COVID-19 'Pandemic'
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Feds gets new COVID vaccines as $1.5-B worth of shots expire, are trashed
Note says a total 52.9 million doses had been thrown away as of last Nov. 24.
Author of the article
ostmedia News
Published Apr 09, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 1 minute read
Ottawa continues to receive new COVID-19 vaccines, as an estimated $1.5 billion worth of expired shots are being thrown away.
Ottawa continues to receive new COVID-19 vaccines as an estimated $1.5 billion worth of expired shots are being thrown away, a Health Ministry briefing note says.
“As additional vaccines were authorized for use in Canada, manufacturers increased production capacity and demand from Canadians decreased,” said the Dec. 6 note for Health Minister Mark Holland, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.
Article content
“Overall wastage increased. Additionally, as new formulations have been authorized for use to address variants of concern, wastage of older formulations has increased.”
The note says a total 52.9 million doses had been thrown away as of last Nov. 24.
The Auditor General in a 2022 report estimated shots cost taxpayers about $30 per dose, representing a loss to date of $1.59 billion.
The trashed doses did not include vaccines given to international charities, according to Blacklock’s.
“Globally, the Government of Canada has donated the equivalent of over 201 million doses,” said the note, which confirmed Public Health continues to receive COVID shots under contracts it previously signed.
“The Public Health Agency does not intend to procure additional COVID-19 vaccines once firm contractual deliveries under existing Advance Purchase Agreements are completed at the end of the calendar year 2024,” said the note.
It did not detail how many more vaccines the federal government was obligated to buy.
torontosun.com
Note says a total 52.9 million doses had been thrown away as of last Nov. 24.
Author of the article
ostmedia NewsPublished Apr 09, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 1 minute read
Ottawa continues to receive new COVID-19 vaccines, as an estimated $1.5 billion worth of expired shots are being thrown away.
Ottawa continues to receive new COVID-19 vaccines as an estimated $1.5 billion worth of expired shots are being thrown away, a Health Ministry briefing note says.
“As additional vaccines were authorized for use in Canada, manufacturers increased production capacity and demand from Canadians decreased,” said the Dec. 6 note for Health Minister Mark Holland, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.
Article content
“Overall wastage increased. Additionally, as new formulations have been authorized for use to address variants of concern, wastage of older formulations has increased.”
The note says a total 52.9 million doses had been thrown away as of last Nov. 24.
The Auditor General in a 2022 report estimated shots cost taxpayers about $30 per dose, representing a loss to date of $1.59 billion.
The trashed doses did not include vaccines given to international charities, according to Blacklock’s.
“Globally, the Government of Canada has donated the equivalent of over 201 million doses,” said the note, which confirmed Public Health continues to receive COVID shots under contracts it previously signed.
“The Public Health Agency does not intend to procure additional COVID-19 vaccines once firm contractual deliveries under existing Advance Purchase Agreements are completed at the end of the calendar year 2024,” said the note.
It did not detail how many more vaccines the federal government was obligated to buy.
Feds gets new COVID vaccines as $1.5-B worth of shots expire, are trashed
Ottawa continues to receive new COVID-19 vaccines, as an estimated $1.5 billion worth of expired shots are being thrown away.
It’s only money , we can print more . Please sent donations to the liberal party of Canada and the Justine Trudeau Foundation .Feds gets new COVID vaccines as $1.5-B worth of shots expire, are trashed
Note says a total 52.9 million doses had been thrown away as of last Nov. 24.
Author of the article
Published Apr 09, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 1 minute read
Ottawa continues to receive new COVID-19 vaccines, as an estimated $1.5 billion worth of expired shots are being thrown away.
Ottawa continues to receive new COVID-19 vaccines as an estimated $1.5 billion worth of expired shots are being thrown away, a Health Ministry briefing note says.
“As additional vaccines were authorized for use in Canada, manufacturers increased production capacity and demand from Canadians decreased,” said the Dec. 6 note for Health Minister Mark Holland, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.
Article content
“Overall wastage increased. Additionally, as new formulations have been authorized for use to address variants of concern, wastage of older formulations has increased.”
The note says a total 52.9 million doses had been thrown away as of last Nov. 24.
The Auditor General in a 2022 report estimated shots cost taxpayers about $30 per dose, representing a loss to date of $1.59 billion.
The trashed doses did not include vaccines given to international charities, according to Blacklock’s.
“Globally, the Government of Canada has donated the equivalent of over 201 million doses,” said the note, which confirmed Public Health continues to receive COVID shots under contracts it previously signed.
“The Public Health Agency does not intend to procure additional COVID-19 vaccines once firm contractual deliveries under existing Advance Purchase Agreements are completed at the end of the calendar year 2024,” said the note.
It did not detail how many more vaccines the federal government was obligated to buy.
