Increasing negativity on social media and at vaccination clinics is disheartening, says medical officer of health Dr. Lianne Catton.
Recently, the Porcupine Health Unit turned off commenting on its Facebook posts and has taken a zero-tolerance stance to aggressive behaviour or comments at clinics.
“To see negative behaviour and comments and threatening, whether people think this is funny or a joke, it’s inappropriate, it is disheartening, it is alarming. We will not be tolerating it. We have worked with Timmins Police and the OPP … we continue to work with them. The challenge with the north is we don’t have private security firms in many of our communities and some of our communities we only have a couple of staff,” said Catton.
The negativity at clinics has transpired over the last couple of months and Catton said it will not be tolerated any longer.
She said the trend is people providing inappropriate, harassing, aggressive, abusive, discriminatory, racist language and behaviour towards the health unit team, volunteers and other community partners.
"There have been some threatening comments made, there have been some aggressive comments made in clinics — I’m not going to give numbers to them — but, in general, the tone has changed. Vaccine clinics were something that really people were excited about at the beginning of the pandemic and it was a very positive atmosphere for people to go and work and spend long hours away from their families and loved ones,” she said.
If staff, volunteers or someone attending a clinic feels unsafe, Catton said the appropriate authority will be called. She noted staff also have the right to ask individuals to leave.
A couple of weeks ago, commenting was removed from health unit posts. That will continue for a little longer.
Catton said the important, healthy dialogue that sometimes was generated on the posts is continuing with people who send messages through the appropriate channels in an appropriate manner.
If there are trends in the types of comments or questions, she said they will be shared on social media or through media to update people.
The poor behaviour doesn't belong to one particular group, Catton said.
Regardless of people's views on vaccination or public health measures, she said the vast majority of people have acted kindly and respectfully throughout the pandemic.
“We need to come out of this stronger, not come out of it more divided,” she said.
