Horwath slams Ford’s refusal to mandate vaccines for health workers

Official Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath released the following statement in response to the Ford government’s refusal to mandate vaccines for health workers:

“Unvaccinated staff should not be allowed in the ICU, in pediatric wards with sick babies, in the homes of vulnerable home care patients, or anywhere at all in health care, or in our children’s schools. Doug Ford is catering to anti-vaxxers at the risk of our vulnerable loved ones.

The Science Table was clear. The risk of COVID-19 outbreaks causing staff shortages is far worse than the planned shortages caused by removing the few remaining unvaccinated workers. There is also a threat of health care workers leaving their jobs if they feel like their workplace is unsafe, because they’re working, eating and spending the day side-by-side with unvaccinated workers.

I’m grateful to the vast majority of health workers who have already rolled up their sleeves to get their shots, protecting themselves and their patients, as well as to the Science Table and the Ontario Hospital Association for their recommendations in support of mandatory vaccinations for health care workers.”

Andrea Horwath