Vaccination policy information for employees

The vaccine policy evolves as we continue to respond to the pandemic, and we are learning and adjusting along the way. This phase of our vaccination policy is a verification step, similar to the validation of other records evidencing critical requirements or processes in the organization. This step will also ensure CBS is compliant with government orders and hospital policies that require CBS to retain proof of vaccination. In addition, the organization rolled out the vaccine policy in August 2021 when inconsistent vaccination receipts were available. Now vaccination receipts and provincial vaccination QR codes are standardized and more readily available for employees.

If an employee is not willing to provide proof of vaccination, their manager will select “Requested – not provided” in MEDA. Depending on the situation, a member from PCP or EHS will follow up with the manager and/or employee and take further action. 

Managers will schedule a private meeting with each direct report, either in-person or virtually through Microsoft Teams. Before the meeting, have available your COVID-19 immunization record issued by a Canadian government, QR code (preferred) or other proof of vaccination documents at the meeting. Do not send your POV ahead of time through email or Teams chat.  

At the scheduled meeting, review of POV documentation can be done using one of the following options:  

• QR Codes issued by a Canadian government:  Your manager will download one of the provincial Verifier apps onto their phone and scan the QR code through Teams.  
• Alternatively, visually read the QR screen to confirm the name of the employee and the vaccination status.  
• For printed or electronic receipts issued by a Canadian government: Visually check the name of the employee on the POV and the vaccination details.   

An employee is considered fully vaccinated if they have received the complete COVID-19 vaccine dosage as approved by Health Canada, or any combination of such vaccines:   

• two doses of Moderna (now named Spikevax), Pfizer-BioNTech (now named Comirnaty), AstraZeneca (now named Vaxzevria), including Covishield in any combination   
• one dose of Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)  
• one or two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine not authorized by Health Canada followed by one dose of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine authorized by Health Canada (Moderna or Pfizer)  

If the individual has received different vaccines their POV can be reviewed by EHS.  

After your meeting, your manager will access the COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination app in MEDA and select the appropriate option in the drop-down menu to indicate they have reviewed or attempted to review your POV:  

• “Scanned through provincial QR verifier app” indicates they have scanned the employee’s QR code which shows they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.  
• “Reviewed - visually” indicates they have visually viewed the employee’s POV which shows they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.  
• “Requested – not provided” indicates they have requested the POV from the employee and they could not or were unwilling to provide appropriate POV to them. 
• “N/A - for FFS only” is to be used for a small subset of contractors working from outside the country and the FFS parent company has provided documentation through the procurement process.  

If verifying through a QR code and app, the app will confirm that the QR code is valid. Provincial QR codes have a standard consistent format, additional information is available here. If you are unsure about the validity of printed or electronic receipts issued by a Canadian government, contact communications@blood.ca. 

An employee’s proof of vaccination is to be viewed only by their manager or their manager’s delegate, or in limited circumstances, Employee Health Services. Copies of proof of vaccination should not be sent electronically to managers and this information should not be retained. Only your name and information confirming vaccination status will be required to be viewed. Any other personal information (e.g. date of birth, health card number, booster shots, etc.) can be blocked. If government verification apps are used to confirm vaccination status, your personal information will not be saved on the device used to scan the QR code.

Proof of vaccination for booster shots is not required at this time. Access to and timing of additional doses, beyond your first and second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is the responsibility of local and regional public health authorities. We encourage staff to monitor updates in your area and seek the opportunity to get additional doses of the vaccine when available and appropriate as determined by local public health authorities. 

Your manager will simply verify that you received their vaccination(s) by viewing your name and vaccination details or seeing a green check mark on the app once the QR code is scanned, similar to how status is verified to enter certain public venues. If you still do not want to share POV, your manager will select “Requested – not provided” in MEDA and you will be contacted by PCP or EHS.

POV support: 

As you move through the process to become fully vaccinated you will need to keep your status updated. To update your status you can either go into the app on meda.blood.ca and make the updates directly or if you have exhausted all means to access meda.blood.ca to enter your status, a fillable form can be downloaded from Connect, either filled in online or printed and filled in. This form can then be emailed to ehs@blood.ca or faxed to 613-260-4020 for entry.  

The protection of your information is and will be of utmost importance. We have developed processes and tools that align with security requirements, applicable privacy legislation and our corporate Protection of Personal Information Policy (POL012).  Canadian Blood Services will use your vaccination status information to verify whether you are able to come onsite, to follow-up with those who are not fully vaccinated, to determine compliance with the COVID-19 vaccination policy and manage its relationship with you as an employee or fee-for-service contractor. Canadian Blood Services may also use your vaccination status information for COVID-19 case management and risk management purposes (e.g., if there is a positive case of COVID-19 at a site, Canadian Blood Services may use the information to quickly identify and notify those employees and contractors at highest risk and assess/manage the impact on staffing and operations). 

In addition, if you are required to be at any other location to perform a Canadian Blood Services job function, Canadian Blood Services may share your COVID-19 vaccination status information with that site, as required. In line with our corporate Employee Personal Information Protection Policy, this information may also be disclosed where permitted or required by law, otherwise, we will not disclose this information without your consent. 

Only Canadian Blood Services staff that need to know your vaccination status for reasonable purposes related to managing the employment relationship, including to verify whether you are able to come onsite, to follow-up with those that are not fully vaccinated, to determine compliance with the COVID-19 vaccination policy, and for COVID-19 case management and risk management purposes, will have access to your vaccination status information.

