The decision by Quebec and Ontario to not make COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for health-care workers has drawn sharp criticism from doctors in those provinces, who say the move is not backed by science.
Both provincial governments announced Wednesday that they will not require health-care staff — hospital workers in Ontario and current health-care employees in Quebec — to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, pointing to the negative impact of such a mandate on the health-care system.
Experts say this puts both health-care workers and patients at an increased risk amid the fourth wave of COVID-19.