It takes a village to immunize a province

A recent national news article lamented on the lower rate of pay nurses receive who provide covid vaccinations in the vaccine clinics, compared to that of doctors ostensibly doing the same thing. This resulted in some discussion about the fairness of the pay discrepancy, and of the roles of different healthcare professionals when it comes immunizing British Columbians. So, let’s pause to reflect on a few good things. So far, more than 2.5M British Columbians have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, which equates to more than 59% of eligible British Columbians. Plus, an additional 60,000 people each day are getting their vaccination. These are incredible numbers, and speak to the thousands and thousands of healthcare professionals who have volunteered their time in the immunization clinics. Vaccination remains our clearest path forward to opening up society and returning to something approaching a ‘normal’ life.

Doctors are highly skilled professionals who are an important part of the vaccination campaign. From the PHO's office to Immunize BC to vaccination clinics to individual doctors answering questions about the vaccination – doctors have an important role in leading, facilitating, and delivering the vaccine campaign because of our unique skills and training. Great numbers of doctors, including many who have retired, dropped everything to volunteer their time and expertise. You should all be proud of your contribution to this important campaign.

Government recruited doctors, nurses, firefighters, and others to give vaccinations at the vaccine clinics because it needed to ensure enough vaccinators based on the vaccine supply. Everyone brings something valuable to the vaccine clinics, but doctors bring something extra. Many are family physicians – skilled experts in relationship-based care and knowledgeable about vaccine side-effects and interactions with many medical conditions and treatments. Some are trained in critical care and airway management – able to respond at a moment’s notice to any rare life-threatening reactions. All bring a career’s worth of experience and rigorous training to deal with complex illness and chronic disease. It’s more than just giving a shot in the arm.

I am aware that a few BC doctors uncomfortable with receiving a different remuneration than nurses for what they consider to be an uneventful shift in the vaccine clinic, have contributed either all or part of the fee received to a charity of their choice in support of their nursing colleagues. That is certainly their right. Other doctors who still incur office, benefits, and retirement related costs while working at the vaccine clinics, have opted to accept the full fee.

Doctors are very grateful to work alongside our nursing colleagues, and other committed professionals, as we battle this pandemic together. We have worked together in clinics, hospitals, long-term care, outreach teams, public health units…everywhere that healthcare is delivered. And we will continue to work alongside each other, giving shots to our fellow British Columbians, so that one day soon we can put this pandemic behind us, re-open society, and spend time with family and friends like we used to.

- Dr Matthew Chow