18% of P.E.I. child-care workers not fully vaccinated, province reveals

Nearly one in five staff membersatchild-care centres on Prince Edward Island are not fully vaccinated, and haven't had to undergo regular testing until this week, the province has revealed.

According to the province's survey last month of staff working atlicensed child-care centres, 82 per cent of respondents indicated they were fully vaccinated. That's fiveper centlower than the province's overall vaccination rate among eligible Islanders, which now stands at87 per cent.

P.E.I.'s Education Departmentprovidedthe child-care staff vaccination rate to CBCNews in an email Thursday.

"I think on all of P.E.I., there are peoplechoosing not to vaccinate," said Jennifer Nangreaves, the executive director of the Early Childhood Development Association of P.E.I.

"I think we just have to trust inthis protocol of 'vaccine or test,'and just hope it provides that extra line of defence for protecting children and families."

The province announced a "vaccinate or test" policy for staff at P.E.I. schoolsin mid-September, after a survey showed 90 per cent of school employees were fully vaccinated. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrisonsaid that rate was "not high enough for me to be comfortable."

A week later, the province said the testing policy would apply to all provincial employees dealing with vulnerable populations, including those working in child-care centres.

Among our employees, everyone was encouraging everybody. Kellie Davies

Child-care centres began receiving the rapid test kits last week, and got theofficial directive from the province to implement the policy this week.

Staff who aren't fully vaccinated now need to be tested before their shift begins, three times a week.

"It's really simple, really easy, not complicated at all. So we're well on our way," saidKellie Davieswith Milestones Early Childhood Development Centre in Stratford.

'One more line of defence'

Davies said just two of the centre's 31 staff aren't yet fully vaccinated and require testing.One has received her seconddose, but won't be considered fully vaccinated for another two weeks.The other has one dose and plans to get the second.

Davies saidshe is somewhat surprised the province-wide vaccination rate among child-care staff isn't higher.

"Among our employees, everyone was encouraging everybody," she said."It's one more line of defence between us and those kiddos we care for every dayEveryone knows when you entered this field, you entered vowing an oath, or with the integrity that you're going to preserve children by any means possible. And this is just part of it."

Davies said she still respects child-care workers who choose not to getvaccinated, and maintains parents should feel safe sending their childrento daycare giventhe new testing policy and other COVID-19 protocolsin place, .

"I don't think in any way, shape, or formanyone in this field would ever do undue harm to another human being or child.So that's why there areprotocols in place.That's why we have operational plans.We do what we can to provide a barrier," she said.

No one from the province was made available for an interview.

In an email to CBCNews, a spokesperson said the provinceanticipatesthe vaccination rate among child-care workers"will increase as staff who had single vaccination get their second dose."

The province hopes to have updated data from child-care centres next week.