Hamilton set to pause mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for employees

Hamilton politicians have put a pause on remaining COVID-19 vaccination restrictions, implemented on staffers in the summer of 2021.

A motion, approved 11-3 by members of the general issues committee (GIC), means new city employees will no longer have to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Vaccination requirements will also be paused for paramedics, long-term care and child care employees.

The requirement was lifted for other staffers last summer.

Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath hopes suspending the last of the COVID-19 vaccination verification policy will “take the temperature down a bit,” after almost two years of push back from some city councillors.

“Really the important thing here is to be able turn the page, ” Horwath said to committee members Wednesday.

“To be able to turn the page on some of the friction and some of the difficulties that the past council went through.”

Ward 2 Coun. Cameron Kroetsch, one of those voting to keep vaccination requirements in place, characterized the city as still “not in a good situation” citing continued pressure on hospitals as an example.

“I think back to the discussion we had at our public health meeting where we saw the pressures on our hospital services … are still very high,” Kroetsch said.

“No they’re not as high as they were at the height of the pandemic, no, we’re not dealing with the same levels of impact, but we’re not in a good situation.”

In a statement following the GIC vote, Ward 7’s Esther Pauls said she was “thrilled” by the pause and “appreciates” colleagues that came “on side” with the decision.

Pauls has been opposed to the mandate since 2021 and at times was alone in insisting employees should not have to choose between “their job or their jab.”

The decision to pause the policy is based on advice in a report from the city’s medical officer of health, who says current evidence indicates that vaccination provides protection against the severe effects of COVID-19, but has little, if any, effect against the risk of being infected.

The policy stoppage still requires final ratification by council.

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