Mandatory vaccination could be extended beyond health-care workers in Quebec

Quebec imposes vaccines on health workers Quebec Premier Francois Legault said health-care workers will be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Montreal — Mandatory vaccination was originally intended to target only health-care workers, but it could be extended to other types of workers as well.

The mandate of the parliamentary commission that will review the issue next week states that one of the issues to be addressed will be whether or not to extend the vaccination requirement to all workers who have "prolonged contact with citizens." The definition of "contact" remains to be clarified, while "prolonged" would mean more than 15 minutes.

Ongoing negotiations on the consultation, which began Wednesday between the office of Government House Leader Simon Jolin-Barrette and the opposition parties, were not completed Thursday, but according to information obtained Thursday by The Canadian Press from various sources, the picture is starting to take shape.

If all goes as planned, the parliamentary commission on mandatory vaccination will last two days and will take place on Aug. 26 and 27. The Legault government initially wanted to limit the commission to one day, but the opposition parties insisted on hearing from several groups from different backgrounds, with different expertise, and insisted on a second day.

It is unclear what the government had in mind when it chose to expand the commission's mandate to include other categories of workers than those who have direct contact with patients. Opposition parties are speculating that this could include daycare workers, teachers, and even public servants.

The individuals and groups heard will be able to testify by videoconference or in person at the National Assembly. Elected officials will be present in Parliament. The list of speakers is still being negotiated and is yet to be completed.

So far, at least 15 speakers are expected, many of whom will come from the health sector, but also from unions and the science, education, and law communities.

The elected officials of the various parties wanted to hear from the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, but the government refused, which the Official Opposition considers totally unacceptable.

Liberal Opposition House Leader André Fortin said it is "inconceivable, even insulting" to see Minister Dubé shy away from such a sensitive issue. According to him, Minister Dubé is "the number one player" in this file and he must both hear from stakeholders and answer questions from elected officials.

If not, the whole exercise risks being "futile," he said in a telephone interview, while showing himself to be very much in favour of the idea of extending mandatory vaccination to job categories outside the health world, possibly daycare workers and teachers at all levels.

The Liberals also want to hear from the Director of Public, Health, Dr. Horacio Arruda, but have received no assurances from him.

The opposition parties tried to include the controversial issue of the vaccine passport in the mandate, but the government maintained its position, refusing to do so.

They also wanted the parliamentary commission to conclude its work by making observations and recommendations to the government, based on the testimony heard, but the government refused to do that either.

On Tuesday, the government had, however, excluded the idea of extending the vaccination obligation to other categories of workers than those in the health field, at least "for the moment."

Premier François Legault announced on Tuesday that by Oct. 1, all those who provide care to patients and are in direct contact with them for more than 15 minutes will have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 if they want to continue working.

This includes nurses, orderlies, physicians, paramedics and others in both the public and private sectors.

Threats to their physical integrity and their right to work will be addressed during the discussions, as will the delicate issue of sanctions to be imposed on workers who refuse.

If those who refuse to roll up their sleeves to receive the two doses are given unpaid leave, how long will this forced leave last? Will dismissal be ruled out? What impact do we anticipate on the labour shortage? How do we protect people who do not want to be vaccinated for medical reasons? These are all questions that the Opposition wants to ask the experts.

To date, in the public sector alone, it is estimated that approximately 50,000 workers have not received their doses of vaccine.

The PQ's Martin Ouellet is also concerned that the exercise will be "a bit of a sham" if the government keeps putting up obstacles and refusals. The PQ opposition has already taken the lead in asking the Institut national de santé publique (INSPQ) to produce an opinion on mandatory vaccination for health care workers.

Minister Jolin-Barrette did not respond to a request for an interview.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 19, 2021.