As many provinces across Canada begin to phase out their vaccine mandates, does keeping the BC Vaccine Card still make sense?
BC introduced its proof of vaccination program in September. It was originally set to end last month, but was extended through the end of June.
At a press conference on February 15, BC health officials suggested the end date could potentially be up for review on March 15.
That begs the question of whether or not the vaccine card still makes sense.
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Many provinces around Canada have decided to drop their vaccine mandates, including Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Soon, Ontario and Quebec will follow.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix have repeatedly stated that the BC Vaccine Card is an effective tool.
BC Premier John Horgan also attended Tuesday’s news conference, and chimed in on the BC Vaccine Card.
It’s not a surprise to anyone when I say the last two years have challenged us all like never before.
By following the science and looking out for each other, we’re now able to carefully ease many COVID-19 restrictions.
— John Horgan (@jjhorgan) February 15, 2022
He suggested that it provided British Columbians peace of mind. He said that when people go out to events that require a BC Vaccine Card, they can feel at ease that those around them have taken the same measures to protect themselves.
What about the science?
Henry suggested that the reason they were able to lift capacity limits was due to the vaccine card itself. She said that the BC Vaccine Card has allowed the province to refrain from putting in more extreme measures.
She alluded to the idea that the layer of protection it adds could lead to less severe illness if a transmission event did occur in a public setting, due to the fact that it would only expose people who were vaccinated.
Other experts tend to agree.
Jason Tetro, a germ expert and host of the Super Awesome Science Show, told Daily Hive that it could lead to less serious infections in a public setting.
“The vaccine reduces the likelihood of a high infectious viral load (not just RNA copies) that could end up spreading the virus in areas where people gather such as restaurants and gyms,” said Tetro.
This obviously ties into public settings that require the BC Vaccine Card to enter.
“The vaccine is a known method to prevent serious infection in those who may have weakened immunities – which could be up to 30% of the population. Asking for a vaccine card helps to protect those who cannot choose to have improved protection because of their biology.”
Jamie Scott is a Health Sciences Professor at Simon Fraser University and had some thoughts as well.
“When people are vaccinated, they may get infected by the Omicron variant, but their infections will not last as long, they will be less likely to transmit virus to others, and they will be very much less likely to require hospitalization, much less die from COVID,” said Scott.
“That latter problem, hospitalization, comes with very significant costs, especially where people have to be in the ICU. And when people die, it’s usually after a significant prolonged period in hospital.”
Along with the review of the BC Vaccine Card, health officials will also be reviewing the mask mandate. Scott believes this should be the last health order to go, due to it being the “simplest means of protection.”
BC Vaccine Card pros and cons
Scott had some thoughts on the other side of the debate in terms of potential benefits to dropping the BC Vaccine Card. But, those aspects did not outweigh the potential consequences.
She pointed to the idea that some people find needing to present this card “kind of a pain to do.”
She also pointed to potential mental health concerns, particularly relating to mask wearing anxiety.
“The demand to drop vaccine cards is typically accompanied by a demand to no longer require masking, another fairly simple activity that definitely deters the spread of the virus but does not stop it altogether. Where good N95 masks or respirators are used ubiquitously, protection from infection can be pretty good,” said Scott.
“However the downside is that currently it can be costly to buy good masks, and they are somewhat of a hassle to wear. In fact, masking, being a reminder of the dangers of infection, may make some people anxious. So that would be a psychological and emotional cost to masking,” she added.
In the end, she favours the approach that BC is currently taking.
“So comparing the pros and cons of the requirement for vaccine cards, I personally favour the pro side strongly.”
We’ll learn more about the state of the BC Vaccine Card on March 15, when health officials conduct their next review of the current health orders.
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