Dear Member,
Transport Canada is seeking stakeholder feedback on the progress and effectiveness of seafarer vaccination programs at Canadian ports, with a view to sharing this information with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and relevant provincial and public health authorities.
Although seafarer vaccinations are generally facilitated by ports and local seafarers missions working in concert with local health authorities, it is important for Transport Canada to also hear directly from ship owners, operators and agents as to how current vaccination efforts are working and how they could be improved.
Towards that end, we would greatly appreciate your cooperation in responding to the survey questions below. Although we recognize that not all of the questions will be relevant to all members, we would would ask you to respond to those that are applicable to your particular operations. We would also welcome your comments on the issue of seafarer vaccination overall, especially as relates to constraints or irritants you may have encountered in Canada, ideas for best practices, and recommendations for improving vaccine access and delivery in the future.
As Transport Canada will be sharing the survey results with PHAC at a meeting scheduled for this Friday, we would ask members to provides their responses by COB on Thursday, October 21 if at all possible.
Survey Questions
- How many seafarers on the ships you operate / represent have obtained a Covid vaccination in Canada? If possible, please list on a port-by-port basis.
- Of the vaccinations reported above, were the majority delivered at local vaccination centres outside the port or on board the ship via mobile vaccination teams?
- In cases where seafarers / ships have declined to be vaccinated in Canada, what were the key reasons given; i.e. Already vaccinated? Resistance to a 2-dose vaccine? Resistance to vaccination overall? Insufficient time? Other?
- In cases where seafarers have already been vaccinated elsewhere, where did this occur; i.e. In their home country? At another port of call? Elsewhere?
- In your view, would availability of the single-does J&J vaccine in Canada increase vaccination uptake by seafarers?
- How do seafarers learn of vaccination opportunities at Canadian ports? Does the ship make the initial inquiry or is vaccination information provided to the ship from other sources?
- Do you have any other comments or suggestions with respect to the vaccination of foreign seafarers calling Canadian ports? Please provide as much detaill in you response and / or recommendations as possible.
We thank members in advance for taking the time to respond to this survey and will provide a summary of aggregate results once available.
Sincerely,
Karen Kancens
Vice President