York Doctor 'Pauses' Working At Clinic After Allegedly Giving Out Vaccine Exemptions

Dr. Christopher Hassell has paused his practice at York Medical, a clinic in Richmond Hill, for the "foreseeable future" after allegations of him giving out exemptions to COVID-19 mandates.

Tweets of the incident, which have since been deleted, show long lines wrapping around the building this past Saturday, with allegations of Hassell giving out exemptions for the mask mandate and possibly COVID-19 vaccines.

Sylvia Itzkovitch Ichelson, a member of the Richmond Hill community, told the Toronto Star she saw over 200 people on Saturday morning.

"I stopped a young couple and asked them if they were there for COVID shots and they said, 'Hell no, we are here for an exemption letter.'"

More reports of Hassell's alleged activities can be found on an online forum where individuals have posted pictures of lines alleging that hundreds of people were in attendance.

One user posted a typed version of what they claimed the letters given out stated reading, "I, Christopher H Hassell, a duly qualified medical doctor licenced to practice in the Province of Ontario do make the following attestation: That I have knowledge of this patient from my past care of them and/or that I have recently examined him/her. That in my opinion, he/she would be exposed to unacceptable medical risk should they receive any of the current immunizations for SARS-CoV-2. That they should not receive this form of medical treatment."

York Medical Comment

York Medical told Narcity, "This past Saturday, faced with the unexpected influx of patients, Dr Hassell addressed the crowd personally, to inform them that he would not be providing any medical exemptions related to COVID-19, and that it should be a conversation they should be having with their family physicians."

York Medical said that over the weekend, "York Medical management discussed the situation with Dr Hassell, and he decided to pause his coverage at York Medical for the foreseeable future."

Ministry Of Health & CPSO

Ministry of Health media relations person Christian Hasse told Narcity, "Minister Elliott is aware of this case and had ministry officials alert the registrar. This is a serious offence, and we understand that the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario is looking into the situation. We look forward to hearing about any next steps that the College may be taking in the coming days to ensure the public is protected."

CPSO spokesperson Shae Greenfield told Narcity, "We are aware of the information posted over the weekend to social media and are taking steps to immediately verify the validity of these claims. Although we are limited in what we can publicly disclose at this point, we will take all appropriate actions based on what we determine in these initial steps."

Dr. Christopher Hassell's History

In 2014 according to a report from CPSO, Hassell's privileges to prescribe drugs such as benzodiazepines, Percocet, Fentanyl and other narcotic drugs, controlled drugs, narcotic preparations and all other monitored drugs were relinquished.

On his website, Hassell encourages protection against COVID-19 through following current regulations, reducing sugars and extra vitamin D.

However, he does not mention COVID-19 vaccines as a form of prevention.

Hassell's website has been updated with a note that reads:

• Certificates of Medical Exemption are generally not available at this clinic.
• Dr. Hassell is on a voluntary leave of absence from York Medical and continues in good health. He regrets not being able to help those who sought his care. He is extremely grateful to the York Medical staff and management for their support, both of himself and for those patients who have tried to reach him through the clinic. His colleagues at the clinic will be happy to care for you.

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