Feds gets new COVID vaccines as $1.5-B worth of shots expire, are trashed
Ottawa continues to receive new COVID-19 vaccines, as an estimated $1.5 billion worth of expired shots are being thrown away.
Pair allegedly defrauded Ontario government’s pandemic relief program
The two Woodbridge residents are accused of exploiting the COVID-19 Energy Cost Rebate program
Author of the article:Chris Doucette
Published Apr 17, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 1 minute read
Two Woodbridge residents are accused of scamming a COVID-19 relief program offered by the Ontario government during the pandemic.
Ontario Provincial Police say the arrest of the pair stems from an investigation by the Serious Fraud Office for Ontario (SFO) into individuals who allegedly received small business relief funds through fraudulent means.
“In fall 2020, the Ontario Government announced and began rolling out small business relief programs to assist small businesses with operating costs and loss of revenue due to mandatory COVID-19 pandemic closures,” the OPP said in a statement released Wednesday.
After reviewing the applications of two individuals from the Greater Toronto Area, the Ministry of Finance deemed them suspicious and referred them to the SFO for investigation,” the OPP said. “It is alleged relief funding from the government was applied for through fictitious or ineligible businesses.”
Five other people – four in Ajax and one in Ottawa – were similarly accused of defrauding the provincial government in July 2022 by exploiting the Ontario Small Business Support Grant, The Property Tax Program and The Energy Cost Rebate Program.
The latest two Ontarians arrested allegedly exploited the COVID-19 Energy Cost Rebate program.
Theophilus Ogunkunle, 51, and Omolola Ogunkunle, 36, both of Woodbridge, are each charged with fraud over $5,000, uttering a forged document and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
The accused were released from custody and are scheduled to appear in a Newmarket court on May 10.
cdoucette@postmedia.com
@sundoucette
torontosun.com
The two Woodbridge residents are accused of exploiting the COVID-19 Energy Cost Rebate program
Author of the article:Chris Doucette
Published Apr 17, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 1 minute read
Two Woodbridge residents are accused of scamming a COVID-19 relief program offered by the Ontario government during the pandemic.
Ontario Provincial Police say the arrest of the pair stems from an investigation by the Serious Fraud Office for Ontario (SFO) into individuals who allegedly received small business relief funds through fraudulent means.
“In fall 2020, the Ontario Government announced and began rolling out small business relief programs to assist small businesses with operating costs and loss of revenue due to mandatory COVID-19 pandemic closures,” the OPP said in a statement released Wednesday.
After reviewing the applications of two individuals from the Greater Toronto Area, the Ministry of Finance deemed them suspicious and referred them to the SFO for investigation,” the OPP said. “It is alleged relief funding from the government was applied for through fictitious or ineligible businesses.”
Five other people – four in Ajax and one in Ottawa – were similarly accused of defrauding the provincial government in July 2022 by exploiting the Ontario Small Business Support Grant, The Property Tax Program and The Energy Cost Rebate Program.
The latest two Ontarians arrested allegedly exploited the COVID-19 Energy Cost Rebate program.
Theophilus Ogunkunle, 51, and Omolola Ogunkunle, 36, both of Woodbridge, are each charged with fraud over $5,000, uttering a forged document and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
The accused were released from custody and are scheduled to appear in a Newmarket court on May 10.
cdoucette@postmedia.com
@sundoucette
Pair allegedly defrauded Ontario government’s pandemic relief program
Two Woodbridge residents are accused of scamming a COVID-19 relief program offered by the Ontario government during the pandemic.
Feds inject another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
As of December, $11.2 million in compensation has been paid
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Laura Osman
Published Apr 24, 2024 • 2 minute read
OTTAWA — The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
The program was announced shortly after COVID-19 shots first became available to the public, and provides financial compensation to people who were adversely affected by Health Canada-approved vaccines.
The Liberals earmarked $75 million for the first five years of the program. To date, a private firm called OXARO has received $56.2 million from Ottawa to run the program and pay out valid claims that originate outside of Quebec.
As of December, the firm has paid $11.2 million in compensation.
Quebec has had its own vaccine injury compensation program since 1985, and received $7.75 million when the federal program launched.
The Liberal government set aside another $36 million for OXARO and Quebec to cover the next two years of the program as part of the federal budget tabled in the House of Commons last week.
The Public Health Agency of Canada says it contracted the work to OXARO to ensure the impartiality of the claims process.
“OXARO operates independently and at arm’s length from PHAC,” a spokesperson for the department said in a statement.
“This means that PHAC has no involvement in program delivery, including assessment of claims or appeals of claims.”
The cost of the program is dependent on how many people apply for compensation, the spokesperson said.
As of December, OXARO has received 2,233 claims and approved 138 of them.
The available statistics do not specify which vaccines were involved.
The program was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, but covers injuries and deaths associated with vaccines approved for any illness, as long as they were administered after Dec. 8, 2020.
