In response to the provincial health officer’s decision to end the COVID-19 public-health emergency, which ends the COVID-19 vaccine mandate in health-care settings, the B.C. government is making it mandatory for health-care workers to disclose their immunization status as a way to help keep people safe.

Moving forward, all health-care workers in public health-care facilities must report their immunization for COVID-19 and influenza and their immune status for other critical vaccine preventable diseases. Collecting these records will allow for quick action to be taken in the event of an exposure, outbreak or future pandemic to ensure health-care workers who are not immune follow appropriate measures. Depending on the circumstances, this could include masking, modified duties or exclusion from work.

“Four and a half years ago, people throughout B.C. came together to keep each other safe through the COVID-19 pandemic, including our extraordinary health-care workers,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health.

“Health-care workers are strong supporters of vaccination and the vast majority have stepped up to get immunized and keep themselves and those they care for safe. By shifting to a new requirement for health-care workers to report their immune status for key vaccine preventable diseases including COVID-19, we are continuing to take actions that keep people safe, support a healthy workforce and a strong health-care system.”

The mandatory reporting requirement comes into effect today, Friday, July 26, and applies to health-care workers in health-authority-operated and contracted facilities, and includes doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, volunteers and contractors.

Health-care workers must report their vaccination status for COVID-19 and influenza.

Health-care workers must report whether they have been vaccinated or have previously contracted:

* measles;

* mumps;

* rubella;

* hepatitis B;

* whooping cough (pertussis);

* chicken pox (varicella).

Some of this information was previously collected by health authorities and now will be collected through a provincial registry to ensure reporting is consistent throughout B.C. The requirement to report will be phased in, beginning with the immediate collection of immune-status records for all new hires and appointees.

Health-care workers who were terminated because they did not comply with previous orders requiring COVID-19 immunization can apply and be hired for positions.

Through the new reporting process, health-authority employers will be able to regularly connect with health-care workers, such as contractors, to ensure their vaccination status is up to date. The Province will offer vaccinations to employees and contractors as needed to ensure their health and that of their patients.

Reporting vaccination status aligns with health-care workers’ ethical and moral duties to take science-based measures, such as vaccination, to reduce the risk of harm to people in their care.

“We know that immunization works to help protect people from illness, including vaccines that protect against COVID-19,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer (PHO).

“It is the best tool we have to prevent diseases, like COVID-19, measles and others that can cause severe illness in the health-care setting. It protects health-care workers, their families and the vulnerable people we care for. I support government’s move to require the immune status of health-care workers to protect both patients and workers. This is all part of a system that can help to prevent outbreaks and manage them when they do happen quickly and effectively.”

The PHO made the decision to rescind the public-health emergency based on a number of data sources. The data shows the presence of the SARS CoV-2 virus has levelled off over several weeks and the numbers of people hospitalized has stabilized.

Immunization remains the single best way to protect people, communities and the health-care system. B.C. has some of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in Canada, however, it is crucial that people continue to get immunized.

Immune status refers to immunity through previous vaccination or infection.

Vaccination and immune status collection is part of the ongoing plan to increase rates of immunity for all vaccine preventable diseases that can spread in B.C.’s health-care system.

Collection of information about employee vaccinations and immune status covers all relevant vaccinations for health-care workers, and are outlined in the BC Centre for Disease Control immunization manual.

The vaccine reporting requirement aligns with the Vaccination Status Reporting Regulation launched in 2019, which requires parents and guardians to provide public-health officials with vaccination records for students enrolled in the provincial school system.

BC government file photo

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