August 2, 2021 - Toronto Star

When privacy and public health clash: Vulnerable families face fear and frustration not knowing if health-care workers are vaccinated

By: Maria Sarrouh and Olivia Bowden

With most paid home care in the province coming from government-funded agencies, the vaccination status of the majority of agency workers is unknown, said Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Health Policy Research at the NIA.

“The government is operating to a certain extent in the dark, as are the home-care agencies,” he said. Care co-ordinators who manage the contract between the family and the provider won’t be able to disclose vaccination status, as agencies haven’t informed them either.

Those who are concerned about older family members, someone who is immunocompromised or a child receiving care from an unvaccinated individual, may have to turn to the private sector, Sinha said.