A doctor at the Sun Peaks Health Centre is speaking out after being inundated with people requesting letters exempting them from getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

Dr. Shane Barclay says he is disappointed by the number of people making that request, adding he is not prepared to commit fraud just so someone can avoid a vaccine.

“Fraud is a crime. A doctor can be charged, fined and potentially lose their license to practice medicine for fraud,” he said, in an open letter to residents.

Aside from being under the age of 12, Barclay says the other other exemptions are a two-week wait if you’ve gotten another vaccine and patients who have had a severe allergic reaction or anaphylactic reaction to an existing COVID vaccine.

The other issue that has come up, he says, is the frustration from patients that say they are being ‘mandated’ by employers and governments to get a COVID vaccine.

“That may be something to eventually go through the courts to be decided. But here’s a thought. When people get in a car, do they put on a seat belt, follow the speed limit and stop at red lights?” Barclay wrote. “Those are things that are ‘mandated’ that were brought in to decrease the likelihood of the driver, their family, their neighbours and community from dying in a motor vehicle accident.”

“COVID vaccine mandates decrease the likelihood of you, your family, your neighbours and community from dying from COVID. Simple.”

He added that while there have been blood clots associated with some COVID vaccines reported in some cases, people are much more likely to experience a clot if they are infected with the virus.

“The vaccines are 94 per cent effective in preventing severe COVID-19, hospitalizations and death. That is far better than most medications and treatments we give to patients,” Barclay said. “If you don’t believe doctors are recommending the vaccine in good faith, perhaps don’t ask doctors for antibiotics for pneumonia or other infections.”

NL News first reported that feed and tack shops in Kamloops have been getting calls from people looking for ivermectin, a livestock de-worming medication, that some have touted as a therapeutic treatment for COVID-19.

“I guess for completeness, although I shouldn’t even have to address this, chloroquine and ivermectin do not work against COVID,” Barclay said. “Plain and simple.”

Unvaccinated people to get last appointment of the day at Sun Peaks

Barclay goes on to say he will still see all patients that come to the Sun Peaks Health Centre irrespective of the vaccine status. But he notes non-vaccinated patients will be given the last appointments of the day, at 4:15 p.m.

“That ensures they are not in the building when potentially other patients such as children, are also in the clinic but it is primarily meant to protect the unvaccinated,”  he said. “It does entail full PPE for us which is more time consuming and burdensome [and] it allows us to do a more thorough clean afterwards.”

“To be clear, we are not ‘mandating’ vaccinations in order to see patients in person. This is not some form of ‘punishment’. We are simply trying to safeguard the unvaccinated, our staff and other patients.”

Interior Health continues to lead the province in daily new COVID-19 cases with 253 reported as of yesterday’s update, part of 774 throughout the province. Of the 262 people in hospital with COVID in B.C., 130 are in the ICU. In Interior Health, there are 61 people in hospital, 42 in intensive care.

Health Minister Adrian Dix said yesterday that there are 111 unvaccinated people in the ICU with 10 who are partially vaccinated and the other nine fully vaccinated.

“And none of those under 50 who are in ICU are fully vaccinated,” Dix said. “Going up against the virus by going about our daily lives unvaccinated only helps the virus.”

Data from the province shows 85.3 per cent of people over the age of 12 (3,955,624) have gotten one dose of a COVID vaccine, while 77.7 per cent (3,608,067) are fully vaccinated.

In closing, Barclay says he is hoping people will continue to keep getting vaccinated in the days and weeks ahead.

“Yes, I believe the vaccines are safe. Yes, we may need boosters. Yes, this pandemic is a long way from being over. Yes, I believe we will continue to see more variants that could well be more deadly than the Delta variant. Yes, variants are more likely to occur if people are not vaccinated,” he said.

“Yes, I believe that the only way the world, not just Sun Peaks, will get through this without seeing tens of millions of people die is if we all get vaccinated, follow public health guidelines and yes, even follow mandates.”

To read Dr. Barclay’s entire letter, go here.