Chatham-Kent's medical officer of health is disappointed after a local MPP spoke out against getting a COVID-19 vaccine, but says he's hopeful it won't deter other people from getting the shot.
On Thursday, Chatham-Kent-Leamington MPP Rick Nicholls announced that he will not get the COVID-19 vaccine as required by the Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership. Nicholls cited personal reasons for his decision.
Shortly after, Premier Doug Ford issued a statement confirming that Nicholls had been removed from the Progressive Conservative caucus as a result.
When responding to the news, Dr. David Colby said he was "sad" about the situation and about Nicholls' stance on getting vaccinated against the virus. He added that he considers Nicholls a friend and has even tried on several occasions to help him better understand the science behind the shot.
"It's sad that he's not going to get the benefit of protection from the vaccine," Colby said. "That's really important because the COVID fourth wave has started with [the Delta Variant] and we really need everybody vaccinated."
As of Friday morning, Chatham-Kent has 33 active cases of COVID-19. According to Colby, he also tried to drive the point home to Nicholls that all of the cases are now in unvaccinated individuals or people who have only received one dose.
Colby said he's also trying to make sure people get the medical and scientific information surrounding vaccines from reliable and credible sources, rather than public figures like politicians and celebrities.
"I would say that's a matter of opinion but it doesn't change the fact that the science is definitive," he explained.
Colby said the Chatham-Kent Health Unit is continuing its work to encourage as many people to get vaccinated as possible. He added that he doesn't believe Nicholls' choice will have an impact on other people's decisions to get the jab.
According to Colby, Chatham-Kent is just a few hundred doses away from 70 per cent of eligible Chatham-Kent residents being fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
"We're doing about 150 vaccinations a day in our pop-up clinics," he said. "We should be able to get to that 70 per cent by the end of the weekend."
Ultimately, Colby said it will always be an individual's personal choice whether or not to get vaccinated. However, he is reminding residents that choosing not to could come with some repercussions.
"I think as the waves heat up, you're going to see more and more restrictions on unvaccinated people in terms of indoor gatherings," he explained. "I think the federal government is talking about restrictions of unvaccinated people being able to travel. So I think people who are on the fence are going to throw in the towel and [realize] they're going to have to get vaccinated."