At the time, the department underscored that a serious adverse reaction to a vaccine is extremely rare — affecting less than one in a million people — but that the government has a duty to help if a reaction does happen.
A little less than a year later, Ottawa made it mandatory to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to travel by plane or train, or to work for the federal public service.
To be eligible for compensation, the patient or their beneficiary must be able to prove they suffered a severe, life-threatening or life-altering injury that resulted in a persistent or significant disability, incapacity, a birth defect or death.
More than 105 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered since Dec. 14, 2020, and 0.01 per cent led to serious adverse effects, Health Canada data show.
Of the 488 deaths reported after people were vaccinated for COVID-19, four were directly linked to the shot, the most recent Health Canada report indicates.
Quebec saw an uptick in claims to its vaccine injury compensation program during the pandemic, from one claim in 2020 to 98 in both 2021 and 2022.
Only three of those cases had been approved for compensation as of March 2023.
torontosun.com
As of December, $11.2 million in compensation has been paid
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Laura Osman
Published Apr 24, 2024 • 2 minute read
OTTAWA — The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
The program was announced shortly after COVID-19 shots first became available to the public, and provides financial compensation to people who were adversely affected by Health Canada-approved vaccines.
The Liberals earmarked $75 million for the first five years of the program. To date, a private firm called OXARO has received $56.2 million from Ottawa to run the program and pay out valid claims that originate outside of Quebec.
As of December, the firm has paid $11.2 million in compensation.
Quebec has had its own vaccine injury compensation program since 1985, and received $7.75 million when the federal program launched.
The Liberal government set aside another $36 million for OXARO and Quebec to cover the next two years of the program as part of the federal budget tabled in the House of Commons last week.
The Public Health Agency of Canada says it contracted the work to OXARO to ensure the impartiality of the claims process.
“OXARO operates independently and at arm’s length from PHAC,” a spokesperson for the department said in a statement.
“This means that PHAC has no involvement in program delivery, including assessment of claims or appeals of claims.”
The cost of the program is dependent on how many people apply for compensation, the spokesperson said.
As of December, OXARO has received 2,233 claims and approved 138 of them.
The available statistics do not specify which vaccines were involved.
The program was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, but covers injuries and deaths associated with vaccines approved for any illness, as long as they were administered after Dec. 8, 2020.
At the time, the department underscored that a serious adverse reaction to a vaccine is extremely rare — affecting less than one in a million people — but that the government has a duty to help if a reaction does happen.
A little less than a year later, Ottawa made it mandatory to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to travel by plane or train, or to work for the federal public service.
To be eligible for compensation, the patient or their beneficiary must be able to prove they suffered a severe, life-threatening or life-altering injury that resulted in a persistent or significant disability, incapacity, a birth defect or death.
More than 105 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered since Dec. 14, 2020, and 0.01 per cent led to serious adverse effects, Health Canada data show.
Of the 488 deaths reported after people were vaccinated for COVID-19, four were directly linked to the shot, the most recent Health Canada report indicates.
Quebec saw an uptick in claims to its vaccine injury compensation program during the pandemic, from one claim in 2020 to 98 in both 2021 and 2022.
Only three of those cases had been approved for compensation as of March 2023.
Feds inject another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The program was announced shortly after COVID-19 shots first became available to the public
Safe and effective.Feds inject another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
As of December, $11.2 million in compensation has been paid
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Laura Osman
Published Apr 24, 2024 • 2 minute read
OTTAWA — The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
The program was announced shortly after COVID-19 shots first became available to the public, and provides financial compensation to people who were adversely affected by Health Canada-approved vaccines.
The Liberals earmarked $75 million for the first five years of the program. To date, a private firm called OXARO has received $56.2 million from Ottawa to run the program and pay out valid claims that originate outside of Quebec.
As of December, the firm has paid $11.2 million in compensation.
Quebec has had its own vaccine injury compensation program since 1985, and received $7.75 million when the federal program launched.
The Liberal government set aside another $36 million for OXARO and Quebec to cover the next two years of the program as part of the federal budget tabled in the House of Commons last week.
The Public Health Agency of Canada says it contracted the work to OXARO to ensure the impartiality of the claims process.
“OXARO operates independently and at arm’s length from PHAC,” a spokesperson for the department said in a statement.
“This means that PHAC has no involvement in program delivery, including assessment of claims or appeals of claims.”
The cost of the program is dependent on how many people apply for compensation, the spokesperson said.
As of December, OXARO has received 2,233 claims and approved 138 of them.
The available statistics do not specify which vaccines were involved.
The program was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, but covers injuries and deaths associated with vaccines approved for any illness, as long as they were administered after Dec. 8, 2020.
At the time, the department underscored that a serious adverse reaction to a vaccine is extremely rare — affecting less than one in a million people — but that the government has a duty to help if a reaction does happen.
