More than 40 physicians are currently being investigated by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) for promoting unproven treatments for COVID-19 or sharing unverified information about its vaccines, Global News can reveal.
The revelation comes after Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott publicly urged the CPSO to crack down on a group of doctors accused of spreading unverified medical information about the vaccines, after the situation was brought to light in a Global News investigation.
During a press conference on Wednesday morning to update Ontarians on the province’s fight against the Omicron variant, Elliott labelled the reports “extremely concerning.” “At a time when it’s never been more important for Ontarians to have confidence in the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, this is unacceptable,” she said. Read more: COVID-19 disinformation sharing by Canadian doctors ‘extremely concerning’: Ontario health minister Elliott said she would be sending a letter to the CPSO “urging them to do everything that is possible to put an end to this behaviour.” “They should consider all options in doing so, including reviewing the licences of physicians found to be spreading misinformation,” Elliott says.
But the CPSO says they are already doing that. Currently, more than 40 physicians are being investigated in regards to their conduct relating to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, a CPSO spokesperson said.