British Columbia’s chiropractors have found themselves at the centre of the debate over vaccine mandates, following an eyebrow-raising vote earlier this week.
At Wednesday’s annual general meeting of the B.C. College of Chiropractors, the body that regulates and licences the profession, a resolution opposing provincial vaccine mandates won the support of 78 per cent of delegates.
Read more:
B.C. to expand vaccine mandate for doctors, dentists in private practice soon: minister
The non-binding resolution, submitted by Kelowna chiropractor Mark Foullong, called on the college to “take a stand to protect the right to medical freedom of choice” and “maintain the right to choose medical privacy … free of coercion, manipulation of mandates.”
While B.C. has not yet mandated vaccines for chiropractors, that is expected to change soon.
The province has already made vaccination against COVID-19 a condition of employment for doctors, nurses and staff in long-term care, and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has issued an order that will eventually extend that requirement to all other licensed health-care professionals.
Chiropractors opposing a vaccine mandate have gained international attention, including the support of a U.S. group called the Chiropractic Defense Council, which says it’s hired a lawyer to submit a “notice of liability” against the B.C. government on the matter.
On Friday, B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said comments at the meeting questioning the science behind vaccines were “disappointing and wrong,” adding there would be no leeway for chiropractors.
Read more:
COVID-19: British Columbia’s vaccine mandate will impact hospitals, say 2 Kelowna nurses
“There’s no question that the resolution reflects the views of those chiropractors who showed up at the meeting — I don’t believe they reflect anything like the majority of chiropractors,” Dix said.
“They have been consistent, passionate supporters of immunization, and a strong part as a community of health-care professionals of our efforts to immunize people. There are some people who disagree, and their views were put forward at that meeting.”
The college’s board has since distanced itself from the motion.
Read more:
Canada Post employee COVID-19 vaccine mandate disrupts small town parcel service
In a statement to it said it was concerned about “inaccurate and misleading information about COVID-19 vaccination” presented at the meeting, adding that as licensed health-care professionals, chiropractors’ “ethical and professional responsibility is to provide information that is factual, backed by science and directly related to their scope of practice.”
“The prevention and treatment of infectious disease is not within the scope of chiropractic practice, and therefore, chiropractors must not provide any professional advice or counseling to patients in relation to vaccination issues,” the college said.
While it’s not clear when the province will extend its vaccine mandate for health-care workers to chiropractors, once it does, practitioners who refuse vaccination could face licence suspension.