If you want to visit a jailbird in a Canadian prison you had better be vaxxed — and that’s even though the cons themselves don’t have to be, says Blacklock’s Reporter..Visitors to federal prisons will require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test, though the rule doesn’t apply to inmates..The Correctional Service said it preferred education to coercion in dealing with prisoners themselves..“Inmates are not required to get the COVID-19 vaccine and must (give) consent to being vaccinated,” said Marie-Pier Lécuyer, spokeswoman for the Correctional Service..“We continue to emphasize the importance of getting vaccinated..“Staff continue to engage with inmates by providing educational materials to answer their questions or concerns so that they can make informed decisions.”.However, effective January 24, all visitors to penitentiaries and parole offices must show their COVID-19 papers, she added..Federal inmates have a lower rate of immunization than the general public..“To date 80% of inmates are fully vaccinated and 85% have received at least one dose,” said Lécuyer..By comparison, 84% of eligible Canadians are fully vaccinated and 88% have at least one dose of federally-approved Covid shots..A total 1,588 of 60,243 federal prisoners have tested positive for COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic, with six of them dying..Prison employees are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative test or grounds for exemption, though inmates are not..Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the Liberal caucus on Monday Canadians who have declined COVID-19 shots think they “deserve special treatment.”.“I can’t imagine any of you putting up your hand and saying, ‘Well, I deserve special treatment because I’m an MP; I deserve not to need to get vaccinated because I’m an MP and you should be making exceptions for us,’” said Trudeau..“I can’t imagine any of you ever even occurring to you to say that.”.Opponents of mandatory vaccination, including Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien, have called compulsory disclosure of personal medical information a breach of the Privacy Act..Data show more than 95 percent of staff in federal workplaces, including Parliament, are already immunized.
