Trudeau Says Canada May Make COVID-19 Vaccines Mandatory For All Federal Employees

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has confirmed that the federal government is looking into making COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for federal public service employees, in addition to those working in federally regulated industries.

Speaking at a press conference on August 5, he told reporters that Canadians "need to get vaccinated to get through this pandemic."

In particular, the PM expressed concerns about the Delta variant of COVID-19, which he says is "striking hardest, obviously, on undervaccinated and non-vaccinated people."

"That's why I've asked the clerk of the privy council — who's responsible for the federal public service— to look at mandatory vaccinations for federal employees," Trudeau said on Thursday.

He added, "We're also looking at federally regulated industries to encourage, or perhaps even to mandate, vaccinations for those industries."

On several occasions in the past, the prime minister has said that the feds had no plans to make COVID-19 vaccines mandatory.

In July, Trudeau said that enforcement measures were not necessary in health care and similar settings, as Canadians were stepping up to get vaccinated in significant numbers.

Health Canada has a robust website with all the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines and can answer any questions you may have.