Fully vaccinated is our promise

Ottawa — When you enter any CHEO location, take comfort in knowing our team is vaccinated. From the welcome staff you meet at the door, to your care team, from those serving you coffee to everyone in between. And this promise extends to anyone CHEO sends to provide care in homes and in schools. We thank everyone on Team CHEO for their incredible support and compliance with our Universal COVID-19 Immunization Policy. Evidence-based vaccines add one more layer of protection to keep everyone safe at CHEO, in addition to universal masking, physical distancing, entrance screening and other safety measures. Team CHEO always puts safety first.

Of 3,865 total personnel, 99.7% of full-time personnel and 98.9% of part-time and casual personnel have chosen to comply with our mandatory vaccine policy, and 3 people have been granted a medical exemption. Of our nearly 4,000 personnel, nine full-time personnel have chosen not to get vaccinated. In addition, this choice not to vaccinate has been made by 14 part-time and casual personnel, who also work at other health-care organizations. These people have made a choice not to work at CHEO and their affiliation with us has ended. We wish them luck in their future endeavours.

Despite restrictions lifting in the community, we want to continue to encourage everyone who can get vaccinated to do so. CHEO and our Kids Come First Health Team partners are excited by the recent federal announcement that there will be a ready supply of COVID-19 vaccines very soon after Health Canada approves the vaccine for children aged five to 11 years old. We’ll be working together with our partners to ensure the vaccines reach kids who need them.

On the important topic of vaccines, CHEO also urges everyone to get the flu shot. Like COVID-19, influenza is dangerous and adds pressure to the health-care system – so please roll-up your sleeves. We’ve got this, Ottawa. Thank you for your support.

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