BC "won't be taking same action as Quebec" on healthcare charge for unvaccinated

Hours after Quebec Premier François Legault announced unvaccinated individuals will need to pay a fee to receive healthcare, BC officials said they’re not considering a similar measure.

The Quebec “health contribution” surcharge for unvaccinated patients will be “significant” because of the undue burden unvaccinated individuals are placing on the health system, Legault said Monday.

BC Health Minister Adrian Dix said during his own update Monday afternoon that the West Coast province doesn’t need the same unprecedented measure.

“We won’t be taking the same action as Quebec,” he said. “Our vaccination campaigns have been exceptionally successful here.”

In BC, there are currently 144 unvaccinated individuals with COVID-19 in the province’s hospitals. People without any COVID-19 shots are much more likely to end up in hospital compared to their vaccinated peers.

More than 93% of adults over 18 have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 29% of adults have a booster shot.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry added the province has made vaccination mandatory in certain sectors, but she doesn’t foresee making them mandatory for everyone in the province.