New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs says he’s asked government lawyers to look into whether COVID-19 vaccination could be a condition of employment for those working in long-term care homes.
Higgs said the option isn’t being considered at this point, but he wants to know if it could be an option should vaccination rates among employees remain low.
“We do have cases where people have to meet certain requirements to come to work, be it in a healthcare facility or a long-term care facility, where they have certain standards they have to meet,” Higgs said Wednesday.
“In this vulnerable population, this may be a condition of employment.”
Interim Liberal leader Roger Melanson says he doesn’t think anyone should be forced to be vaccinated for COVID-19 and that the province should continue to urge workers in the long-term care sector to roll up their sleeves.
“Forcing people to get vaccinated, I don’t agree,” Melanson said.
“But strongly encouraging and educating them on the benefits of vaccinating, I fully agree.”
According to numbers released by the province on Tuesday, vaccination rates for long-term care employees sit at 66 per cent. That’s up from the 59 per cent announced by the province a few weeks ago, but below the 75 per cent province-wide target. According to Higgs, the province is set to reach 50 per cent of the entire province in the coming days, or even hours.
Higgs says the potential benefits of moving toward requiring vaccination would have to be weighed against the potential impact on the sector’s workforce.
“The nuance in all of this is, again, balancing out what’s safe and right for the residences and people who want to come to work but have a real particular issue with vaccines,” Higgs said.
“Because again, we have a situation where the real availability of workers is short.”
Those concerns were echoed by Green leader David Coon.
“Given the fragility of the population in long-term care homes, if it were legally possible to make that a condition of employment, in an ideal world that should be done,” Coon said.
“However, we are short — we are very short — on staff in long-term care homes, so we can’t afford to be losing large numbers of staff.”
Asked about other measures that could be put in place, Coon suggested regular testing of non-vaccinated workers or even direct communications from public health with workers and their primary healthcare providers.
People’s Alliance MLA Michelle Conroy says she would also oppose mandatory vaccinations for long-term care workers.
“Anybody that wants to have a vaccine should be encouraged to do so,” she said.
“If you’re working in health care, it should be highly recommended, but as far as forcing people, people have legit fears of vaccines in general.”
The subject of mandatory vaccines is familiar to those in the province’s political arena. Children entering the public school system must show proof of vaccination for several diseases. Medical exemptions are allowed and parents can object on philosophical grounds.
Education minister Dominic Cardy had looked at removing non-medical vaccine exemptions after a measles outbreak in the Saint John region in 2019. The legislation spawned a contentious three-day hearing before the law amendments committee that saw prominent anti-vaccination activists from across the continent descend on Fredericton to argue against it.
Ultimately, the bill failed 22-20, as Cardy was unable to secure enough support in the minority legislature, with some members of his caucus voting against it.
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