Sask. Health Authority to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for health-care workers

The Saskatchewan Health Authority will require all its health-care workers to provide proof of full vaccination, with a phased approach that began on Friday.

By Oct. 15, staff, physicians and other contract workers will have to provide a declaration of their vaccination status, their intention to be immunized or seek accommodation, or their intention to take part in a monitored testing program — which the worker would have to pay for themselves, the health authority said in a Friday news release.

Anyone who decides not to comply with any of those options will have to go through regular processes set out by their collective bargaining agreements or practitioner staff bylaws. 

In a news conference, the health authority's physician executive for integrated rural health said an estimated one in five health-care workers are currently not vaccinated.

"I think that it is unfortunate," said Dr. Kevin Wasko.

"We know now after many months with the vaccine that it is demonstrating both that it's effective at reducing cases of COVID, that it is also effective at reducing the severity of a breakthrough case if it were to happen, and that vaccines are our way out of the pandemic," he said.

"So that's frustrating."