British Columbia Physicians Outline Limited Criteria for Vaccine Exemption Letters

Vancouver-

Shortly after the announcement of the British Columbia Vaccine Passport System, Dr. Schoen Berkeley said requests for a vaccination exemption medical letter began to come in.

Berkeley, general practitioner and medical director at the Sunpeaks Community Health Center, said:

of letter Berkeley told patients this week that no exemption letter would be written unless they met the standards set by health authorities.

“COVID’s Medical Care Act Exemption Letter is a Medical Care Act Letter. If you know it’s not true and write it, it’s technically a scam,” Berkeley explained.

The medical criteria for vaccination are: under 11 years of age, vaccination with another vaccine within 2 weeks (you must wait 2 weeks to get the COVID-19 vaccine), or a history of severe allergies. That is. According to Berkeley, a reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine or one of its key components.

“Two ingredients that can cause an allergic reaction to the COVID vaccine (which occurs in 2-3 cases per million and has a low risk of lightning strikes) are one of the products in a laxative known as PEG. The other is the preservative found in ice cream, “Berkeley wrote in a letter. “It’s certainly a very rare event.”

Neither University of British Columbia Physicians and Surgeons or BC doctor Check with CTV News Vancouver if all doctors in the state follow the criteria outlined by Dr. Berkeley.

In a statement to CTV News, the Ministry of Health said that in very rare situations, an exemption process involving human doctors and state health officials’ offices would be implemented.

“But these cases are very rare,” the Ministry of Health added.

Currently, there is no medical exemption for British Columbia vaccination cards. State health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry states that this is a temporary measure.

In addition to the medical standards for vaccination exemption, Berkeley said his letter would provide some advice to those who may be hesitant to obtain the vaccine.

“When talking to patients, I usually start by empathizing with where the patient’s concerns are, because there are many reasons why people hesitate to get vaccinated. Perhaps they I’m worried that it’s too new or potentially dangerous, “Berkeley said.

“My truth is based on the statistics I got in the medical literature, so I try to explain it, and then I have to leave it in their court to see if they accept it. Must be, “he added.

Another problem that has emerged in Berkeley is patient complaints that employers require COVID-19 vaccination.

“I have an idea here,” reads Berkeley’s letter. “When people get in a car, do they wear seat belts, follow speed limits and stop at a red light? These allow the driver, his family, neighbors and the community to die in a car accident. It is a “mandatory” (actually a law) brought in to reduce. The COVID vaccine obligation reduces the chances of you, your family, your neighbors, and your community dying from COVID. Simple. “

Sarah Forte, an employment lawyer at Forte Law, said it was not an easy question to be dismissed based on vaccination status.

“We have to see why the vaccination situation is behind,” Forte said. “As the government announces new legislation, legislation on disability, vaccination, employment, and dismissal rights is currently changing rapidly.”

“It’s much more uncertain that even just a few weeks ago, people were very certain about what their rights were. Employers and workers were able to understand what was right here. We need to rely heavily on the opinions of our doctors, “she added.

If Berkeley is your doctor and you do not meet the above medical criteria, you will probably not receive an exemption letter. But if you have a serious medical condition, Berkeley said that is the reason for getting vaccinated.

“If you already have heart disease, lung disease, or kidney disease and are infected with COVID, you are at a much higher risk of becoming seriously ill,” Berkeley said.