Does your doctor or dentist have to tell you if they've been vaccinated against COVID-19? Technically, no.

At Felixe Cote's pain clinic, clients don't have to ask if all staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 a sign right by the front door confirms that'sthe case.

"We wanted that information to be right in people's faces," said Cote, owner of GibveyPain Clinic in Etobicokeand a registered massage therapist.

Soon, the clinicwillaskclientsif they've been vaccinated so staffcan take extra precautions if they haven't been,especially if they've recently travelled,Cote said.

For her, this strategy isworth it. Some of her employees have underlying health conditions that put them at risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms if they're infected, she said. They also treat vulnerable clientslike seniors and babies.

"It's very important for us to let people know that we are safe and we are taking all the precautions," she said. "Nobody has had an issue with it."

As the majority ofeligible adults in Ontario are now fully vaccinated, patients and health-care workers are facing a new conundrum:should they disclose their immunization status voluntarily or when asked?

Premier Doug Fordrecently rejected the idea ofvaccine passportsandmaking vaccines mandatory for health-care workers.

Vaccine status is private information

Nobodyis legally obliged to disclosetheir vaccine status, which isconsidered private personal information, said bioethicistAndria Bianchi, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto's School of Public Health.

Some health-care workers may choose not to tell their patients their vaccine statusbecause they value their privacy orhave a medical condition that's preventing them from getting vaccinatedand they don't want to face stigma, she said.

(There are few instances an adult wouldn't be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine because of an underlying medical condition, according to Ministry of Healthrecommendations)

"That's fine if a health-care provider is not comfortable, for whatever reason, disclosing their personal health information, namely their vaccine status," she said.

"I think that, ultimately, privacy is something that ought to be respected."

But providers likefamily doctors, nurses and dentistsdo have an obligation to ensure a patient's wellbeing is a priorityand should explain what else they're doing to ensure they're safe from COVID, said Bianchi.

Dentists, doctors getting different advice

The Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontariois advising dentists and their staff that they don't have to disclose their vaccine status.

"A patient cannot demand this information," said spokesperson Kevin Marsh. "If a patient wishes to avoid or delay booking dental appointments, that is their choice."

The Ontario Medical Association (OMA), on the other hand, isencouraging doctorsto be transparent, even if they're not legally obliged to do so.

"The public should have confidence that their physicians are fully vaccinated," said association president Dr. Adam Kassam, a physiatrist in Toronto.

He's told his patients he's vaccinated, and so has his wife, who is a family doctor, to lead by example, he said.

The OMA,along with the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario,is callingonthe province to require all health-workers to be vaccinated.

"Vaccines are the best way to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and ultimately, if we want to move forward through a recovery phase for our society, we need as many people fully vaccinated as possible," Kassam said.