As numbers surge into the 3rd wave of the pandemic, our Virtual Member Discussion this week touched on what organizations are doing now and what the immediate future might look like. We discussed that there are those concerned about the AstraZenica side effects amongst our community and those who are concerned that staff within their organizations will not consent to receive the vaccine at all. The concern was how to accommodate the rising level of anxieties that the promise of the vaccine brings.
One member on the call told us how, in their remote community, an employer brought a public health expert to answer workers' concerns. The vaccine hesitancy within the group almost completely disappeared.
One member from the March of Dimes, which has its roots in the polio outbreaks of the mid-1900s, provided a resource that their organization produced in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Called "Mission Immunity" this web page provides a ton of resources to understand the available information. Some of the questions answered on the site are:
- Why get the shot?
- Are we sure the vaccines are safe when they were created so quickly?
- What if I decide not to get vaccinated?
- With variant strains becoming dominant, will the vaccines still be effective?
- What about long-term side effects?
Some members on the call shared that their organization's policy is to give their staff the day off to get the vaccine. This, I think, is a generous encouragement going beyond the half-day being proposed by the province.
Finally, I understand that vaccines are a charged topic for many, and I'm taking a risk writing about it in Aspectives. I know even in my own family, there are some firm opinions on both sides of the COVID-19 debate. Our common ground lies in our exhaustion with the pandemic and its effect on our lives. I hope that you will take the information that has been provided here as an act of support and encouragement rather than one of judgement.
Janet Morris-Reade
CEO
