Toronto psychiatrist stripped of licence over fraudulent COVID vaccine exemptions

A Toronto psychiatrist has lost her medical licence after issuing hundreds of COVID-19 vaccine exemption letters that failed to meet proper standards. Celeste Jean Thirlwell, who specialised in sleep disorders, charged patients up to $300 each for the documents, earning an estimated £250,000 in just three months. Regulators called her actions dishonourable and unprofessional. Between August and October 2021, Thirlwell wrote 1,475 exemption letters for patients seeking to avoid vaccination, masking, and testing rules. On one particularly busy day, she processed 116 requests alone. Yet an independent review later found that only two out of 112 patient files actually qualified for an exemption under the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario's strict guidelines.

The tribunal ruled that Thirlwell's conduct was not only incompetent but also based on misinformation. She failed to properly counsel patients about the risks of skipping vaccinations. Instead, she relied on unsupported claims to justify the exemptions. As punishment, the tribunal revoked her licence and ordered her to pay £6,100 in costs to the College. Public records show no further legal action has been taken to review or revoke the exemptions she already issued.

The case highlights how a small number of medical professionals exploited pandemic rules for profit. Thirlwell's exemption letters allowed patients to bypass public health measures during a critical phase of the pandemic. Regulators have since reaffirmed that only a handful of medical conditions truly warrant a vaccine exemption.