Quebec health minister won't budge on Friday's vaccine deadline for health-care workers

Three days before Quebec's government-imposed vaccination deadline for health-care workers, Health Minister Christian Dub said his contingency plan to deal with the suspension of thousands of them will be announced "in the coming days."

Dub said Tuesday he empathizes with people who have questions about COVID-19 vaccinesbut he expectsmore of an effort from those in the health-care system.

"Particularly for people working in health, nurses on the operating block, in urgent care, who have seen people getsick for 18 months," he said. "I have a really hard time understandingthat those people won't get vaccinated."

"We respect their choice," he said, "but their choice has consequences."

As of Friday, health-care workers in Quebec who are not fully vaccinated will be suspended without pay. Dub also said that being suspendedwouldaffectpeople's benefits, seniority, vacation payand pension plans.

Asked if he's considered moving Friday's deadline in light of an ongoinglabour shortage in the health sector, Dubdidn't hesitate.

"No change," he said.

Professional orders take same tack

Several professional orders representing health-care workers, including the province's orders of nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, licensed practical nurses and the college of physicians, have said they willsuspend the licencesof members who aren't adequately vaccinated against COVID-19 by Friday.

Dub applauded the orders for taking a strong position and responding to his request for their support.

But Nancy Hogan, president of the Syndicat interprofessionnel du CHU de Qubec, the union representing nurses at LavaI University Hospital, says she's worried about the workers who will stay behind and have to shoulder an extraburden.

"We are short of people and the vaccination mandate only adds to the number of people who will leave. It doesn't make sense," she said, noting health-care staff arealready exhausted.

WATCH | Quebec health-care workers risk their jobs if they refuse to be vaccinated:

Quebec health-care workers risk their jobs over lack of vaccination

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Approximately 20,000 health-care workers in Quebec are not fully vaccinated and have put their jobs at risk by refusing to do so, but some are standing firm in wanting to choose whether they get the shot.

Some health experts, however, say even if it causes a strain on the system, the risk of keeping on unvaccinated staff is too great.

"Especially when you look at long-term care institutions where people who have direct patient contact are interacting with the most vulnerable members of our population, the people who would be at highest risk for a COVID outbreak," said Dr. Christopher Labos, a Montreal epidemiologist and cardiologist.

Paul Brunet, a Quebec patients' rights advocate, agrees. He saysdealing with gaps in patient care isn't idealbut it's better than unvaccinated workers transmitting the virus.

And, Brunet said, the suspension of unvaccinated nurses is a "logical consequence."

In a tweet on Monday, Dub said it will be impossible to bypass mandatory vaccinations in the health sector come Friday. On Tuesday, he repeated his plea for unvaccinated health-care workers toget their shots by Friday.

"It's never too late to get a first dose," he said.

Among the province's nurses, there are 4,338 who are not fully vaccinated, the Quebec Order of Nurses said Tuesday. Of those, 1,531have had one dose and 2,807 have had no COVID-19 vaccine. There are another 5,716 members whose vaccination status is uncertain.

There are about 70,000 nurses in theFdration interprofessionnel de la sant du Qubec, the province's biggest nursesunion.

According to Natalie Stake-Doucet, a registered nurse and president of the Quebec Nurses' Association (QNA), many nurses are reacting favourably to the mandates.

"It's a relief to know that all our colleagues we're working with will be vaccinated," she said.

"For a lot of us, it's not a looming doom, it's actually a very hopeful time."

Last week, Quebec recruitedmore than 1,000 nurses to work full time in the public sector after announcing emergency financial incentives to recruit health-care workers.

Stake-Doucet says the government needs to go further, especially ahead of the vaccination deadline.

"I think the government can do a lot more, like banning forced overtime," she said. "That would bring back a lot more people than we would lose with mandatory vaccines."

Dub says the Health Ministryis moving step by step to address staffing issues caused by the labour shortage, the coming vaccine mandate and difficult working conditions.

By next week,for example, he said "unfavourable scheduling" policies that are being used to fill the gaps will be applied only to independent workers coming from temporary agencies.

"We're going to work on mandatory overtime, there's a whole chain of events that are going to help our people find workers," Dubsaid.

"It's not just bonuses. It's working conditions. It's the [working] environment that's important."