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The federal National Advisory Committee on Immunization is citing enough “real-world evidence” to show the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is both safe and effective for seniors.
It’s a decision that reverses a recommendation made by the body two weeks ago when the panel of vaccine experts said AstraZeneca hadn’t included enough people over the age of 65 in its clinical trials.
There’s a full report on the shift here.
Amid concerns in Europe after blood clots occurred in some individuals after AstraZeneca vaccination, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week said the vaccine is safe for use in Canada.
Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada’s deputy chief public health officer, told a news conference Tuesday the benefits of AstraZeneca continue to outweigh its risks.
“Health Canada is continuing to work with international regulators, including the European Medicines Agency to determine whether there is any need to take action in Canada,” Dr. Njoo said.
Citing 380 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered worldwide, Dr. Njoo said the science is continuing to emerge on the real-world use of vaccines, providing a greater understanding on the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines across the population
“NACI continues to analyze this emerging evidence and will adapt their advice to maximize the benefits of all COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in Canada.”
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
Craig and Marc Kielburger accused the federal Liberals on Monday of letting WE Charity take the fall for the government’s botched student service program, noting that they were not responsible for managing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s conflicts of interest.
Reporters’ Comment, Marieke Walsh : “The three-house committee meeting doesn’t bring an end to the controversy for the government. The Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is reviewing whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau broke the Conflict of Interest Act. He has already twice been found in breach of that act. In July Mr. Trudeau told the finance committee that his involvement in awarding the contract to WE did not present a conflict of interest. “I was not in a position of conflict of interest,” he said. “Sometimes recusing oneself can be the right thing to do even if it’s not required.”
Premier Jason Kenney is urging his United Conservative Party to focus on the many challenges facing Alberta instead of “internal politics” after the UCP pushed the issue of a leadership review into next year and potentially just months before the next provincial election in the spring of 2023.
More than 70 parliamentarians from all parties are calling for a full criminal investigation into Pornhub’s parent company following testimony from survivors. The demand, spelled out in a letter to RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki, comes two weeks after a similar request by more than 100 victims of exploitive content they say was posted to websites owned by MindGeek.
Human Rights Watch says it is “horrific” that Canada prevented a mother from accompanying her young child who was recently repatriated from a detention camp in northeastern Syria.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau waved away suggestions Monday that Canada is prepared to explore reopening its shared border with the United States any time soon. Canadians are looking forward to the day regular cross-border travel “eventually” resumes, Trudeau told a news conference in Montreal – his first public appearance outside Ottawa in recent memory.
OTTAWA ROUNDUP:
Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna is launching consultations Tuesday on a new long-term plan for Canadian infrastructure.
The National Infrastructure Assessment will aim to look at what all levels of government should focus on over the coming decades and how these projects should be funded.
“I think we need a long-term vision for 2050,” Ms. McKenna told The Globe and Mail’s Bill Curry in an interview this week. “It is really important that Canadians weigh in.”
The government is proposing that the long-term plan should focus on achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050; transportation projects for people and goods; expanding digital services, including to rural and remote communities and programs for the natural environment, such as flood and fire mitigation projects and protecting forests and wetlands.
Inspired by a similar project in the United Kingdom, Ms. McKenna said Ottawa is looking to establish an independent office that will provide research and reports related to the plan.
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The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development has a new secretary-general. He’s a former finance minister. But it’s not Bill Morneau.
Mr. Morneau resigned as finance minister and an MP last August, amidst the WE Charity affair, saying he would seek the leadership role of the organization. In January, however, he said he did not have enough support from member countries to succeed.
However, Mathias Cormann did succeed. Australia’s former finance minister is the new Secretary-General of the OECD. Mr. Cormann’s seven-year run as Australia’s finance minister - the longest in the country’s history - ended in 2020 after he said he would step down from politics, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Australia would nominate Mr. Cormann for the secretary general’s job.
On Monday, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau congratulated Mr. Cormann. “The new Secretary-General’s strong background in economic issues and international affairs will serve us well in the years ahead.”
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
Virtual meeting with volunteers from the Conquer COVID-19 organization that helps communities as well as a virtual meeting with front-line workers from Parkland Saint John, a retirement living community in Saint John, N.B.
POLLING
According new Angus Reid Institute poll, 77 per cent of Canadians surveyed say any warming of relations between Canada and China is dependent on China releasing detained Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor . Also, three-quarters of respondents say China’s treatment of Uighur Muslims in the country should be called a genocide.
OPINION
John Ibbitson (The Globe and Mail) on the challenges of getting rid of the monarchy: “Let’s say a prime minister secured passage of the Republic of Canada Act, with or without an affirming referendum. The Constitution requires that all 10 provincial legislatures must also pass similar legislation. Who believes Quebec or Alberta would agree to reopen the Constitution and abolish the monarchy, without demanding greater provincial autonomy?”
Preston Manning (The Globe and Mail) on the “Liberals’ cavalier attitude on overspending”: “What’s a trillion?” now describes the attitude of the current federal finance minister in dismissing growing fears concerning federal overspending in response to the COVID pandemic.”
Stephen Saideman (The Globe and Mail) on why it’s time for a new minister of defence: “Harjit Sajjan is one of the longest-serving ministers of national defence in Canadian history. The most striking element of his testimony Friday before the House of Commons standing committee on national defence is that he apparently does not seem to understand what his job requires. He needs to be replaced by someone who comprehends that the defence minister is not just a politician but one of just two people (the prime minister being the other) who is accountable to Parliament for the Canadian Armed Forces.”
Eric Grenier (CBC) on why Quebec voters could decide the timing of the next federal election: “It all serves to increase the importance of the 26 to 35 seats the Bloc Québécois likely would win if an election were held today. Those are seats that the Liberals would very much prefer to have in play for themselves. A strong Bloc has been an obstacle to majority government in the past. Parties have only won a majority of seats twice in the six elections held since the Progressive Conservatives and Canadian Alliance united the right in 2003. On both occasions — 2011 and 2015 — the formation of a majority government coincided with the Bloc’s support collapsing.”
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Ian Bailey