Opinion: Alberta's plan to limit free COVID vaccines makes no sense
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In the absence of any other explanation, it is cruel and hurtful on a personal level, and shortsighted and wasteful on a population level.
Without explicitly saying it, the UCP government is once again clearly signalling their anti-vaccine and anti-science ideologies. Concerning the COVID-19 vaccination coverage policy, Premier Danielle Smith was quoted on the weekend as saying: 'I think it's because it doesn't work particularly well, if you want to know the truth.'
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Garden Valley School Division hosted a Southern Health immunization clinic at Southwood School after exposures occurred there and on school buses in April. In the time since, two other schools in the region — Plum Coulee School and Prairie Dale School — have been identified as exposure sites. School division superintendent Dan Ward said they will continue to 'work closely with Southern Health–Santé Sud' in notifying families of possible exposures. Malak AbasReporter Malak Abas is a city reporter at the Free Press. Born and raised in Winnipeg's North End, she led the campus paper at the University of Manitoba before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Malak. Every piece of reporting Malak produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
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No time for sick notes in overburdened, understaffed health-care system
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They just take the patient's word for it and write the note. It's a rubber stamp. If someone wants to abuse a sick day, they're going to do it with or without a doctor's note. Requiring a note could even discourage some people from staying home while sick if it's too difficult or time consuming to find a doctor who'll write one. It should come as no surprise then, that the Canadian Medical Association has called for an end to sick-note requirements. The organization argues the notes serve no clinical purpose and simply burden the health-care system. It's one of those rare issues where just about everyone agrees — except, apparently, the Manitoba government, which still hasn't introduced legislation to stop the practice outright. Some Manitoba employers loosened their rules around sick notes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. But without legislation, there's no standard. It's a patchwork. Most jurisdictions across Canada have already taken action. British Columbia, for example, banned mandatory sick notes for short absences. Ontario has similar provisions and Quebec discourages their use. 'Manitoba is one of only two provinces in Canada that hasn't taken any legislative action in this space to limit the use of sick notes, so we hope to change that,' said Dr. Nichelle Desilets, president of Doctors Manitoba. If the Manitoba government is serious about wanting to expand primary care and reduce unnecessary strain on the system, this is low-hanging fruit. We don't need a government task force or a blue-ribbon panel to study it. This shouldn't be a difficult decision for the NDP government. While in opposition, they introduced a private member's bill that would have banned employers from requiring sick notes unless the worker was absent for more than seven days. Like most private members' bills, it was defeated. It's time to resurrect it. This isn't just about health care, it's about treating workers with dignity. It's also about preventing workplace outbreaks. Encouraging people to 'tough it out' or drag themselves to a clinic for a note increases the risk that they'll infect others, especially in places such as schools, stores or in health care itself. Some opponents may argue that banning sick notes will open the door to abuse – that people will call in sick more often. However, there's no evidence that happens in provinces where notes are no longer required. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. At a time when Manitoba is desperately trying to recruit and retain physicians — and promising to expand access to primary care — making doctors spend hours a week writing sick notes is indefensible. Every appointment used for a sick note is one less slot for a child with asthma, a senior with diabetes or a parent trying to get a referral to a specialist. This change is long overdue. If Manitoba wants to modernize health care and support working people at the same time, it should act now. Ban sick notes. Free up doctors' time. It's a no-brainer. Tom BrodbeckColumnist Tom Brodbeck is a columnist with the Free Press and has over 30 years experience in print media. He joined the Free Press in 2019. Born and raised in Montreal, Tom graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and commerce. Read more about Tom. Tom provides commentary and analysis on political and related issues at the municipal, provincial and federal level. His columns are built on research and coverage of local events. The Free Press's editing team reviews Tom's columns before they are posted online or published in print – part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
