Back in 2020 when the Canadian federal government announced that it had ordered millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, almost three-quarters of Canadians indicated in a poll that they would take the vaccine. Since then, of Canadians 12 and older, an incredible 90.57 percent are either partially or fully vaccinated. After over a year of the availability of vaccines, this leaves less than 10 percent of the population unvaccinated, a very small percentage because of medical exemptions. Of Canada’s roughly 3.7 million unvaccinated, the limited data includes a group that is disproportionately composed of people who are low income, recent immigrants and ethnic minorities (i.e. marginalized communities). Canada remains in the midst of a once-in-a-century pandemic that has already killed 30,000 people. Of course, there are the so-called anti-vaxxers, who appear to oppose COVID vaccines no matter what.
Two years into this pandemic, the majority of Canadians are increasingly becoming angry over those people who are hesitant about or against getting vaccinated. With the Omicron variant, hospitals are once again being stressed to their limits and many elective surgeries and treatments are being postponed. Since the majority of COVID-related hospitalizations are among the unvaccinated, people are starting to point their fingers at them. Nowhere is this reaction so evident as in the province of Quebec, where new cases caused by Omicron have severely taxed the capacity of the health care system. On a per capita basis, Quebec’s case load has far outweighed that of any other province. Quebec has also seen the biggest protests by anti-vaxxers and those against lockdowns than in any other province. In turn, the situation has now driven the Quebec government to introduce a contribution increase for the unvaccinated to support the bigger demand on the province’s health care system. Quebec’s Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos even suggested earlier this month that mandatory vaccinations may be on the horizon for everyone, similar to what Austria recently implemented.
Across Canada, in a turn of events, the frustrated vaccinated are now more overtly protesting against those who refuse to get vaccinated. A January poll by Maru Public Opinion found that two-thirds of Canadians are now in favour of mandatory vaccines for everyone over the age of five. Another 37 percent said it would be OK to refuse to “allow them access to any publicly funded hospital/medical services.” Sixty-one percent of the respondents said it would be allright to make the unvaccinated pay “a monetary healthcare surcharge on their taxes of up to $150 per month.” More surprisingly, more than one in four of the Canadians polled supported jail time for the unvaccinated, agreeing that it would be acceptable to make them serve up to five days of jail time.
Of course, all of the above would be extraordinary measures in any democracy and politically dangerous for most governments. However, given the current frustration with the unvaccinated and the politicization of public health measures, the chasm between the two groups has grown ever so deep. Desperation to end this pandemic and its health and economic impacts has taken over, despite rational arguments over the self-evident consequences on civil liberties of such seemingly extreme measures. Interestingly, the above poll noted that 12 percent, including 3 percent who were vaccinated, continue to describe the unvaccinated as “heroes for free speech/choice.” The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) has stated that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees autonomy over our bodies and medical decision-making. “Allowing the government to levy fines on those who do not agree with the government’s recommended medical treatment is a deeply troubling proposition,” the CCLA said. “The government must provide clear and compelling evidence and demonstrate that there were no reasonable alternatives.”
When it comes to dealing with the unvaccinated, in some jurisdictions the pendulum has swung the other way. As in Quebec, current public opinion may just encourage a government to introduce even more severe penalties or restrictions when it comes to the unvaccinated. I’m afraid that the end result will not prove to be good for any of us!
FROLITICKS 