Canada’s chief public health officer Theresa Tam admits that there is no evidence vaccine passports work.
As reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, Tam told reporters that The Public Health Agency of Canada has not studied the impact of vaccine passports on vaccination rates, but that they are “watching carefully.”
“We don’t have good evaluation or statistics except that provinces individually have said, I think in the media, that they saw an increase in uptake,” said Tam.
At present, five provinces, including Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec, have issued vaccine mandates. To access non-essential services such as restaurants and sports arenas, residents in these areas must show proof of vaccination.
On average, 69% of eligible residents are fully vaccinated in the four provinces with vaccine passports, according to public health data. Vaccination rates in provinces without mandates average a mere 3% less.
Tam said her team plans to study the “full range of approaches” and that part of the way to quash vaccine hesitancy is through “trust-building” and getting social media influencers to promote the vaccine.
The Liberal Party’s campaign platform includes a pledge to “ensure every business and organization that decides to require proof of vaccination from employees and customers can do so without fear of a legal challenge.” Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien says that the vaccination mandates would violate the privacy act.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has cited concerns over the logistics of vaccine passports. In a September 1 press release, the CFIB posed questions on how enforcement of the passports world work, how a business would recognize out-of-province and out-of-county vaccinations and who would be held responsible in the case of fraud.
In recent weeks, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau has demonized Canadians who oppose mandatory vaccines and vaccine passports. On a number of occasions, Trudeau has accused Canadians of being “hateful” and “misogynistic.”
