concluded.

At a press conference on February 9, Henry has scientific evidence behind holding the first mandated BC vaccine card in non-mandatory indoor venues such as restaurants and gyms in September 2021. I was asked. The virus was spread by both vaccinated and unvaccinated.

Henry replied that there was “absolutely” scientific evidence.

She added that the first reason was that the BC Vaccine Card would act as an incentive to encourage people to vaccinate, which would reduce severe illness and hospitalization.

Henry then stated that in the mandated indoor environment, the virus has been shown to spread more rapidly, but the infection is less common among vaccinated people. However, she provided a sports analogy rather than the specific scientific evidence to support her claim.

“The difference in spread between vaccinated and unvaccinated people is like saying that Christine Sinclair and I both play soccer. There is a qualitative difference. Yes, one of us may be more likely to score a goal than the other, “she told reporters.

Henry announced plans to withdraw COVID-19 restrictions in the state, including removing the BC vaccine card on March 10th and April 8th.

The move is that many Western and Canadian provinces have already begun to abolish their vaccination obligations, including Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It was done after announcing that it would be removed soon.

Reporters told Henry that she considered the content of the letter from VCH staff to UBC, as the state still requires all registered health care workers to report their vaccination status to their colleges. I asked if it was.

In a letter co-signed by VCH Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Patricia Daly and three other medical officers, the author study It was posted on the website of the Social Science Research Network on February 1st.

Preprinted papers written by public health and infectious disease experts in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom are not intended for society, including that vaccination mandates discourage people from following future public health measures. We conclude that it can be harmful.

“Restricting access to people’s work, education, public transport and social life based on the COVID-19 vaccination status impacts human rights, promotes stigma and social polarization, and promotes health. It has a negative impact on welfare, “the study said.

Henry said he considered the paper to be a “slightly biased opinion piece,” but added that it was a very important consideration.

“It reminds us that the measures we have taken have consequences,” she said. “We have always tried to balance the risks and benefits of each measure we have taken and do it in a thoughtful way.”

“You are going to get resistance”

February 28, UBC officials Quietly announced Universities no longer require regular, rapid testing and vaccine declarations for faculty and students.

An email signed by UBC President Santa Ono cites a scientific claim by VCH authorities that mandatory vaccines do not delay the spread of COVID-19.

Stephen Hoption Cann, a clinical professor and epidemiologist at the UBC School of Population and Public Health, said it was natural to encourage the public to exhaust and try to impose restrictions on policy makers after a two-year pandemic. increase.

Hoption Cann said it is difficult for health policy makers to populate COVID-19 with new data daily to make decisions. He added that the British Columbia government is unaware of specific data based on its decision to continue requiring all private health care workers to report vaccination status to the university.

“Obviously, some health professionals are more vaccinated than others, so it’s difficult to require vaccination for so many different health professionals,” he said in a telephone interview. Said. “And you will get resistance from a particular group.”

Epidemiologists said the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is a fairly new type of vaccine, so scientists are still learning about its durability to protect it from new variants of the virus.

He added that other vaccines that do not rely on mRNA technology are emerging, which may be more effective in reducing infections.

On March 10, Henry said the first shipment of the protein subunit vaccine Novavax in the state, which was considered a potentially attractive option for some healthcare professionals who want to avoid the mRNA vaccine, will be until the end of March. He said it was postponed.

COVID-19 vaccination has been required since October for health care workers employed in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and community health centers.