Is your local federal candidate vaccinated?
All but at least a dozen of the federal candidates running for a seat in the Hamilton area say they've been vaccinated for COVID-19.
The remaining ones either have not been, did not want to say, were unclear in their response or did not respond to a request for comment from Hamilton Community News, The Spectator and The Sachem.
Some candidates have also not responded to profile questionnaires sent to them, so it's not known whether they've gotten their shots.
Immunization status has been at the centre of the pandemic election as proof-of-vaccination mandates and programs roll out across the country - including in Ontario - as many provinces battle a fourth wave driven by the Delta variant.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination status was an issue that rarely - if ever - came to the forefront of someone's candidacy for government office.
But after nearly 18 months of restrictions and a slow move into the new normal, University of Toronto epidemiologist Colin Furness said voters deserve to know if a candidate vying for their vote is vaccinated, calling it a part of the democratic process" where public scrutiny is needed."
Furness said he's comfortable" seeing candidates saying they're not vaccinated, as it's an act of transparency" and gives voters a more full picture of a candidate.
But if a candidate is unvaccinated and not telling voters, Furness said it could be seen as deceptive" or dishonest."
If that's their values, it should be on the table, so people know what they're voting for," he said.
The new-found urgency of the issue, Furness said, likely stems from a lot of pent up frustration," as many Canadians were expecting to come out of the pandemic this summer as vaccination rates across the country climbed week by week.
Instead, Furness said the country is facing a fourth wave driven by unvaccinated people and the Delta variant, which has created a collective frustration" among those who have already rolled up their sleeves.
I think it's a focal point for a year and a half of pain, rage and frustration," he said. It's really tangible, what it means to be vaccinated or not."
McMaster political scientist Peter Graefe said whether or not a candidate is vaccinated could also be seen as a story of social responsibility."
Candidates who are able to get vaccinated and don't get vaccinated, I think, are showing a pretty large disregard for the health and welfare of the collective," said Graefe, who pointed to surgery cancellations like those seen in Alberta, where the health-care system is overrun with COVID patients.
Graefe said candidates who are also campaigning while not fully vaccinated are putting other people at risk."
Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole faced questions this past week after a candidate running in the riding of Peterborough-Kawartha posted photos of herself canvassing in a seniors' residence despite not being fully vaccinated.
It shows a complete lack of responsibility," said Graefe. And in many ways, they're showing themselves as unlikely fits for being good stewards of social good."
Here's how vaccination status breaks down for candidates per riding:
Most candidates are fully vaccinated, with the exception of People's Party of Canada candidate Dean Woods, who told Hamilton Community News that he is medically exempt." It's unclear if Rhinoceros Party candidate Spencer Rocchi is vaccinated.
All candidates are vaccinated, except for People's Party of Canada candidate Mario Ricci. Ricci told Hamilton Community News that he's reasonably healthy and I pose no safety hazard to others so I prefer to wait awhile before getting vaccinated."
Both the NDP and Liberal candidates are fully vaccinated, while it's unclear if Conservative candidate Al Miles, People's Party of Canada candidate Chelsey Taylor and Green Party candidate Dave Urquhart are vaccinated.
Christian Heritage Party candidate Jim Enos is not vaccinated, and went on to call the COVID-19 vaccine an experimental and non-vetted approach for which the full impact will only be known over time."
Hamilton Centre
The NDP, Liberal, Conservative, Green, and Communist Party candidates are all fully vaccinated. It's unclear if the People's Party of Canada candidate Kevin Barber and Independent candidate Nathalie Xian Yi Yan are vaccinated.
In an email response to The Spectator, Barber said he could assure you that I am not sick and pose no risk to anyone, the forced divulgence of personal medical information, let alone mandatory vaccine passports, is against (labour law)."
All candidates are fully vaccinated.
The Liberal, NDP, Green party and Christian Heritage Party candidates are all fully vaccinated, while it's unclear if Conservative candidate Leslyn Lewis and Veterans Coalition Party of Canada candidate George McMorrow are vaccinated.
People's Party of Canada candidate Ken Gilpin is not vaccinated, noting the long-term effects are not known at this time."
Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: fhewitt@thespec.com