COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination Fund: Response letter from Yukon

November 30, 2022

The Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Health
House of Commons
Ottawa ON K1A 0A6

Dear Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos:

Re: COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination Fund

I am writing in response to your letter of October 25, 2022, regarding the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination Fund.

I am proud of our governments’ collaborative work to develop and implement the standardized Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination credential. As part of these ongoing collaborative efforts, I am pleased to accept these federal resources to support the maintenance of the Yukon proof of vaccination program.

We would also like to express our gratitude for the Government of Canada’s decision to provide each jurisdiction with a base allocation. Funds distributed solely per capita are typically not sufficient to support the needs of Northern, rural, and remote areas given our small populations and subsequent inability to benefit from the economies of scale that larger jurisdictions enjoy. Thank you for your acknowledgement of these northern realities.

By accepting these investments our government is committed to ensuring that our proof of vaccination credentials remain available and fulfill the requirements outlined in your letter.

The Government of Yukon will ensure that the Yukon proof of vaccination program remains available while they are required by international and domestic jurisdictions, for up to three additional years, beginning in April 2022.

We will ensure the Yukon proof of vaccination maintains alignment with the pan-Canadian specification for the Canadian PVC and will continue to follow the specification as it evolves to ensure it remain interoperable domestically and internationally.

Finally, we will maintain a dedicated and sustained point of contact to other provincial and territorial governments and to the Government of Canada to allow any ongoing user issues, including out of jurisdiction issues such as those that may occur outside of the Yukon to be addressed collaboratively.

The Government of Yukon is committed to working collaboratively with the Government of Canada and other provincial and territorial governments to further advance our proof of vaccination program to ensure it meets the needs of Canadians. Through our collaborative work, we are committed to ensuring all eligible individuals residing in the Yukon can receive a Canadian PVC in a consistent and accessible way.

We understand the importance of COVID-19 vaccine data in relation to health information systems and proof of vaccination programs. Recognizing there may be gaps in data collection, our government will continue work to ensure our vaccination registries remain accurate, complete, and contain the data needed to meet internal proof of vaccination requirements.

Barrier-free access to all health data is a priority to our government and we share the Government of Canada’s commitments to ensuring all those eligible for a Canadian PVC do not face barriers in obtaining one regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, age, sex, gender, and mental or physical disability.

Lastly, we will continue to uphold our duty to protect the security of Canadians’ personal health data. We will continue to maintain the security and integrity of our proof of vaccination information technology infrastructure and counter proof of vaccination fraud to fulfill these commitments.

Thank you again for your commitment to providing our territory with this funding. We look forward to working together for the benefit of Yukoners and all Canadians.

Sincerely,

Tracy-Anne McPhee
Minister of Health and Social Services