Navigating a COVID-19 vaccine passport society won't be easy for those who remain unvaccinated

When Nathan Maharaj volunteered to be part of a human vaccine trial, he didn't think he'd be shut out of Ontario restaurants, gyms and even weddings a few months later.

Maharaj has been fully vaccinated with the Quebec-based Medicago trial vaccine since April. But he's one Ontarian who, for various reasons, didn't get vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccines approved by the World Health Organization — a requirement for people to obtain a passport granting access to non-essential services starting Sept. 22 in the province. "My understanding is that I won't [get a passport]," said Maharaj, who lives in Toronto. "It's not clear what I can do about it.... I can't go sign up for Pfizer or Moderna or what have you, but that would be an experiment of its own kind. "It feels a little lonely out here." Meanwhile, John — a City of Ottawa employee whom CBC News agreed not to identify because he fears a backlash — is holding off on getting his second jab after what he describes as severe neurological complications following a Pfizer shot on April 28. He said he suffered for months from inflammation of the spinal cord, severe brain fog, intense migraines, muscle twitches and chest pains, among other symptoms.