A little less than a year later, Ottawa made it mandatory to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to travel by plane or train, or to work for the federal public service.
To be eligible for compensation, the patient or their beneficiary must be able to prove they suffered a severe, life-threatening or life-altering injury that resulted in a persistent or significant disability, incapacity, a birth defect or death.
More than 105 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered since Dec. 14, 2020, and 0.01 per cent led to serious adverse effects, Health Canada data show.
Of the 488 deaths reported after people were vaccinated for COVID-19, four were directly linked to the shot, the most recent Health Canada report indicates.
Quebec saw an uptick in claims to its vaccine injury compensation program during the pandemic, from one claim in 2020 to 98 in both 2021 and 2022.
Only three of those cases had been approved for compensation as of March 2023.
Feds inject another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The program was announced shortly after COVID-19 shots first became available to the public
Chinese scientist who first published COVID sequence stages protest after being locked out of lab
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Dake Kang
Published Apr 30, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
SHANGHAI — The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China staged a sit-in protest outside his lab after authorities locked him out of the facility — a sign of Beijing’s continuing pressure on scientists conducting research on the coronavirus.
Zhang Yongzhen wrote in an online post Monday that he and his team had been suddenly notified they were being evicted from their lab, the latest in a series of setbacks, demotions and ousters since the virologist published the sequence in January 2020 without state approval.
When Zhang tried to go to the lab over the weekend, guards barred him from entering. In protest, he sat outside on flattened cardboard in drizzling rain, pictures from the scene posted online show. News of the protest spread widely on Chinese social media and Zhang told a colleague he slept outside the lab — but it was not clear Tuesday if he remained there.
“I won’t leave, I won’t quit, I am pursuing science and the truth!” he wrote in a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo that was later deleted.
In an online statement, the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center said that Zhang’s lab was being renovated and was closed for “safety reasons.” It added that it had provided Zhang’s team an alternative laboratory space.
But Zhang wrote online that his team wasn’t offered an alternative until after they were notified of their eviction, and that the lab offered didn’t meet safety standards for conducting their research, leaving his team in limbo.
Zhang’s latest difficulty reflects how China has sought to control information related to the virus: An Associated Press investigation found that the government froze meaningful domestic and international efforts to trace it from the first weeks of the outbreak. That pattern continues to this day, with labs closed, collaborations shattered, foreign scientists forced out and Chinese researchers barred from leaving the country.
When reached by phone on Tuesday, Zhang said it was “inconvenient” for him to speak, saying there were other people listening in. In an email Monday to collaborator Edward Holmes seen by AP, Zhang confirmed he was sleeping outside his lab after guards barred him from entering.
An AP reporter was blocked by a guard at an entrance to the compound housing Zhang’s lab. A staff member at the National Health Commission, China’s top health authority, said by phone that it was not the main department in charge and referred questions to the Shanghai government. The Shanghai government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Zhang’s ordeal started when he and his team decoded the virus on Jan. 5, 2020, and wrote an internal notice warning Chinese authorities of its potential to spread — but did not make the sequence public. The next day, Zhang’s lab was ordered temporarily shut by China’s top health official, and Zhang came under pressure by Chinese authorities.
Around the time, China had reported several dozen people were being treated for a respiratory illness in the central city of Wuhan. Possible cases of the same illness had been reported in Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan involving recent travelers to the city.
Foreign scientists soon learned that Zhang and other Chinese scientists had deciphered the virus and called on China to release the sequence. Zhang published it on Jan. 11, 2020, despite a lack of government permission.
Sequencing a virus is key to the development of test kits, disease control measures and vaccinations. The virus eventually spread to every corner of the world, triggering a pandemic that disrupted lives and commerce, prompted widespread lockdowns and killed millions of people.
Zhang was later awarded prizes in recognition for his work.
But Zhang’s publication of the sequence also prompted additional scrutiny of his lab, according to Holmes, Zhang’s collaborator and a virologist at the University of Sydney. Zhang was removed from a post at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and barred from collaborating with some of his former partners, crippling his research.
“Ever since he defied the authorities by releasing the genome sequence of the virus that causes COVID-19 there has been a campaign against him,” Holmes said. “He’s been broken by this process and I’m amazed he has been able to work at all.”
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Dake Kang
Published Apr 30, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
SHANGHAI — The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China staged a sit-in protest outside his lab after authorities locked him out of the facility — a sign of Beijing’s continuing pressure on scientists conducting research on the coronavirus.
Zhang Yongzhen wrote in an online post Monday that he and his team had been suddenly notified they were being evicted from their lab, the latest in a series of setbacks, demotions and ousters since the virologist published the sequence in January 2020 without state approval.
