Case for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination compared to smoking restrictions by MLHU
“We highly, highly, ask you, encourage you, beg you to do it,” London Mayor Ed Holder pleaded with the one in five people in the region who remain unvaccinated during a media briefing on Monday.
Begging people to get vaccinated, however, may not be enough to end the pandemic’s grip on London and Middlesex County.
According to the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU), as of July 17 the local COVID-19 vaccination rate for first shots was at 79.4 among adults.
The rate for second doses was at 58.9 percent.
The slowing vaccination rate means the region risks falling short of the target to control the more transmissible Delta variant.
“If we want to get our vaccination rate up from 80 per cent to 90 per cent, we absolutely need mandatory vaccines,” said Medical Officer of Health Dr. Chris Mackie. “Not just for health care, but for other places where people would be putting others at risk, including schools, post-secondary and other facilities.”
Mackie adding that mandatory vaccination would, “require some appropriate exemptions for health or religious and philosophical reasons.”
He then compared mandatory vaccination to smoking regulations.
“The same way we have second-hand smoking legislation wherever you are indoors in proximity with others, you can’t smoke (because) you put other people at risk,” explained Mackie.
The London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) reports a 70 per cent vaccination rate among its 15,000 employees.
Dr. Adam Dukelow, chief medical officer at LHSC, believes the actual rate to be higher because it’s based on voluntary self-reporting of an employee’s vaccination status.
Dukelow says mandating vaccinations for health-care workers would be up to the province.
“We can’t make those decisions in isolation, and (LHSC) would have to take into account our unions, privacy regulations, and such,” he told the media briefing.
Mackie referred to a decision in France that boosted the vaccination rate among adults when it similarly began to level off below target.
“France introduced vaccine passport requirements for entering into restaurants and saw two-million people sign up within two days,” he explained. “That is the kind of policy that will get us over 80 per cent to the 90 per cent threshold to where we can really put this pandemic to bed.”
Middlesex-London’s vaccination rate will be updated on Tuesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.