Alberta Medical Association calls for mandatory vaccinations for health-care workers

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The Alberta Medical Association (AMA) is calling for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for all health-care workers who come into direct contact with patients, including in hospitals, doctors’ offices and long-term care facilities.

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In a letter published Tuesday, AMA president Dr. Paul Boucher called mandatory vaccination of health-care workers “essential,” pointing to previous outbreaks experienced in health-care settings and the arrival of more contagious variants of the virus.

“I realize that many aspects of the pandemic have been polarizing and that not all our members will agree with this stance,” the letter says.

“The Board and I felt that we should lend our voice to this important issue as vaccination remains our most effective tool to keep our vulnerable patients safe and our best path out of the pandemic.”

In an interview with Postmedia Tuesday, Boucher said the association wanted to show leadership and set a good example while protecting patients.

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“If you’re coming in contact with patients and providing patient care in some way directly with them, I think it should be part of our mandate to make sure that we protect the vulnerable,” he said.

Boucher said health-care workers should have to provide proof that they have been vaccinated.

“I think we live in an information-rich environment where that’s easily available, I would suggest, to everybody. So I think showing proof shouldn’t be that much of a burden to getting this done,” he said.

The AMA is not the first medical association to call for mandatory vaccines. Similar calls have been made by groups including the Canadian Medical Association, Canadian Nurses Association, Ontario Medical Association, and the New Brunswick Medical Society.

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Boucher said the mandate could come from a number of different places such as individual employers including Alberta Health Services (AHS) but would probably work best as a government mandate.

On Tuesday the Manitoba government announced it was requiring all front-line provincial employees who work with vulnerable populations to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Earlier this month British Columbia mandated vaccines for workers in long-term care and seniors’ assisted living.

Lisa Glover, a spokesperson for Alberta Health, said the province is not considering mandatory vaccine mandates at this time.

“Albertans are encouraged to continue to sign up for both first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccine to ensure long-term protection,” she said.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is opposed to vaccine passports. In July he said the government would not facilitate them and that he believes, in principle, they would contravene Alberta’s health-privacy laws.

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