N.S. offers employees under vaccination mandate the option of the one-dose Janssen vaccine
Nov. 30 is the last day for employees under two vaccination mandates in Nova Scotia to provide their employers proof of vaccination for COVID-19.
Under both the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for key sectors and the provincial civil service vaccination directive, all employees are required to have at least a first dose of vaccine by Nov. 30.
The province says those who are partially vaccinated may be subject to other health and safety measures, including testing, and those who do not have a first dose will face employment consequences, including unpaid leave, which will begin Dec. 1.
Latest data shows 99 per cent of frontline healthcare, continuing care, paramedics, education employees and others in the COVID-19 vaccine mandate have at least one dose of vaccine, according to the province. It also shows 99 per cent of provincial government employees have at least one dose.
"Nova Scotians are showing they care about the people they serve by getting vaccinated and keeping them safe," said Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston. "I'm told there will be few disruptions to service as vaccination rates are very high."
In an attempt to encourage more people to roll up their sleeves, health officials are giving unvaccinated public employees the option of getting one dose of the COVID-19 Janssen vaccine.
Public health says the vaccine will initially be made available to people who work in high-risk settings under the mandatory vaccination protocol who would otherwise not choose to be vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine.
"It's good to see the province offering some different ideas about what they can do to keep people that are working in the system vaccinated," said Danny Cavanagh, president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour. "I would say that they are erring on the side of caution."
Employees who fall under the vaccine mandate and would like a dose of the Janssen vaccine should let their employers know, who will then inform the province and appointments will be arranged.
Nova Scotia received 250 doses of the Janssen vaccine.
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