Anti-vaxxer covidiots sure do have a lot of bravado when it comes to “taking a stand for their personal freedom.”
And they are willing to risk their employment status at the same time.
I received a voicemail from a City of Burnaby worker who said they were going to refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The problem is that the deadline was earlier this week for Burnaby city workers to be vaccinated. Otherwise, they must go through a series of weekly tests.
The caller said they were not going to play ball and that meant they would be off the job. The caller was warning me about this as they were set to head into work for their regular shift.
“The cops will have to drag me out because I will refuse to leave,” the caller said. (As far as I've been told, this didn't happen.)
Incredible. Ridiculous. All because they are refusing to take a safe vaccine that has saved lives all around the world. A vaccine that was carefully developed using cutting-edge technology. But, hey, these folks have “done their research” know better and are now willing to risk their jobs over it.
We’ve seen the same thing with some nurses being given the boot because they won’t comply.
This is the world we’re living in right now.
So, how do other government agencies and our community fare with vaccinations?
Health Minister Adrian Dix confirmed on Tuesday that 97% of provincial bureaucrats are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as public service employees prepare to return to offices next month.
For Burnaby, all four city quadrants have now hit a 90% double vaccination rate for those that are 12 years of age and older. As of Nov. 29, Southeast Burnaby has joined the northeast, northwest and southwest hitting the milestone, according to the COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard. Northwest Burnaby reached the number on October 18, 2021, while Northeast Burnaby hit the mark on October 28, 2021.
Even kids are getting the jab. Children aged five to 11 years old became eligible for a modified dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Monday (Nov. 29) in British Columbia.
The first groups of children in the age group received their doses on Monday at the University Heights Clinic on Vancouver Island, with Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry in attendance.
This all comes as B.C. has identified its first case of the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 in a case linked to a resident in Fraser Health region who recently visited Nigeria.
Vaccines used in Canada, such as those produced by Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc., were designed to take aim at the novel coronavirus’ spike protein. It remains unclear how effective these vaccines will be on the new strain.
“Equal access to vaccination is something that’s going to be important for us to get through this,” B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Tuesday.
“Until everyone in the global community has the ability to be vaccinated and has the same protections we do, we are still all at risk.”
This comes as B.C. is embarking on a booster shot campaign at the same time about 57% of the global population of 7.9 billion people have yet to receive two doses.
B.C.’s current approach is focused on those who are at the highest risk, such as older people or those who received their first and second doses at shorter intervals.
“I don’t think it will change,” Henry said, when asked about whether B.C.’s booster campaign will be adjusted in the wake of the emergence of the Omicron variant.
“It really is a bit too early to say.”
- With additional reporting by Jess Balzer and Tyler Orton, Glacier Media
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
