Calgary's Catholic community won't receive exemption letters from the church
A Calgary bishop says members of the Roman Catholic Diocese will not sign off on any letters exempting parishioners from receiving a COVID-19 vaccination.
William T. McGrattan, bishop of Calgary, made the statement in a letter posted online last week.
https://www.catholicyyc.ca/blog/bishops-pastoral-letter-re-exemption-from-covid-19-vaccination
In it, he highlighted a need to "safeguard the common good" and "to promote the safety of others" by protecting public health.
One of those measures in many provinces, including Alberta, has included the concept of mandatory vaccination, McGrattan said, but it's also brought on questions of human rights.
"This has resulted in the Diocese and the parishes receiving from members of the faithful the request for letters of exemption from the mandatory vaccination based on the grounds of religious belief," he wrote in the letter, dated Sept. 22.
"While the Diocese respects the freedom of a person's individual conscience as the Church teaches, the Church and her ministers cannot objectively attest to or endorse a person’s process of discernment in coming to their decision of conscience. Therefore, the Diocese and the parishes will not be issuing any letters of exemption from vaccination."
'VERY FEW MEDICAL EXEMPTIONS'
Both the province and Alberta Health Services (AHS) have outlined the policy for medical exemptions for COVID-19 vaccinations on their websites.
Their documentation shows there are a handful of conditions granting a medical exemption letter, provided a physician or nurse practitioner writes it.
They include:
- An anaphylactic reaction following a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and future doses are contraindicated;
- Developing a severe adverse effect following immunization – i.e. Guillain-Barre syndrome, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and;
- An anaphylactic reaction to a component of the COVID-19 vaccine that restricts administration of any of the available vaccines in Canada.
The Alberta Chief Medical Officer's office says deferrals are also available for Albertans, but only under certain conditions such as the development of myocarditis or a serious adverse effect like Bell's palsy following a first dose.
Vaccination is also deferred for Albertans who experienced an anaphylactic reaction and are still waiting for an assessment from an allergist.
Albertans receive vaccines at a mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Calgary, Alta., Thursday, April 22, 2021.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
"In existing guidance there are very few absolute medical exemptions for COVID-19 vaccination; this finding was consistent across jurisdictions," AHS said in its documentation published earlier this month.
"The most prominent potential exemption is related to severe allergy/anaphylaxis to the COVID-19 vaccine itself, which is noted in all documents; however the guidance on subsequent steps for these individuals varied."
AHS says, according to statistics from the Center for Disease Control, that there were 11.1 cases of anaphylaxis per 1 million doses of vaccine administered in the U.S.
Religious exemptions are not presently included in Alberta's immunization policy.
According to the latest data from Alberta Health, 5,963,532 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Alberta. More than 82 per cent of Albertans, aged 12 and up have received a first dose and 73.4 per cent of that same group have two doses.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.