Vaccine deniers hurl questions and insults during COVID-19 town hall

Photo: The Canadian Press

Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix at COVID-19 briefing, December, 2020

More than one caller was cut off before they could finish their flurry of questions and accusations during a telephone and online public town hall meeting for Interior Health residents, featuring B.C’s Provincial Health Officer.

Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister of Health Adrian Dix hosted the town hall to answer questions as the Central Okanagan, and Kelowna in particular, remain the hotbed of new COVID-19 infections in the province.

The first caller was from Kelowna. She suggested the government was using psychological manipulation and censorship to control what she claimed was ‘so much data’ showing the adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccines.

The second caller carried on that line of questioning, quoting information he had gathered that the PCR test isn’t reliable and again bringing up reports of adverse effects of vaccines.

Dr. Henry weighed in to refute the claims. She said a lot of people are trying to undermine science and people’s confidence in vaccines.

“I would encourage you to speak to people who have been absolutely affected by this virus and to people who are protected from the vaccines that we have. What we are seeing right now, with the increase in the number of people getting sick with the virus, is that it is happening. 97 percent of those people are people who are not yet protected through vaccination.”

Another man started his question by accusing Dr. Henry of being a "strategically placed agent of the United Nation and the Rockefeller Foundation working for Bill Gates and Big Pharma."

The health minister was quick to jump in and defend the chief medical officer.

“Dr Henry is an outstanding leader in public health care, something she has demonstrated throughout this pandemic...and what we don’t need is untrue personal attacks,” said Adrian Dix. He added that many people have lost their lives in this pandemic and they deserve a respectful and serious discussion.

Other callers had questions related to the efficacy of mixed vaccines, restrictions on tourists, how to get vaccinated if you are not a B.C. resident but are in the area, and a woman from Nelson wondered if new restrictions could be coming in parts of the West Kootenays, where cases are also on the rise.

Dr. Sue Pollock, Medical Health Officer with Interior Health Authority, also answered a query about the breakdown of cases during the current outbreak.

She said there have been roughly 1,800 since July 1. 74 percent of those people had not been immunized, 19 percent had one dose and seven percent two doses. Of the 41 people currently hospitalized, more than 80 percent are unvaccinated individuals.