Police are investigating a Canadian man who punched a nurse in the face after she allegedly gave his wife the COVID vaccine shot without his permission.

Police are searching for the man after he confronted a female nurse on Monday morning at a pharmacy in Sherbrooke, Canada, where she was assigned to administer the COVID vaccine, police spokesman, Martine Carrier told Reuters.

Carrier told the news outlet, “Our suspect went directly into the office and began to yell at the nurse" that his wife was vaccinated at the pharmacy “without his authorization” and hit the nurse in the face before fleeing.

Carrier said authorities are working to identify the man but that it was unclear if the man simply opposed vaccinations or if his wife had, in fact, been inoculated at the same pharmacy.

Canada has had its share of anti-vaccine protests as the country approached this week's federal election. Protesters took aim at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who won reelection and promised to take action against those who oppose the COVID vaccine.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault said on Wednesday that he would try to get legislation passed by Thursday to prohibit anti-vaccine protesters from demonstrating near schools and hospitals or face fines, Reuters reported.

He said at the time, according to the news outlet, “My patience has reached its limit. I think it’s important to leave out children and patients in peace.”

This is not the first time that healthcare workers have become the center of vaccine controversy. A Makati, Philippines, healthcare worker in June injected the COVID vaccine into a shot recipient but didn’t push the dose out, which was all caught on camera. The Philippines' Department of Health said it was investigating the incident.

Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson said they would supply around 3.5 billion vaccine doses at cost or discount to poor nations
Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson said they would supply around 3.5 billion vaccine doses at cost or discount to poor nations AFP / PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU
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