Quebec’s ‘anti-vax tax’ leads to spike in 1st doses despite legal concerns

Quebec’s proposed tax for the unvaccinated has sparked controversy over its legal and ethical concerns but the early numbers suggest it may be working as officials intended.

Thousands more registered to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in the province after the proposal to tax unvaccinated residents was revealed by the provincial government this week.

Quebec Premier François Legault announced Tuesday the province is working on a “significant” health-care “contribution” that would be charged to all adults who refuse to get the jab.

On Wednesday morning, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube tweeted saying Tuesday’s first dose appointments were the highest the province had seen in several days.

“Appointments for the first dose continue to increase,” reads the tweet from Dube. “About 5,000 appointments were taken on Jan. 10 and 7,000 (Tuesday), our record for several days.”

Read more:

• Majority of Canadians polled support healthcare fines for unvaccinated, survey finds

• Quebec’s tax on the unvaccinated could worsen inequity, advocates say

The province saw a similar spike in first dose appointments last week after officials announced a vaccine passport would be required to enter a liquor or cannabis store.

Dube said daily first dose appointments had been averaging around 1,500 and spiked to 6,000 last Thursday, the same day the new passport measures were announced.

The new financial measures, or “anti-vax tax,” have received a fair share of criticism in the last two days with some legal experts claiming it infringes on the freedoms and civil liberties of citizens.

“There’s a line between what’s punishment and what is encouragement and enticement,” says University of Toronto bioethicist Kerry Bowman. “This is very much on the other side of the line as I see it. It is a form of punishment.”

Bowman says the proposal will only lead to more polarization in society and calls it a dangerous and risky move for politicians to make.

“When you create these divisions of us and them, watch out. Just look through human history, we are wired to turn on each other.”

But Quebec epidemiologist Dr. Christopher Labos tells the Big Story Podcast he doesn’t think the province has gone too far with the new tax proposal. He likens fines for the unvaccinated to speeding or parking tickets for drivers.

“They are a way to encourage people to follow the rules,” he says. “We have to remember what the goal of these objectives are. I’m not exactly sure why people think it will lead to the erosion of our civil liberties or fundamentally change the nature of society.”

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association have called the tax plan deeply troubling, noting the Charter of Rights and Freedoms recognizes individual autonomy over our bodies and medical decisions.

In an emailed statement Tuesday night, Cara Zwibel, acting general counsel for the association, says the tax penalty is a divisive measure that will end up punishing and alienating those who may be most in need of public health supports and services.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not rule out the possibility of a federal ‘anti-vax tax’ when asked on Wednesday.

“We’ve received that proposal with interest by the Quebec government, but there’s a lot more details that we have to hear on how this would work before I can make any comments on it,” the prime minister told reporters.

The Prime Minister says Québec has reassured the federal government its plan won’t violate the principles of the Canada Health Act, which regulates the country’s provincially run universal healthcare systems.

In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford said his province will not be following Quebec’s lead. Ontario’s chief medical officer of health echoed the premier’s sentiments on Wednesday, saying Québec’s plan strikes him as punitive, and his province hasn’t considered the measure.

With files from CityNews reporter Jaime Pulfer and The Canadian Press