The P.E.I. government's decision not to vaccinate Canadians who do not hold a P.E.I. health card calls into question the motivation behind its COVID-19 policies.
In May 2020, when we were allowing other residents to apply to come to P.E.I., the premier talked about seasonal residents being "part of the community" and "members of our family." Now — when it comes time to providing them the health care that is constitutionally required and entirely federally funded — the message to students and residents is to go home. It would seem that residents are family when they can come and spend money, but not when they need help from us. Is that really how Islanders would say they treat family?
Though it might not seem fair to use P.E.I.'s "allocation" for residents of other provinces, Islanders should note a couple of things: 1. It will mean more un-vaccinated people in our province getting sick/and or spreading the virus and 2. We have residents in other provinces (namely students) who can be treated the same way where they are and will be vaccinated elsewhere, reducing the draw on P.E.I.'s supply.
Canadians have a constitutionally-protected right to receive timely and appropriate health care within the borders of their country. It might not be the most politically popular decision, but a pandemic is the wrong time to be pandering to politics.
David Fleming,
Cornwall
