Lambton’s Acting Medical Officer of Health says the county should have its own vaccine policy.

Dr. Christopher Greensmith was speaking to Lambton County Councillors Wednesday at their regular meeting .

Greensmith is “strongly recommending that the County of Lambton adopt a COVID-19 immunization policies that would apply to staff and counselors actually, as this would help complement overall safety standards for the community and would set an example to others (who) may be wondering.

“We need to set the example in my opinion.”

Greensmith says right now about 77 per cent of people in Lambton have both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and he expects workplace vaccine mandates would get a “significant response” as the county is “trying to get from 75 to 90 per cent.

“We’re trying to move the vaccination rate up. So we’ve estimated 77 per cent of the population is willing to now we need to move on a bit more.

“But now we’re talking… 10 per cent that will never get vaccinated but there’s some other undecided, so we’re just trying to move them along.

“Society has a right to protect ourselves, we have to provide a healthy workplace by society as a public health is all about is protecting from the individual.

“Everyone has individual rights but you don’t have rights to infect other people,” says Greensmith.

The MOH says in other provinces where there are widespread workplace vaccine mandates, people who are not vaccinated undergo regular testing. After going through the process for a number of weeks, many, Greensmith says, choose to be vaccinated.

County councillors did not act on Greensmith’s call for a policy however officials say a vaccine policy is in the works for employees of the county.

A policy for county councillors is also in the works. It will have to be approved by council.