Just one-third of city employees will face discipline for breaking Toronto’s mandatory vaccine requirement, officials announced Thursday.
Officials say 63 employees face reprimand and 21 face suspensions or reassignment. They previously said 4,000 employees would be forced out.
Public Health Ontario, the agency overseeing city clinics, reports 7,881 children in Toronto turned up to get vaccinated by Jan. 31, a week after the deadline. This is down from the 9,294 who received the vaccinations by Jan. 17.
The city operates 14 clinics where public health nurses issue vaccines to kids.
According to the city’s website, public health nurses will continue offering shots until the city’s vaccination target has been met.
City Mayor John Tory on Thursday said he did not regret the mandate.
“You can’t live in isolation from the rest of the world, or the rest of Canadian life, without taking care of yourself and ensuring you’re protected against these very dangerous diseases,” Tory said.
He called the mandate one of the first major social engineering initiatives he approved when he became mayor, reports the Toronto Star.
Asked about how Toronto would enforce enforcement of the mandate, Tory said only parents who have records of receiving the recommended vaccinations will be rejected for a waiver.
The city said this week that it would use a social media account to provide updates on vaccinations rates in Toronto’s clinics. It also said it would field questions via e-mail and text message.
Click here to read more on this story from the Toronto Star.