When Zhang tried to go to the lab over the weekend, guards barred him from entering. In protest, he sat outside on flattened cardboard in drizzling rain, pictures from the scene posted online show. News of the protest spread widely on Chinese social media and Zhang told a colleague he slept outside the lab — but it was not clear Tuesday if he remained there.
“I won’t leave, I won’t quit, I am pursuing science and the truth!” he wrote in a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo that was later deleted.
In an online statement, the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center said that Zhang’s lab was being renovated and was closed for “safety reasons.” It added that it had provided Zhang’s team an alternative laboratory space.
But Zhang wrote online that his team wasn’t offered an alternative until after they were notified of their eviction, and that the lab offered didn’t meet safety standards for conducting their research, leaving his team in limbo.
Zhang’s latest difficulty reflects how China has sought to control information related to the virus: An Associated Press investigation found that the government froze meaningful domestic and international efforts to trace it from the first weeks of the outbreak. That pattern continues to this day, with labs closed, collaborations shattered, foreign scientists forced out and Chinese researchers barred from leaving the country.
When reached by phone on Tuesday, Zhang said it was “inconvenient” for him to speak, saying there were other people listening in. In an email Monday to collaborator Edward Holmes seen by AP, Zhang confirmed he was sleeping outside his lab after guards barred him from entering.
An AP reporter was blocked by a guard at an entrance to the compound housing Zhang’s lab. A staff member at the National Health Commission, China’s top health authority, said by phone that it was not the main department in charge and referred questions to the Shanghai government. The Shanghai government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Zhang’s ordeal started when he and his team decoded the virus on Jan. 5, 2020, and wrote an internal notice warning Chinese authorities of its potential to spread — but did not make the sequence public. The next day, Zhang’s lab was ordered temporarily shut by China’s top health official, and Zhang came under pressure by Chinese authorities.
Around the time, China had reported several dozen people were being treated for a respiratory illness in the central city of Wuhan. Possible cases of the same illness had been reported in Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan involving recent travelers to the city.
Foreign scientists soon learned that Zhang and other Chinese scientists had deciphered the virus and called on China to release the sequence. Zhang published it on Jan. 11, 2020, despite a lack of government permission.
Sequencing a virus is key to the development of test kits, disease control measures and vaccinations. The virus eventually spread to every corner of the world, triggering a pandemic that disrupted lives and commerce, prompted widespread lockdowns and killed millions of people.
Zhang was later awarded prizes in recognition for his work.
But Zhang’s publication of the sequence also prompted additional scrutiny of his lab, according to Holmes, Zhang’s collaborator and a virologist at the University of Sydney. Zhang was removed from a post at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and barred from collaborating with some of his former partners, crippling his research.
“Ever since he defied the authorities by releasing the genome sequence of the virus that causes COVID-19 there has been a campaign against him,” Holmes said. “He’s been broken by this process and I’m amazed he has been able to work at all.”
Chinese scientist who first published COVID sequence stages protest after being locked out of lab
Zhang Yongzhen wrote in an online post Monday that he and his team had been suddenly notified they were being evicted from their lab.
This is getting ridiculous, they are trying so hard to make this a thing
Scientists, clinicians across Canada preparing for future pandemic threats
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Nicole Ireland
Published May 06, 2024 • 1 minute read
The federal government announced $574 million in funding on Monday for 19 projects across the country to prepare for health emergencies, including the next pandemic.
One of them is a national network of existing emergency departments and primary-care clinics that will screen for any new viruses or pathogens that start to appear in patients.
Project lead Dr. Andrew Pinto of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto says it will be a “coast-to-coast shield” to help protect Canadians.
The network will also include other research institutions and companies in the biomedical industry that can quickly respond to early detection of dangerous viruses by making vaccines and treatments.
The government also announced funding for The Ottawa Hospital to build a new biomanufacturing centre that will develop and manufacture vaccines, gene therapies and cell therapies.
The projects were chosen based on submissions made to the Canada Biomedical Research Fund and Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Nicole Ireland
Published May 06, 2024 • 1 minute read
The federal government announced $574 million in funding on Monday for 19 projects across the country to prepare for health emergencies, including the next pandemic.
One of them is a national network of existing emergency departments and primary-care clinics that will screen for any new viruses or pathogens that start to appear in patients.
Project lead Dr. Andrew Pinto of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto says it will be a “coast-to-coast shield” to help protect Canadians.
The network will also include other research institutions and companies in the biomedical industry that can quickly respond to early detection of dangerous viruses by making vaccines and treatments.
The government also announced funding for The Ottawa Hospital to build a new biomanufacturing centre that will develop and manufacture vaccines, gene therapies and cell therapies.
The projects were chosen based on submissions made to the Canada Biomedical Research Fund and Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
Scientists, clinicians across Canada preparing for future pandemic threats
The federal government announced $574 million in funding on Monday for 19 projects across the country to prepare for health emergencies
So is COVID back? I’ve seen lots of video of lots of protesting students all wearing masks like the height of the pandemic?
