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

May 30, 2024

The Honourable Mark Holland
Minister of Health
Office of the Deputy Premier and Minister of Health
77 Bay Street, 5th floor
Toronto ON M7A 1N3

Dear Minister Holland:

Thank you for the letter regarding federal funding for proof of vaccination programs. As the Minister of Health for Ontario, I am proud of my government's COVID-19 vaccine program, a program that has achieved one of the highest vaccination rates in the world.

The funding methodology identified in your letter results in Ontario receiving considerably less funding than it would if the formula was developed on a per capita basis, as is the standard normal formula for a program of national application such as the Canadian COVID- 19 proof of vaccination credential (Canadian PVC). With that in mind, I want to be clear that our agreement to this one-time funding is not to be viewed as a precedent for any future funding formula. With that clarification, I am confirming Ontario's agreement on the following commitments to receive the one-time transfer of $75.9M from your government.

Ontario will continue to meet the standards as set out through the pan-Canadian specification as they evolve to ensure alignment with other jurisdictions and will maintain the Canadian PVCs to April 2025, as outlined in the funding agreement.

Ontario will also continue to be a point of contact for Ontarians who are having issues with their Canada PVC when travelling to another province and work with the federal government to provide support for those travelling abroad, having an issue or concern with an Ontario QR code.

I look forward to working with you and the Government of Canada on these and other areas of shared interest.

Sincerely,

Sylvia Jones
Deputy Premier and Minister of Health