We recognize there are inventory challenges at the moment and we are closely monitoring the situation. Given that our data from surveys and studies indicates that the vast majority of our donors are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and after assessing the positive feedback from our test sites, we believe we can move forward with implementing this next step and continue delivering the blood products Canadians rely on. In addition, we are actively recruiting new donors that will help boost the current inventory. As we continually respond to the impacts of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic our top priority is to provide a safe workplace while also minimizing any disruptions to our collections and inventory.

We recognize that some provinces are changing their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are closely monitoring what those changes could mean in relation to our donor vaccination messaging. We are encouraging donors to be fully vaccinated before entering our collection events. We do not require donors to provide proof of vaccination and we will not turn away unvaccinated donors. We continue to respond to impacts of the pandemic based on the rapidly evolving COVID-19 epidemiology. Our top priority is to provide a safe workplace while also minimizing any disruptions to our collections and inventory. 

Vaccination remains the strongest level of protection against COVID-19, and although we are seeing more positive cases among vaccinated individuals, we feel this approach will provide extra assurance to employees, volunteers and donors that we continue to have health and safety of our workplace top of mind. In addition, we have a steady supply of N95 masks and rapid screening test kits available to our frontline teams. N95 masks can be provided to donors who ask for one, if supply allows. We are unable to implement a donor rapid screening program.

As we continually respond to the impacts of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic our top priority is to provide a safe workplace while also minimizing any disruptions to our collections and inventory. When vaccines became widely available, we focused our attention on implementing a mandatory vaccination policy for our employees, fee-for-service contractors, volunteers and visitors. Once these policies were implemented, we started looking at how we could approach a donor vaccination policy, while considering the potential impact to collections and inventory. Having a complete understanding of how this could affect donors and the organization is critical before taking any action.  

We understand some provinces are lifting restrictions including requirements to show proof of vaccination. Our encouragement of donors to be fully vaccinated is not a mandate and we are not checking proof of vaccination or turning unvaccinated donors away. Our approach remains consistent with scientific data that emphasizes the importance of vaccination in response to this pandemic. As always, we continually respond to the impacts of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and will adjust our approach as necessary. 

Donors will receive the message, encouraging them to be fully vaccinated before entering our sites, through recruitment emails, reminder emails, our website, the donor portal and the Give Blood app. As an extra measure, a poster on each site’s door will convey the message for donors when they arrive.

To be fully vaccinated means having the complete COVID-19 vaccine dosage determined by a Canadian government. Boosters or third doses are not included in the scope at this time.

We plan to implement these messages nationally in mid-February. 

No, we will not ask donors to show proof of vaccination.

If an unvaccinated donor decides to go ahead and enter our site, they will be permitted to do so. However, as with all donors, they will be required to pass our wellness check by replying “no” to all the questions on our wellness poster.  

We are encouraging donors to be fully vaccinated before entering our sites. The goal is to further safeguard others and our environments. As always, we continually respond to the impacts of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and will adjust our approach as necessary.

We ensure a safe and healthy workplace by continuing to have other COVID-19 measures in place. This includes measures such as wellness screening, frequent cleaning practices, a fully vaccinated workplace and encouraging blood donors to be fully vaccinated before entering our sites As always, we continually respond to the impacts of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and will adjust our approach as necessary. 

We will not turn donors away if they say they are not vaccinated. They will still be allowed to enter our site. 

We will not turn any donors away if they say they are not vaccinated. They will still be allowed to enter a site. 

If someone is unhappy with this approach and becomes aggressive, notify your supervisor and follow our usual protocols for escalation. If the situation escalates where you are concerned for your safety, please call 911. Ensure the situation is reported and escalated to your Manager and Director. 

We recognize that some of our regular donors may have decided to pause on donating blood during the pandemic to avoid public spaces. We ensure a safe and healthy workplace by continuing to have other COVID-19 measures in place. This includes measures such as a wellness screening, frequent cleaning practices, a fully vaccinated workforce and encouraging blood donors to be vaccinated before entering our sites. 

As always, we continually respond to the impacts of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and will adjust our approach as necessary. 

If someone has any questions or feedback regarding this decision, please ask them to contact feedback@blood.ca or call 1-888-2-DONATE.  

Canadian Blood Services has been confirmed as an essential/critical health services provider by the federal and provincial governments for purposes of the COVID-19 pandemic. Provincial proof of vaccination requirement for non-essential services do not apply to Canadian Blood Services’ blood donor events. These events are held for the health-related purpose of allowing us to collect blood required for Canadian patients, rather than for a discretionary or recreational purpose. 

A donor’s vaccination status is not a requirement for entry to Canadian Blood Services’ blood collection events. A letter detailing the exemption will be provided to owners of sites (mobile sites/ permanent sites not owned by Canadian Blood Services) within which a blood collection event is being planned. The site owner will be asked to acknowledge the letter. In situations where the site owner declines to acknowledge the exemption, the following guidelines will apply: 

• For donors with appointments to attend a collection event, Canadian Blood Services will provide advance notice regarding the site entry requirement requested by the property owner, and emphasizing that donors’ proof of vaccination information is not required, collected or retained by Canadian Blood Services. 
• The process by which proof of vaccination will be checked prior to entry will be the responsibility of the site location owner, and will not be conducted by Canadian Blood Services employees. 

If you have any questions regarding donor proof of vaccination to enter blood collection events , please contact communications@blood.ca.