Chatham-Kent’s Medical Officer of Health is frustrated with early vaccination rates among workers in local long term care facilities.
“We have about 60% of staff in long term care and retirement homes that have been vaccinated,” says Dr. David Colby. “It’s a little higher in long term care, 64% versus 56% in retirement homes. But only four facilities in Chatham-Kent, two long term care and two retirement homes, have more than 70% of staff vaccinated, and it’s extremely disappointing.”
Colby says public health has been reaching out to staff members to get a better understanding of their hesitation, but in many cases have not been able to change their minds.
The main reason some staff have been refusing to get vaccinated is what Colby calls “unscientific beliefs about vaccination in general.”
With provincial reopening measures based on increasing vaccination rates, Colby is hoping that will provide some additional encouragement.
“I think a lot of people are basically going to find out the things they want to do are going to require vaccination, so hopefully there will be that to provide incentive for people to do that.”
He would like to see vaccinations in LTC homes or anywhere people are working with vulnerable populations become mandatory, but that needs to be tackled at a provincial or federal level.
“I hope it becomes mandatory, but I am not aware of any initiative to do that. It has been made mandatory in several countries around the world, and I think it makes sense.”
By comparison, CKHA officials say vaccination rates among hospital staff has been significantly higher, although CEO Lori Marshall doesn’t have exact numbers at this point.
