Victoria: The B.C. government said in response to the provincial health officer’s decision to end the COVID-19 public-health emergency, which ends the COVID-19 vaccine mandate in health-care settings, it is making it mandatory for health-care workers to disclose their immunization status as a way to help keep people safe.
“Moving forward, all health-care workers in public health-care facilities must report their immunization for COVID-19 and influenza and their immune status for other critical vaccine preventable diseases. Collecting these records will allow for quick action to be taken in the event of an exposure, outbreak or future pandemic to ensure health-care workers who are not immune follow appropriate measures. Depending on the circumstances, this could include masking, modified duties or exclusion from work,” the province said in a press release.
“Four and a half years ago, people throughout B.C. came together to keep each other safe through the COVID-19 pandemic, including our extraordinary health-care workers,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “Health-care workers are strong supporters of vaccination and the vast majority have stepped up to get immunized and keep themselves and those they care for safe. By shifting to a new requirement for health-care workers to report their immune status for key vaccine preventable diseases including COVID-19, we are continuing to take actions that keep people safe, support a healthy workforce and a strong health-care system.”
The mandatory reporting requirement comes into effect on Friday, July 26, and applies to health-care workers in health-authority-operated and contracted facilities, and includes doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, volunteers and contractors.