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
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.