Action Alert: Premier, mandate vaccinations for all health-care and education workers and immediately establish safe zones to protect them

In the face of a stubborn fourth wave and the threat of more COVID-19 variants to come, it is paramount that Ontario mandate vaccinations - subject to strict medical exemption - for all health-care and education workers and immediately establish safe zones around all health-care settings, vaccination clinics, schools and child-care centres.

Join us! Call on the premier to extend mandatory vaccinations to all health-care and education workers and to immediately establish safe zones around their places of work.

On Oct. 1, the government mandated vaccinations for in-home health-care workers across the long-term care sector. RNAO applauds the initiative and calls for the extension of the same care and concern to all health-care workers, all education workers and all vulnerable patients and children/youth in their care. For kids who are not yet able to get vaccinated and kids too young to choose for themselves, and for patients whose health is compromised, the mandatory vaccination of those who care for them is an important and effective layer of protection against a devastating virus. Moreover, in health-care settings, schools and child-care settings, workers want to be assured their colleagues are protecting the workplace and themselves. 

RNAO understands that vaccine mandates attract “anti-vaxx” protests. We deplore and condemn the propagation of harmful and dangerous misinformation and the harassment and intimidation of health-care and education workers, patients and children on the doorsteps of health-care settings, vaccination clinics, schools and child-care centres. We urge the government to immediately establish safe zones around health-care settings, schools and child-care centres to ensure all those who work and are cared for in these settings are free from harassment, intimidation and interference by anybody protesting public health measures.

We have been in a long, difficult and deadly battle with COVID-19 and its variants. We need to win and put an end to this fight. Join us! Call on the premier to extend mandatory vaccinations to all health-care and education workers and to immediately establish safe zones around their places of work.