Ottawa needs to be more transparent about launching COVID-19 vaccine: expert – Canada News

While some provinces are asking for clarity on when they will receive their quota of Canada’s COVID-19 vaccines, an expert said on Monday that the government should be more transparent about the terms of its contracts with the companies carrying out the shots.

Kerry Bowman, who teaches bioethics and global health at the University of Toronto, said Ottawa is likely not to have the information provinces are looking for regarding the timing and amount of vaccine deliveries, particularly if its contracts with drug manufacturers are conditioned.

But if so, he said, the federal government should make it clear or risk eroding public confidence in its system.

While the news that COVID-19 vaccinations could start in some countries within weeks is good for Canada in the long run, it will lead to widespread frustration in the near future if the country lags behind, he added.

“There are benefits to all of humanity, no matter who gets them,” he said.

However, “if in two weeks, the news is full of us watching people all over the world getting vaccinated, including the United States, and we’re not, there will be some very unhappy Canadians.”

Furthermore, he said, any delay in immunization translates into more COVID-19 cases and deaths and increased economic tension.

“People will die and other people’s lives will continue to be ruined until we leave. And so, for me, whether it’s this month or that month (that we get the vaccine) is not irrelevant – it is highly relevant,” he said. .

Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Monday renewed his calls for a clear delivery date for the province’s vaccine quota, noting that “time is running out” when it comes to fighting the novel coronavirus.

Ford said he would speak with Pfizer, one of the drug manufacturers who struck a deal with Canada, on Monday afternoon, but should be informed that the information must come from Ottawa.

The aforementioned premier reports that other countries, such as the UK, are on track to start vaccinations against COVID-19 soon, adding that Ontarians “need answers”.

Meanwhile, the American biotech company Moderna said Monday that the first 20 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine will be shipped to the United States next month.

The president of the American vaccine maker told CBC on Sunday that Canada is close to the front line to receive the 20 million doses it has pre-ordered, confirming that the country’s upfront commitment to purchase the shots means it will receive the first. its supply.

Moderna is one of several companies to have already submitted partial data to a “continuous review” process offered by Health Canada. Instead of submitting a full package of trial results to regulators, would-be vaccine manufacturers archive the data and results as they become available. Canada observes the first results of Moderna from mid-October.

The question of when Canada will receive its orders came to the fore last week when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the country will have to wait a while as the first doses from the production lines will be used in the countries where they are produced.

Trudeau has repeatedly defended his government’s vaccine procurement policy, saying Ottawa has secured more options for the country.

The federal government was further pressured on the matter during Monday’s question period, as some MPs called for more transparency regarding the vaccine’s launch, noting that other countries such as Australia have made their plans public.

Health Minister Patty Hajdu said the government has been working with provinces and territories to ensure the plan is solid.

“Canada is well served by the diversity of vaccines we have purchased in advance and in fact in large quantities. Canadians can rest assured that they too will have access to these vaccines which will lead us to the end of COVID-19,” he said. .

Case counts remained high in several provinces on Monday.

Ontario, Alberta and Quebec reported 1,746, 1,733, and 1,333 new infections, respectively. Together, the three provinces have had 39 new deaths related to the virus.

Toronto, one of two Ontario hotspots currently blocked, recorded a daily high of 643 new infections.

In Manitoba, health officials stressed that residents must limit their contacts with others in order to lower the number, as the province reported 342 new cases and 11 additional deaths.

The provincial government imposed stringent measures at business openings and public meetings more than two weeks ago, but officials said the positive test rate remains at 13%.

Nunavut, however, will begin to lift lockdown measures enacted on Wednesday in mid-November as more people recover from the disease.

Only Arviat, which has 86 active cases, will continue to be blocked for at least another two weeks, with travel restrictions in place, Nunavut officials said.

The territory reported four new cases on Monday, bringing the total to 181.

In British Columbia, the province reported the highest number of deaths over a three-day period, recording 46 deaths over the weekend.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry was excited on Monday as she expressed her condolences to the families and thanked the caregivers for their dedication.

“Health care workers have been on the front line, or perhaps the last line of defense right now,” he says. “I know how challenging it is and I am with you every single day, supporting you in admiration for the work you are doing.”

To the east, six new infections were recorded in New Brunswick today, while Newfoundland and Labrador reported one.

Nova Scotia reported 16 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total of active cases to 138.

On Sunday, the federal government announced that it would extend a series of travel restrictions intended to limit the spread of COVID-19 in January, in light of the steadily rising case count across the country.

Public Security Minister Bill Blair and Hajdu said in a statement that the measures, which were first enacted at the start of the global health crisis, will be in effect until January 21, 2021, for travelers entering Canada. from a country other than the United States.