One local physician says daily testing and extra precautions should be enough to keep her job with the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance.
Dr. Alanna Fitzpatrick is a reconstructive plastic surgeon in Stratford.
She isn’t vaccinated against COVID-19 because of personal health reasons.
She also wants to wait until phase-four trials are complete before she makes her final decision to get the shots or not.
Under an HPHA policy, healthcare staff had until October 28th to get their first shot or take an unpaid leave.
Those who still aren’t vaccinated by November 12th will be considered to have resigned.
Dr. Fitzpatrick is one of two physicians and 14 staff on unpaid leave.
Fitzpatrick says she’s not against people deciding to get the shots if they feel comfortable.
“I’m not telling anyone else not to get vaccinated, this is a personal decision for me.”
HPHA CEO Andrew Williams says the organization believes in the freedom of choice but the policy is about making sure the community is safe.
“We have a responsibility to our community, to those that we look after, to our team, to provide as safe an environment as possible and all the literature points to the fact that the higher your percentage of vaccinations the safer it is.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced on Wednesday that the province won’t mandate vaccinations for healthcare workers.
