COVID-19 vaccination rates among eastern European diaspora become cause for concern – CBC
One quarter of staff at long-term care homes serving Ukrainian-Canadians not fully vaccinated
Nov 02, 2021
With the deadline looming for Ontario long-term care workers to prove they’re vaccinated against COVID-19, homes serving the Ukrainian-Canadian community are among those with the highest rates of unvaccinated staff.
It’s part of a broader trend that’s causing concern in hospitals and among public health officials: low vaccination rates among people of eastern European backgrounds.
The latest available provincial data show 26 per cent of staff at the Ukrainian Canadian Care Centre and Ivan Franko Homes, both located in Etobicoke, were not fully vaccinated as of last month. The rate was more than two-and-a- half times the provincial average in the long-term care sector.
That put the homes in the top 10 among Ontario’s 626 long-term care facilities for the highest proportion of unvaccinated staff, according to data reported by the Ministry of Long-Term Care in early October.
CBC News asked management at both homes to provide updated statistics, but neither responded to the request on Monday.
