From The Mayor's Desk:
Encouraging vaccination
Like the rest of Ontario, in Sioux Lookout about 75% of people 12 years of age and older have already been vaccinated. We have done so because the vaccine protects us from both getting and spreading COVID-19, including the Delta variant.
No safety protocols were skipped in the approval process for the COVID-19 vaccine. Like other vaccines developed in years gone by – for polio, smallpox, rabies, whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, and more – the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective. Many diseases are now preventable and are at historically low levels because of the use of vaccine. Vaccines are administered routinely to children and adults. Vaccines are responsible for eradicating smallpox, for huge reduction in childhood mortality, and have prevented lifelong disabilities.
It is easily forgotten that over the past several hundred years it is public health innovations that have allowed us to improve our standard of living, our longevity, and our overall health. Historically the most important such public health measures are the effective disposal of sewage, the effective distribution of clean drinking water, and – yes – vaccines.
If you haven’t yet been vaccinated for COVID-19 - please do so as soon as possible. You are not immune. By remaining unvaccinated you are putting yourself at risk. By remaining unvaccinated you risk being part of further stressing your health care system. You are risking delaying non-COVID health care that you or a loved one may need. You are risking putting vulnerable people in peril. You are delaying your return to normal living.
We have fought for, built, and we maintain a country with personal freedoms and rights that are the envy of most of the world. We have done so by working together for the common good. Getting vaccinated is one of those things we must do for the good of us all. Getting vaccinated is as much for the protection of the whole as it is for yourself. Remaining unvaccinated is the slippery slope that leads to the disintegration of the social contract that brings the benefits we all enjoy. We must give up a little freedom to maintain a lot of freedom.
Beginning September 22nd you must be fully vaccinated to enter many public spaces in Ontario. More details of the restrictions that will be imposed on the unvaccinated will be coming from the Province prior to September 22nd. The Municipality will do its’ part to comply with Provincial Regulations.
If you are already vaccinated, thank you.
If you are not yet vaccinated, now is the time. The vaccine is available to anyone who is 12 and older in 2021. Appointments can be made through the Northwestern Health Unit website – nwhu.on.ca.
Thank you.
