British Columbia doctor sets limited criteria for vaccine exemption letters

Vancouver –

Shortly after the announcement of BC’s vaccine passport system, Dr. Shane Barclay said, requests for medical letters for vaccine exemptions began to arrive.

“It took a while to explain why and convince people that they didn’t meet the criteria,” said Barclay, general practitioner and medical director of Sun Peaks Community Health Center.

In a letter to his patients this week, Barclay said no exemption letter would be written unless it meets criteria set by health authorities.

“A legal medical exemption letter for COVID is a legal medical letter. If I write it knowing it’s not technically true, it’s fraud, ”said Barclay.

The medical criteria for vaccine exemptions are to be 11 years of age or younger, to have been vaccinated for something else within two weeks (so you would have to wait two weeks to receive a COVID-19 vaccine), or to have Documented history of severe allergy reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine or one of its main ingredients, according to Barclay.

“The two constituents that” may “be responsible for allergic reactions to the COVID vaccine (which occur in two to three cases per million – which is less than the risk of being struck by lightning) are one of the products found in a laxative known as PEG and the other is a preservative found in ice cream, “reads Barclay’s letter.” Very rare occurrences indeed. “

Neither the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia or British Columbia Doctors would confirm to CTV News Vancouver whether all physicians in the province meet the criteria outlined by Dr. Barclay.

In a statement to CTV News, the Department of Health said an exemption process would be in place for extremely rare circumstances, involving a person’s doctor and the provincial health officer’s office.

“However, these cases will be extremely rare,” the health ministry added.

Currently, there are no medical exemptions in place for the British Columbia vaccination card, which provincial health officer Dr.Bonnie Henry says is a temporary measure.

In addition to the medical criteria for vaccine exemptions, Barclay said his letter offered advice for those who might be reluctant to get the vaccine.

“When I talk to my patients, I usually start by trying to be empathetic about their concerns, because there are a variety of reasons people are reluctant to get the vaccine. Maybe they’re worried it’s too new or potentially dangerous, ”Barclay said.

“My truth is based on the statistics I get from the medical literature, so I try to explain it, then I have to leave it to their court to see if they will accept it or not,” he said. he adds.

The other problem that has arisen for Barclay is the frustration of patients who say they are mandated by their employers to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

“Here’s a thought,” reads Barclay’s letter. “When people get in a car, do they put on their seat belts, obey the speed limit and stop at red lights? These are things that are “mandatory” (in fact laws) that were introduced to reduce the likelihood that the driver, his family, his neighbors and his community will die in a car accident. COVID vaccination warrants decrease the likelihood that you, your family, your neighbors and your community will die from COVID. Simple.”

Sarah Forte, an employment lawyer at Forte Law, said the question of whether a person could be fired based on their immunization status was not straightforward.

“We need to look at the reason for the vaccine status,” Forte said. “Disability, vaccinations, employment and the right to terminate law is evolving rapidly at the moment as the government issues new legislation. “

“Things that were very certain even just a few weeks ago about human rights are much less so. Employers and workers really need to rely heavily on the opinions of doctors to determine what is the right thing to do here, ”she added.

If Barclay is your doctor, you likely won’t receive a letter of exemption if you don’t meet the medical criteria listed above. However, if you have a serious health condition, Barclay said that’s all the more reason to get the shot.

“If you already have heart disease, lung disease or kidney disease and you contract COVID, your risk of becoming seriously ill is much higher,” Barclay said.