Here's where local health units stand on vaccine passports

Waterloo -

As COVID-19 cases rise across Ontario, pressure is mounting on the provincial government to implement a vaccine passport program.

Three provinces – British Columbia, Quebec and Manitoba – have already announced vaccination requirements to access certain non-essential services and are rolling out vaccine passports.

This week, the president of the Association of Local Public Health Agencies said Ontario's health units will implement their own vaccine certificate in September if the Ontario government doesn't rollout a province-wide system.

While Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliott have both dismissed the idea, an increasing number of businesses, institutions and hospitals have begun implementing their own vaccine mandate in recent weeks.

The Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce said it supports vaccine passports.

"It's well past time that this gets done," said president Ian McLean. "This has to be one of those tools and is critical so businesses don't have to lockdown again."

Here's where local health units in southwestern Ontario stand on vaccine passports and mandates.

REGION OF WATERLOO

Health officials in Waterloo Region are in favour of proof of vaccination programs.

"Public Health is supportive of a consistent and coordinated approach to proof of vaccination and we are looking to the Province to implement a standardized proof of vaccination program," a spokesperson said in an email.

Earlier this month, regional chair Karen Redman called on the provincial and federal governments to implement vaccine passports.

"The region’s ask is clear: for both levels of government to take a consistent and coordinated approach to proof of vaccination," she said in an open letter.

WELLINGTON-DUFFERIN-GUELPH

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph's medical officer of health supports provincial vaccine passports, but added the health unit is looking at implementing its own system locally in the absence of an Ontario-wide option.

"Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health supports the use of tools and vaccine policies which can help to drive vaccination rates and keep our local businesses open and safe. We support a provincial approach to avoid regional differences, however in the interim we are exploring how to utilize COVax vaccine receipts locally," Dr. Nicola Mercer said in an emailed statement.

HURON-PERTH

Huron Perth Public Health "would prefer a provincial approach to mandating vaccines," a spokesperson said in an email.

"Some health units are starting to look at what might be possible as a regional approach in the absence of a provincial direction; each health unit developing their own strategy is not really a viable option and could lead to a patchwork of inconsistent approaches across the province," Katherine Horst said.

She said the health unit "supports a uniform, efficient, mobile standardized proof of vaccination in light of the growing number of businesses, organizations, and institutions that are implementing vaccine mandates."

Huron Perth Public Health said vaccine mandates will increase vaccine update, adding there are valid reasons for mandates, such as reaching herd immunity and combating the highly transmissible Delta variant.

BRANT COUNTY

The Brant County Health Unit is also in favour of a provincial vaccine certification program.

"BCHU’s Acting Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Malcolm Lock, along with all local medical officers of health, continues to advocate to the Province in favour of a vaccine certification program, which has shown to significantly increase coverage rates when put into place," a spokesperson for the health unit, Ryan Spiteri, said in an emailed statement.

"The preference has always been to have a central, provincial system in place, in order to make any certification program easy to follow and understand for all Ontario residents."