A family doctor from a small B.C. community is being investigated by his professional college over “misleading, incorrect or inflammatory” social media posts related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Wednesday, the College of Physicians and Surgeons posted a public notice that Dr. Charles Hoffe of Lytton is under investigation for spreading a number unsupported claims online, including that vaccines are responsible for a high number of unreported deaths.
He’s also accused of recommending people seek out Invermectin at animal feed stores, where it is sold in the form of horse de-wormer, and claiming that vaccinated people can cause harm to others who are unvaccinated.
None of those claims are supported by peer-reviewed science, nor the vast majority of medical professionals.
“A Discipline Committee Panel will be appointed to conduct a hearing to inquire into Dr. Hoffe’s alleged misconduct, namely that, in or around April 2021 and after, Dr. Hoffe contravened standards imposed under the Health Professions Act,” wrote the public citation from the CPSBC, which said the doctor's behaviour could be in violation of the Canadian Medical Associations Code of Ethics.
The hearing date has yet to be scheduled and in the meantime, Hoffe remains fully authorized to practice family medicine.
While the citation notes Hoffe’s social media activity last spring, he has continued to participate in online panels, in-person rallies and other public forums to express his opinion that the vaccines are ineffective and are causing great harm, in direct contradiction to multiple studies and ongoing data around COVID-19 hospitalizations.
The day the Emergencies Act was declared to deal with the “Freedom Convoy” occupation of Ottawa, Hoffe posted a statement supporting the truckers on a social media platform, where he continued to make unsubstantiated claims about COVID-19 vaccine risks and ineffectiveness.
“Vaccine mandates are slavery,” he told viewers, expressing outrage at the province’s expanded vaccine mandate for all health-care providers scheduled to take effect in late March. “When you fail to show up for your next shot, your temporary freedoms will be revoked – this is slavery.”
B.C.’s provincial health officer has always described the B.C. Vaccine Card system as a temporary measure and will be reconsidering its duration in the coming months, but did say she expects health-care workers will be required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 going forward. The third booster dose is optional in Canada and is not a requirement of the vaccine passport.
Health officials have released multiple reports on the impact of vaccination on hospitalizations and deaths in British Columbia, with overwhelming evidence the unvaccinated are more likely to become very sick from COVID-19, while those who are double or triple-vaccinated are more likely to experience milder illness.