Well, that explains that. Phew! We don’t have to worry about a new pandemic then like Jew Flu or whatever…just the devil we know and many of us are vaccinated against.
AstraZeneca withdraws COVID-19 vaccine citing lack of demand
More than 3 billion doses were supplied
Author of the article:Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Ashleigh Furlong
Published May 08, 2024 • Last updated 4 days ago • 1 minute read
AstraZeneca Plc pulled its COVID-19 vaccine from the market due to lack of demand for a shot that initially raised hopes it would play a key role in protecting the world against the virus.
The marketing authorization for the vaccine, Vaxzevria, in the European Union was withdrawn at the company’s request this week as the vaccine is no longer manufactured or supplied, Astra said in a statement. The decision was not related to safety reasons, it said.
Astra’s vaccine, which was developed with Oxford University, was initially offered on a not-for-profit basis and was seen as a win for Britain, with then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson publicly receiving his first dose.
However, the rollout was plagued by concerns about its efficacy and safety, starting with French President Emmanuel Macron calling it “quasi-ineffective” in older adults shortly after it was approved in the EU.
The vaccine, which didn’t require ultra-cold storage as some of the rival COVID-19 shots did, was seen as a good option to inoculate large portions of the globe. More than 3 billion doses were supplied.
After Macron’s comments, a bigger blow came when regulators began investigating the vaccine’s link to very rare cases of unusual blood clots. While regulators ultimately found that the risk-benefit of the vaccine was positive, the damage was done.
As countries looked to procure booster shots for the populations, Astra’s vaccine was sidelined in favor of shots using mRNA technology, especially one developed by a partnership of BioNTech SE and Pfizer Inc. Astra faces legal challenges from families of patients who died after receiving the vaccine.
Companies including Pfizer and Moderna Inc. have since developed updated COVID-19 vaccines targeting newer variants. Astra said that this has led to “a surplus of available updated vaccines” and a decline in demand for its shot.
torontosun.com
More than 3 billion doses were supplied
Author of the article:Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Ashleigh Furlong
Published May 08, 2024 • Last updated 4 days ago • 1 minute read
AstraZeneca Plc pulled its COVID-19 vaccine from the market due to lack of demand for a shot that initially raised hopes it would play a key role in protecting the world against the virus.
The marketing authorization for the vaccine, Vaxzevria, in the European Union was withdrawn at the company’s request this week as the vaccine is no longer manufactured or supplied, Astra said in a statement. The decision was not related to safety reasons, it said.
Astra’s vaccine, which was developed with Oxford University, was initially offered on a not-for-profit basis and was seen as a win for Britain, with then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson publicly receiving his first dose.
However, the rollout was plagued by concerns about its efficacy and safety, starting with French President Emmanuel Macron calling it “quasi-ineffective” in older adults shortly after it was approved in the EU.
The vaccine, which didn’t require ultra-cold storage as some of the rival COVID-19 shots did, was seen as a good option to inoculate large portions of the globe. More than 3 billion doses were supplied.
After Macron’s comments, a bigger blow came when regulators began investigating the vaccine’s link to very rare cases of unusual blood clots. While regulators ultimately found that the risk-benefit of the vaccine was positive, the damage was done.
As countries looked to procure booster shots for the populations, Astra’s vaccine was sidelined in favor of shots using mRNA technology, especially one developed by a partnership of BioNTech SE and Pfizer Inc. Astra faces legal challenges from families of patients who died after receiving the vaccine.
Companies including Pfizer and Moderna Inc. have since developed updated COVID-19 vaccines targeting newer variants. Astra said that this has led to “a surplus of available updated vaccines” and a decline in demand for its shot.
AstraZeneca withdraws COVID-19 vaccine citing lack of demand
The vaccine, which didn’t require ultra-cold storage, was seen as a good option to inoculate large portions of the globe.
Status of Chinese journalist who reported on COVID unknown on day of prison release
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Huizhong Wu
Published May 13, 2024 • 2 minute read
BANGKOK — The whereabouts of a Chinese citizen journalist who served four years in prison for reporting on the early days of the pandemic in Wuhan and was expected to be released Monday are unknown, raising concern from activists.
Zhang Zhan, who had been sentenced to four years in prison on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a vaguely defined charge often used in political cases, has finished serving her sentence at Shanghai’s Women Prison.
Ren Quanniu, a former lawyer who previously represented Zhang, said he could not reach her father and expressed concern that Zhang would be released only to be put under another form of control by police.
Monday was the last day of her four-year sentence, confirmed Ren and Jane Wang, another overseas activist who launched the Free Zhang Zhan campaign in the U.K.
Zhang was among a handful of citizen journalists who traveled to the central Chinese city of Wuhan after the government put it under total lockdown in February 2020, in the early days of the pandemic. She walked around the city to document public life as fears grew about the then-mysterious coronavirus.
