Canada Will Make COVID-19 Vaccinations Mandatory For Federal Workers Starting In The Fall

"My sense is that public servants are very much applauding and supporting this initiative."

Staff Writer

After hinting at their decision earlier this month, Canada has decided to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for federal workers.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, August 13, several Canadian officials confirmed the mandate would come into effect later this fall, no later than October.

"But this work begins immediately," Dominic LeBlanc, Canada's minister of intergovernmental affairs, said at the press conference. "The Government of Canada has a large workforce and a large reach to help in the fight against COVID-19. It is both our opportunity but also our duty to lead by example."

The new vaccination requirement applies to all employees of the federal public service and the federally regulated air, rail and marine transport industries.

It will also apply to travellers in Canada, LeBlanc explained. Anybody travelling on a commercial airplane, an interprovincial train or a cruise ship will now have to be fully vaccinated or risk not being able to use those services.

Officials explained that exemptions could be made on medical grounds, but they explained that "appropriate public service managers" would have to deal with the case of any person who chooses not to get vaccinated for other reasons.

  • Cormac O'Brien was an Associate Editor at Narcity Canada, covering all things exciting and trending about Canada. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Journalism from the University of Victoria, where he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the campus newspaper and was awarded the BCYNA Community News Scholarship for his writing. He was also the producer and co-host of Now On Narcity, Narcity's flagship podcast.

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