Vast majority of federal employees in compliance with vaccine mandate

It appears most public servants have complied with the mandatory vaccination policy for federal workers put forth by the government.

According to a release from the Treasury Board of Canada, 95.3 per cent of federal public service workers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

There are 2.7 per cent of workers who are partially vaccinated,  0.5 per cent remain unvaccinated and 0.3 have not disclosed their vaccination status.

About 3,150 public servants, or 1.2 per cent, are requesting exemptions — these will be assessed on a case-by-case by each federal department.

The mandatory vaccination policy applies to approximately 168,000 employees. Workers had until Oct. 29 to disclose their status — those who are not fully vaccinated and cannot provide an exemption will be place on unpaid leave on Nov. 15.

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In a statement released late Wednesday, Treasury Board President Mona Fortier thanked employees for stepping up in the fight against COVID-19.

“The Government of Canada is our country’s largest employer. I would like to thank the more than a quarter of a million public servants across Canada and around the world who have demonstrated leadership in our national vaccination effort against COVID-19,” she said.

“We know that having a fully vaccinated workforce means that not only are work sites safer, so are the communities where this large population lives and works. It also means better protection for Canadians coming in-person to access government services.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced last month that any federal employees who refuse to get vaccinated without a valid reason would be placed and remain on unpaid leave until they can prove their vaccination status has changed.

Those who have received just one of two COVID-19 shots would be placed on administrative leave without pay if they don’t receive their second shot within 10 weeks of the first dose.

Trudeau said exemptions will be difficult and onerous to obtain, and simply having a personal conviction that vaccines are “bad” will not be sufficient.

With files from the Canadian Press