Other citizen journalists have also spent time in jail for documenting the early days of the pandemic, including Fang Bin, who published videos of overcrowded hospitals and bodies during the outbreak. Fang was sentenced to three years in prison and released last April.
Chen Qiushi, another citizen journalist, disappeared in February 2020 while filming in Wuhan. Chen in September 2021 resurfaced on a friend’s live video feed on YouTube, saying he had suffered from depression but did not provide details about his disappearance.
During her prison stay, Zhang staged a hunger strike and was hospitalized at one point in 2021.
Zhang’s family has faced police pressure during her stay in prison, and her parents have declined interview requests from media. Her family at times could only speak to their daughter by phone at the prison.
Shen Yanqiu, who had planned to go with Zhang’s family to receive her at the prison, declined to speak to The Associated Press, saying she had been “invited to drink tea,” a euphemism for a police interrogation.
Calls to Zhang’s brother went unanswered. Calls to the Shanghai Prison Administration office also went unanswered.
China’ s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin declined to comment on the case when asked Monday, saying “I’m not aware of the situation.”
The coronavirus remains a sensitive topic in China. In the first week of May, a Chinese scientist who was the first to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus staged a protest after authorities barred him from his lab, after years of demotions and setbacks.
An Associated Press investigation also found that the government froze domestic and international efforts to trace the virus from the first weeks of the outbreak.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Huizhong Wu
Published May 13, 2024 • 2 minute read
BANGKOK — The whereabouts of a Chinese citizen journalist who served four years in prison for reporting on the early days of the pandemic in Wuhan and was expected to be released Monday are unknown, raising concern from activists.
Zhang Zhan, who had been sentenced to four years in prison on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a vaguely defined charge often used in political cases, has finished serving her sentence at Shanghai’s Women Prison.
Ren Quanniu, a former lawyer who previously represented Zhang, said he could not reach her father and expressed concern that Zhang would be released only to be put under another form of control by police.
Monday was the last day of her four-year sentence, confirmed Ren and Jane Wang, another overseas activist who launched the Free Zhang Zhan campaign in the U.K.
Zhang was among a handful of citizen journalists who traveled to the central Chinese city of Wuhan after the government put it under total lockdown in February 2020, in the early days of the pandemic. She walked around the city to document public life as fears grew about the then-mysterious coronavirus.
Other citizen journalists have also spent time in jail for documenting the early days of the pandemic, including Fang Bin, who published videos of overcrowded hospitals and bodies during the outbreak. Fang was sentenced to three years in prison and released last April.
Chen Qiushi, another citizen journalist, disappeared in February 2020 while filming in Wuhan. Chen in September 2021 resurfaced on a friend’s live video feed on YouTube, saying he had suffered from depression but did not provide details about his disappearance.
During her prison stay, Zhang staged a hunger strike and was hospitalized at one point in 2021.
Zhang’s family has faced police pressure during her stay in prison, and her parents have declined interview requests from media. Her family at times could only speak to their daughter by phone at the prison.
Shen Yanqiu, who had planned to go with Zhang’s family to receive her at the prison, declined to speak to The Associated Press, saying she had been “invited to drink tea,” a euphemism for a police interrogation.
Calls to Zhang’s brother went unanswered. Calls to the Shanghai Prison Administration office also went unanswered.
China’ s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin declined to comment on the case when asked Monday, saying “I’m not aware of the situation.”
The coronavirus remains a sensitive topic in China. In the first week of May, a Chinese scientist who was the first to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus staged a protest after authorities barred him from his lab, after years of demotions and setbacks.
An Associated Press investigation also found that the government froze domestic and international efforts to trace the virus from the first weeks of the outbreak.
Status of Chinese journalist who reported on COVID unknown on day of prison release
The whereabouts of a Chinese journalist who served four years in prison for reporting on the early days of the pandemic in Wuhan is unknown
De Villa resigns as Toronto's top doctor, to stay on until end of year
Author of the article:Jane Stevenson
Published May 14, 2024 • 3 minute read
Dr. Eileen de Villa is calling it quits.
Toronto’s medical officer of health, who has been in the appointed position for eight years, is resigning from her role effective Dec. 31.
“This was not a decision that I took lightly,” said de Villa in a video posted on YouTube and her X account.
“However, after several months of heartfelt discussions with my family and taking some time to think about and to reassess my future path, I’m ready to embark on the next chapter of my professional life and to spend more time with my family.”
De Villa was a major figure during Toronto’s COVID-19 battle starting in the spring of 2020, appearing almost daily for six months with then-mayor John Tory to update the public and the media on how the city was handling the global pandemic.
She also stressed the need for vaccination to prevent the spread of the virus and in a more lighthearted take was singled out for wearing different multicoloured scarves at each COVID-19 briefing.
