TORONTO: The Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF) is relieved to see that the Manitoba government has announced that they will create medical exemptions for the provincial vaccine passport policy.
On August 17, the CCF wrote a letter to the Manitoba government outlining their concerns about the failure of the vaccine passport policy to accommodate people who are unable to get fully vaccinated for medical reasons.
“We are pleased that the Manitoba government has decided to create medical exemptions for the vaccine passport policy. This is exactly what we asked for in our letter to the Manitoba government and we are happy the government is listening to our concerns,” said CCF Litigation Director, Christine Van Geyn.
In the letter to the Manitoba government, the CCF outlined the story of Sarah, a resident of Winnipeg who developed pericarditis (heart inflammation) following her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Because of her adverse reaction, Sarah’s primary care provider has advised her against getting the second dose of any COVID-19 vaccine and she is ineligible for an Immunization Card.
The advocacy work of the CCF and an interview with Sarah were featured on the front page of the Globe and Mail.
“Manitoba’s willingness to make this accommodation for medical exemptions shows how callous and discriminatory the BC vaccine passport policy is,” continued Van Geyn. “The BC vaccine passport policy contains no obvious medical exemptions, other than a difficult procedural reconsideration through public health that is difficult to access. That’s why we’ve retained a lawyer in BC and we are working with several individuals who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.”
