This month, we’ve moved beyond the “asking nicely” phase of the COVID vaccination campaign. Along with the carrot, the stick is now out, making shots necessary for anyone who wants to coach a kids’ soccer team, visit a sick relative in hospital, get on a plane, and increasingly – keep their job.
Vaccine mandates are now in place for employees of many companies, as well as the public service, long-term care, and hospital staff. Last week, the District of West Vancouver joined that list. We expect to see the two North Vancouvers joining very soon.
But perhaps, not surprisingly, there are still holdouts. This week, more than 3,300 health care workers in B.C. were placed on unpaid leave after neglecting to get their shots. In a field where not getting vaccinated puts both the vulnerable patients and colleagues at risk, and where science and rational decisions are valued, their decision makes no sense.
Despite the impacts, the vaccine mandate is the right decision. As Dr. Bonnie Henry said this week, perhaps health care workers who refuse to accept the benefits of vaccination weren't in the right profession to begin with.
It's time now for any equally irresponsible teachers and school staff to face the stick. Unlike a municipal office, schools are by their nature group settings where physical distancing is mostly impossible. The province has defied all logic to leave decisions on employee vaccination mandates in the hands of local school boards who we worry are too timid to do the right thing and put the safety of students and their families first.
We might lose a few staff but those who don't accept the fundamentals of science probably shouldn't be teaching it in the first place.