“I also believe that we are now in a good position to transition to a new medical officer of health to lead Toronto Public Health as we are stabilizing as an organization after the COVID-19 pandemic,” said de Villa in her message.
In December 2021, de Villa underwent surgery following the discovery of precancerous cells that were identified as part of a routine screening.
De Villa was also notable for her response to the ongoing drug toxicity epidemic as she requested Toronto receive an exemption from Health Canada to decriminalize all controlled drugs and substances for personal use.
“There is much work that we have yet to accomplish over the next six months and I want to assure you that in the time that’s left, I will continue to press on and make sure that together with the organization, we will continue to do our very best to meet the health needs of Torontonians,” said de Villa.
“It has truly been the honour and the privilege of a lifetime to work alongside our remarkable colleagues here at public health and our other community providers.”
In response to her announcement, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow thanked de Villa for her “leadership.
“You navigated Toronto Public Health through an incredibly difficult and uncertain time during the pandemic with integrity and compassion,” said Chow in a statement.
“As mayor, I’m grateful for your work to keep our city healthy.”
Councillor Chris Moise, who is also the Toronto Board of Health chair, said in a statement that he received de Villa’s letter of resignation with “mixed emotions.
“I have had the privilege of working closely with Dr. de Villa and I am deeply grateful for her unwavering support, guidance and willingness to collaborate,” said Moise.
Moise said her “contributions to the City of Toronto are immeasurable,” singling out her work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was an incredibly difficult experience for everyone, especially Toronto Public Health staff, but Dr. de Villa consistently delivered critical updates with a reassuring voice that said, “It is going to be OK,” even when the path ahead seemed uncertain,” he said.
Moise said he’d be bringing forward a motion at the upcoming Board of Health meeting on May 27 to form a search committee for de Villa’s successor.
De Villa’s resignation came a week after Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg, who was also a part of the daily COVID-19 briefings, announced that he plans to retire on Oct. 4.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Jane Stevenson
Published May 14, 2024 • 3 minute read
Dr. Eileen de Villa is calling it quits.
Toronto’s medical officer of health, who has been in the appointed position for eight years, is resigning from her role effective Dec. 31.
“This was not a decision that I took lightly,” said de Villa in a video posted on YouTube and her X account.
“However, after several months of heartfelt discussions with my family and taking some time to think about and to reassess my future path, I’m ready to embark on the next chapter of my professional life and to spend more time with my family.”
De Villa was a major figure during Toronto’s COVID-19 battle starting in the spring of 2020, appearing almost daily for six months with then-mayor John Tory to update the public and the media on how the city was handling the global pandemic.
She also stressed the need for vaccination to prevent the spread of the virus and in a more lighthearted take was singled out for wearing different multicoloured scarves at each COVID-19 briefing.
“I also believe that we are now in a good position to transition to a new medical officer of health to lead Toronto Public Health as we are stabilizing as an organization after the COVID-19 pandemic,” said de Villa in her message.
In December 2021, de Villa underwent surgery following the discovery of precancerous cells that were identified as part of a routine screening.
De Villa was also notable for her response to the ongoing drug toxicity epidemic as she requested Toronto receive an exemption from Health Canada to decriminalize all controlled drugs and substances for personal use.
“There is much work that we have yet to accomplish over the next six months and I want to assure you that in the time that’s left, I will continue to press on and make sure that together with the organization, we will continue to do our very best to meet the health needs of Torontonians,” said de Villa.
“It has truly been the honour and the privilege of a lifetime to work alongside our remarkable colleagues here at public health and our other community providers.”
In response to her announcement, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow thanked de Villa for her “leadership.
“You navigated Toronto Public Health through an incredibly difficult and uncertain time during the pandemic with integrity and compassion,” said Chow in a statement.
“As mayor, I’m grateful for your work to keep our city healthy.”
Councillor Chris Moise, who is also the Toronto Board of Health chair, said in a statement that he received de Villa’s letter of resignation with “mixed emotions.
“I have had the privilege of working closely with Dr. de Villa and I am deeply grateful for her unwavering support, guidance and willingness to collaborate,” said Moise.
Moise said her “contributions to the City of Toronto are immeasurable,” singling out her work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was an incredibly difficult experience for everyone, especially Toronto Public Health staff, but Dr. de Villa consistently delivered critical updates with a reassuring voice that said, “It is going to be OK,” even when the path ahead seemed uncertain,” he said.
Moise said he’d be bringing forward a motion at the upcoming Board of Health meeting on May 27 to form a search committee for de Villa’s successor.
De Villa’s resignation came a week after Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg, who was also a part of the daily COVID-19 briefings, announced that he plans to retire on Oct. 4.
De Villa resigns as Toronto's top doctor, to stay on until end of year
Toronto's medical officer of health, who has been in the appointed position for eight years, is resigning from her role effective Dec. 31.