Quebec's tax on the unvaccinated is a mistake, some doctors warn
The idea of a 'health contribution' for unvaccinated people launched by François Legault on Tuesday goes “against the fundamental values of public health” according to the public health director of the Gaspé region.
Dr. Yv Bonnier-Viger, a renowned epidemiologist and specialist in public health and preventive medicine, is asking Quebec to "think seriously" about the repercussions of such a measure.
These are not measures that correspond to public health values," says Dr. Bonnier-Viger.
The expert has serious reservations about the measure presented by Premier François Legault, who wants to impose what he calls "a health contribution", or a tax, on people who have not been vaccinated.
“I think that we would be completely forgetting our system of coverage and universal health insurance. We know that about 40 per cent of illnesses are preventable. If we start taxing all the sick people for the bad decisions they made at some point in their lives, we're going off the rails," noted the doctor.
“There are plenty of lifestyle habits that lead to disease. But often, underneath that, there's a lot more,'' adds Bonnier-Viger, who has been in charge of public health in the Gaspé region since 2016, and of the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay for the past few months.
“Instead of forcing, we need to go and see what’s behind it for those who are not currently vaccinated," explained Bonnier-Viger.
“There are people who are really afraid of being vaccinated, who have all sorts of beliefs! It's not rational not to get vaccinated. We have to understand where it comes from, how it is maintained and solve the problem at the source,” he said.
According to him, the punitive approach being put forward is more political than scientific, as it "moves away from the fundamental values of public health."
“The general attitude in our field is much more one of empowering an individual and a community through the values of education and solidarity. They should take precedence over restrictive measures,” he said.
Bonnier-Viger welcomes the debate initiated by the announcement but asks Quebec to take the time to weigh the impact of implementing such a measure:
"It's a good debate, but we must think about the concrete impacts,” he said.
LOGIC USED BY PRIVATE INSURANCE COMPANIES
In an open letter published by Médecins québécois pour le régime public, an independant advocacy group, health-care professionals warned of what it called a "slippery slope" towards the commodification of health.
In an interview on Wednesday, the organization's spokesperson, Dr. Mathieu Isabel, said that unvaccinated Quebecers are not homogenous, and many of them face barriers to vaccination sites and access to information.
Those people include homeless people, those with mental health problems, and immigrants who do speak neither French nor English.
"We made the choice as a society, several decades ago, to ensure a universal and public health system. For us, we are opening an excessively dangerous breach by introducing taxation according to individual risk,' said Dr. Isabel.
The new measures are more in line with insurance company calculations, rather than public health objectives, according to Dr. Isabel.
"We could undermine the fundamental principle that people will be treated the same, regardless of individual behaviors," he continued.
"One of the things that particularly worries us ... is this logic of focusing on the level of risk (in one's lifestyle). It opens the door to market logic in the health and social services system -- a logic used by private insurance companies,' Dr. Isabel said.
Moreover, Bonnier-Viger says Quebec should do more to mitigate the hospital network's vulnerability to strain.
"Is it really the 10 per cent of unvaccinated patients that explain the problems we are seeing at the moment? To ask the question is to answer it," he said.
Bonnier-Viger said he was never consulted on the measure during meetings with other regional directors, otherwise he would have given his opinion without hesitation.
“As far as I know, we were not consulted on this measure. If someone has decided to launch this measure in a press conference, even if he is the premier, it must be discussed."
--
The Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) supports the creation of original civic journalism that covers the diverse needs of underserved communities across Canada and is made available to CTV News The Canadian Press.
The LJI is funded by the federal government through Heritage Canada.
This article includes additional files from The Canadian Press, originally published in French on Jan. 12, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Severe thunderstorms, 15 cm of snow: Canadian weather forecast highlights
Well into spring, some parts of Canada could experience a wintry comeback, while other areas are bracing for severe thunderstorms, according to local forecasts.
Pope apologizes after using 'homophobic terms'
Pope Francis apologized Tuesday after he was quoted using a vulgar term about gay men to reaffirm the Catholic Church's ban on gay priests.
At least 60 reports of Lyme disease so far as Ontario enters tick season
Peak tick season is only just beginning but reports of bites – and tick-borne illnesses – are already higher than normal in Ontario.
Spy watchdog's foreign interference review finds 'unacceptable gaps' in accountability
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service and Public Safety Canada lacked a system for tracking who received and read specific intelligence on foreign interference, creating 'unacceptable gaps in accountability,' the national spy watchdog has found.
Tornado touches down west of the Island of Montreal
Emergency services in the town of Rigaud, Que. are investigating after a tornado touched down shortly after 5:30 p.m.
Man convicted in attack on Pelosi's husband back in court after judge's error
A man who assaulted U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband in 2022 will have another day in court on Tuesday after the federal judge overseeing the case failed to allow him to speak during his sentencing hearing earlier this month.
Teen was doing homework at family's Mississauga, Ont. restaurant when gunman opened fire: testimony
The 13-year-old sister of a young man killed in the attack on her family’s Mississauga restaurant in 2021 took the stand in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to describe the terrifying moments of coming under fire.
WATCH Airline pilot treated to stunning northern lights show during U.S.-Portugal flight
An airline pilot got quite a show on May 11 while flying from San Francisco to Lisbon when a solar storm caused stunning auroras.
Richard Dreyfuss' comments about women, LGBTQ2S+ people and diversity lead venue to apologize
The actor Richard Dreyfuss showed up in a dress at a 'Jaws'-themed event in Massachusetts, where the blockbuster 1975 movie he starred in was shot, and then proceeded to make demeaning remarks about women, LGBTQ2S+ people and diversity.