COVID-19 Vaccination Statement from the Council of the College of Naturopaths of Ontario

(November 25, 2021)  Toronto, ON – The Council of the College of Naturopaths of Ontario strongly encourages every Naturopathic Doctor in Ontario—along with all of Ontario’s regulated health care professionals who are actively seeing patients—be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Council recognizes the obligations of the College and its Registrants to the greater public interest, as well as the social contract between the profession and the people of Ontario, which concurrently require that public safety and public interest be placed above individual or professional interests.

As a regulator whose mandate it is to serve and protect the public interest, and place safety above all other considerations, this Council acknowledges not only the importance of this vaccination but also its safety and efficacy. It is for these reasons that we encourage everyone to be vaccinated as one important method of reducing its impact.

To be clear, the College is not requiring that its Registrants be vaccinated; however, vaccine and testing requirements in other sectors have been implemented and we believe that we are likely see more of these in the future. These requirements have and will continue to impact the College’s ability to regulate effectively.

For example, requirements set by Government for post-secondary education institutions have meant that College staff and volunteers delivering exams are required to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test result when entering to deliver the exams. Volunteers who are unable or unwilling to meet these requirements reduce our workforce and may result in cancellation of examinations. This affects not only the College but also students who have spent considerable time in the educational program and preparing for the exams. This was very nearly the case for the Clinical (Practical) Exams delivered on September 26, 2021.

Similar requirements are expected throughout the business sector, including public offices such as the College’s own office. The College relies on over one hundred volunteers for programming and committee activities. Again, we will have difficulty delivering these regulatory programs without enough vaccinated Registrants. If the College cannot deliver its regulatory programs, then it simply cannot fulfill its mandate on behalf of the people of Ontario.

The Council of the College