Quebec’s proposed tax for unvaccinated not the right approach for Nunavik, McGill professor says – Nunatsiaq News
Jan 17, 2022
Richard Budgell says ‘highly inequitable’ financial toll is not an incentive to get people vaccinated
Quebec’s proposed tax for unvaccinated adults is not the right approach to get more Nunavimmiut vaccinated, says one McGill University professor.
Richard Budgell is a Labrador Inuk who teaches Inuit and northern health for McGill’s Department of Family Medicine.
He says he wants to see more Nunavimmiut get vaccinated against COVID-19. However, in Nunavik, where many people live with lower incomes and vaccine hesitancy is common, a financial penalty would be “highly inequitable.”
“You want to give people reasons to want to be vaccinated, as opposed to punish people for not being vaccinated,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a good strategy in relation to Nunavik at all.”
Read More: https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/quebecs-proposed-tax-for-unvaccinated-not-the-right-approach-for-nunavik-mcgill-professor-says/
