The medical officer of health for Windsor-Essex says "active discussions " are taking place over a vaccine passport.
Dr. Wajid Ahmed told AM800's The Morning Drive that some kind of proof of vaccination for some of the non-essential activities is being discussed to keep the economy open as COVID-19 transmission rates continue to rise.
The president of the Association of Medical Officers of Health says Ontario's health units will implement their own vaccine certificate in September if the Ontario government doesn't rollout a province-wide system.
Ahmed says none of them want to shutdown the economy because of the widespread transmission rates.
"The risk that is associated with this type of transmission that we may have to think about more strict measures and can we do that vaccine passport or some kind of proof of vaccination for some of the non-essential activities and support the economy to keep it open," he says.
Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Eastern Ontario's Medical Officer of Health, says the medical officers of health agreed on Wednesday to create their own proof of vaccination certificate in each jurisdiction to prove someone has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Ahmed says that he doesn't think they will get a broad agreement everywhere because some health units are more impacted than others.
"If not health unit by health unit, is there a regional approach that could be adopted? So there are a number of technological issues as well like what kind of platform can be used. So all of those are in discussion," he says.
The office of Health Minister Christine Elliott told CTV News Ottawa on Wednesday there are no plans to introduce a COVID-19 vaccine passport.
Ahmed says it's been an active topic of discussion but he doesn't think as a group they've agreed this is the way to move forward.
"A few of us are already saying we need some. Either the province is making it for us or we will be doing that at our level. So I think this is not yet a consensus," he says.
Ahmed adds that whatever they do decide, they will keep the community informed and make sure they are on-board to adapt it.
But he believes it will be a choice between keeping the economy open and keeping it open for people who are less of a risk.
With files from CTV News Ottawa