Alberta's premier wants vaccine status to be a human right, critics concerned about problems it could pose
Premier Danielle Smith is sticking to her plan to amend the Alberta Human Rights Act to include vaccination status. It’s aimed at those who don’t want a COVID-19 shot, but critics fear it would encompass so much more.
Lorian Hardcastle, associate professor in the faculty of law at the University of Calgary, said vaccination choice is not the same as codifying rights around gender, sexual orientation, race or religion.
“You can’t equate that to the kind of historical discrimination and disadvantage experienced by some of the other groups in the human right legislation,” she told CTV News.
The amendment could impact workplaces that require staff to be vaccinated for their safety and the public’s.
Nurses, for instance, are required to be vaccinated against tetanus, Hepatitis B, measles, mumps and rubella, among other things.
The union representing nurses in Alberta says taking away those requirements would be “ill-informed.”
“Certainly it protects the health-care workers, but even more importantly, it protects the public and you know, we need to do everything we can to mitigate and reduce risk,” said Heather Smith, president of the United Nurses of Alberta.
Danielle Smith has repeatedly linked the health-care system’s strain to the fact that health employers had required COVID vaccinations, even though the vast majority of health-care workers did get the shot.
“Another ill-informed analysis of the problem,” Heather Smith said.
Infectious disease specialist Dr. Craig Jenne said over the last 100 years, vaccines have been the single-most effective healthcare tool ever developed.
“Today, we live in a Canada that is essentially free of polio and free of other infectious diseases because previous generations did their part with vaccines,” he said.
“And one thing we know about infectious diseases is we simply don’t know what’s coming next and to put a critical tool away might be a bit short-sighted.”
In a statement, the premier’s office said, “The premier has been clear; it’s unacceptable for people to be discriminated on the basis of a medical choice. The premier has every intention of amending the Alberta Human Rights Act to reflect that.”
If the amendment is made, workplaces that keep their vaccine requirements could become the subject of a human rights complaint.
Hardcastle said those workplaces would then have to show that it’s a “bonafide occupational requirement,” such as instances where staff work with vulnerable populations at places like long-term care homes and hospitals.
Former premier Jason Kenney already removed the power of mandatory vaccination from the Alberta Health Act, and since then, the province has already dropped most vaccine mandates.
Hardcastle wonders why the Human Rights Act change is needed at all.
“I think what we’re seeing is are ideological decision-making and a desire to appeal to her voting base and that’s not what we need, particularly in the realm of public health, from our premier.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
investigation Prominent Vancouver lawyer accused of moving criminal cash dies before hearing
Vancouver lawyer Michael Bolton likely defended thousands of people over 50 years of practice. But in the end, he would not get a chance to defend himself.
The latest on the global tech outage: Airlines rush to get back on track after IT disruption
Transport providers, businesses and governments on Saturday are rushing to get all their systems back online after long disruptions following a widespread technology outage.
Quebec woman's death warns of dangers of cosmetic surgery abroad
Brian McConnell's daughter, Florence McConnell, died after a liposuction surgery complication in Morocco. Now, he warns others against undergoing cosmetic surgeries abroad.
Toronto fire crews rescue two workers buried in trench
One worker has been rescued, and fire crews are working on freeing the other after the two were buried in a trench in the city’s Weston neighbourhood.
12 injuries reported from steam cleaners that spew hot water: Here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including steam cleaners, hedgehog pet food and kids' bike helmets.
Gun-control group fears Liberals have 'abandoned' efforts on assault-style firearms
A prominent gun-control group fears the Liberal government has abandoned its commitment to enact a comprehensive ban on assault-style firearms, citing "no tangible progress" on key steps to fulfil the pledge.
Social media prank could lead to charges after teens allegedly damage homes
A well-known childhood prank known as 'nicky nicky nine doors,' or 'ding dong ditch,' has escalated into a more serious game that could lead to charges for some Surrey, B.C. teens.
opinion Trump's assassination attempt not a political winner
Danger and fear are so pervasive throughout the national political ethos it is now the norm, writes Washington political columnist Eric Ham.
Biden's ability to win back skeptical Democrats tested at a perilous moment for his campaign
Despite a week of campaign stops, interviews and a determined insistence he is the best candidate to confront Republican Donald Trump, U.S. President Joe Biden's efforts to revive his reelection bid and win over skeptical Democrats have done little to soften the push for him to exit the 2024 race.