Shortfalls of the Bioethical Approach to COVID-19: Vaccine Hesitancy, the Right to Choose and Public Health Management in Canada

While majoritarian groups were comfortable with vaccination in Canada, a stable minority protested these directives to protect their right to choose the medical treatments they receive under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Notwithstanding the perceived misguided arguments put forward by these groups, Singh suggests a closer examination of their socio-historical reasons for distrusting state directives reveals several valid grounds to resist vaccination in certain circumstances. Considering the conflicting duties of the Canadian state, in terms of safeguarding public safety and respecting the Charter rights of minorities, this chapter seeks to investigate the structures and reasoning that are involved in Canada’s COVID-19 response, particularly how socio-historical considerations are being erased as part of the state’s process of eliminating COVID-19.