The Canadian Armed Forces plan to move forward with the forcible deportation of dozens of unvaccinated soldiers despite a new order from Chief of Defense General Wayne Eyre on Friday, ending the army’s blanket demand regarding the vaccine against COVID-19.
In interview with The Canadian PressGeneral Eyre explained this decision by the fact that the military are supposed to follow legal orders – and that the refusal of some soldiers to be vaccinated “raises questions about your fitness to serve in uniform”.
According to him, it is a “slippery slope” when soldiers disobey legal orders.
The general made the comments during the unveiling of a long-awaited new vaccination policy which suspends the vaccination requirement for all. Previously, members of the armed forces had to be fully vaccinated or face disciplinary action.
Immunizations will no longer be required for anyone serving in uniform, nor will it be a prerequisite for joining the military. Rather, the policy will be based on the roles and responsibilities of each service member.
The Chief of Defense’s new order includes a list of members who will still need two doses of a Health Canada-approved vaccine and focuses on rapid-response units such as Special Forces and the Emergency Response Team. disaster response.
There are also requirements based on deployments alongside specific allies or organizations, including those working with NATO or the United Nations, as well as all sailors on warships operating overseas.
“We must remember that a ship in the middle of the ocean does not have access to intensive medical care,” General Eyre said, adding that some allies such as the United States and Japan are demanding that the military get vaccinated.
Describing his order as an “interim policy”, the army chief said he had called for a review of the army’s overall approach to vaccinations. At the same time, he reserved the right to turn back if the pandemic took another turn.
“Medical advice continues to evolve,” he explained. What is the bare minimum required to protect the force, to protect operational performance, while respecting the individual decisions that members want to make. »
The new policy follows months of pressure and questioning over the military’s requirement for vaccinations as a condition of employment, particularly after the suspension of most other federal requirements.
Although the vast majority of members of the military have reached out for vaccinations — 96% are fully vaccinated — briefing notes prepared for Defense Minister Anita Anand in June revealed that more than 1,100 do not had not done.
The Ministry of Defense says around 300 servicemen were ordered to hang up their uniforms, while another 100 left voluntarily. Disciplinary procedures, including warnings and notes on personnel files, were distributed to hundreds more.
A number of active members have unsuccessfully challenged the requirement in court, while some groups and individuals opposed to vaccination requirements, lockdowns and the Liberal government have used the requirement as a rallying point.