Your Rights and the COVID-19 Vaccine
Unpacking biomedicine, traditional knowledges and healing practices through oral storytelling and visualizations to support First Nations, Inuit and Métis in making informed choices.
Your physical, emotional, spiritual and mental well-being matter.
The experiences you have had with the health care system or other institutions can affect how you feel about COVID-19 vaccinations and accessing health care.
It is important that your health care team treats you with dignity and respect.
You have rights when it comes to making decisions about your well-being and health care, including deciding on receiving the COVID-19 vaccination or not.
As a patient, you have the right to:
- Receive health care services without discrimination
- You have the right to high-quality, culturally safe and timely care in an environment where you feel safe and respected by the staff.
- You have the right to practice your culture and customs.
- You have the right to practice, develop and teach your cultural and spiritual traditions, customs and ceremonies. This includes your right to use traditional medicines, ceremonial objects and practices to maintain your well-being and health.
Right to choices about COVID-19 vaccinations
- You have the right to participate in decisions about your health care, including COVID-19 vaccinations.
- Part of making a choice to get vaccinated for yourself or your family might involve:
- exploring all of the options available to you to ensure that you make the right choice for you.
- asking questions and expressing your feelings about COVID-19 vaccinations.
Your health care team is responsible for
- Answering your questions and clearly explaining how COVID-19 vaccinations work in a respectful way that you understand.
Right to privacy about COVID-19 care and vaccinations
- You have the right to choose who you share your health and wellness information with (eg. family members, friends and health care workers).
- Any questions about COVID-19 that you discuss in consultation with a health care practitioner are private and confidential.