COVID-19 'Pandemic'
- Thread starter Ocean Breeze
- Start date
Funny, George Floyd is the only person I can think of who died WITH covid 19 and not FROM covid 19.
I can think of loads of loads who have died with it and not from it.
Europe is playing politics with people’s lives
The boss of Italy’s medicines regulator says Italy suspended the AstraZeneca jab for ‘political’ reasons.
Italy’s most senior medical official has confirmed that Italy’s decision to suspend the use of Oxford / AstraZeneca jabs was ‘political’.
Nicola Magrini told La Repubblica today that Italy came under pressure to stop using the vaccine after Germany and France did.
He said: ‘We got to the point of a suspension because several European countries, including Germany and France, preferred to interrupt vaccinations… to put them on hold in order to carry out checks. The choice is a political one.’
This is no surprise. Fourteen European countries have now suspended the use of the jab, citing concerns about links to blood clotting. But there is no proof whatsoever that these blood clots are a result of the vaccine.
The accusation is merely the latest in a sustained EU smear campaign against the UK-developed jab. As Brexit Britain’s vaccine rollout steams ahead of the EU’s, European leaders keep finding new faults with the vaccine to distract from their own failures.
Not for the first time in the pandemic, European governments are playing political games with people’s lives.
www.spiked-online.com
The boss of Italy’s medicines regulator says Italy suspended the AstraZeneca jab for ‘political’ reasons.
SPIKED
16th March 2021
SpikedItaly’s most senior medical official has confirmed that Italy’s decision to suspend the use of Oxford / AstraZeneca jabs was ‘political’.
Nicola Magrini told La Repubblica today that Italy came under pressure to stop using the vaccine after Germany and France did.
He said: ‘We got to the point of a suspension because several European countries, including Germany and France, preferred to interrupt vaccinations… to put them on hold in order to carry out checks. The choice is a political one.’
This is no surprise. Fourteen European countries have now suspended the use of the jab, citing concerns about links to blood clotting. But there is no proof whatsoever that these blood clots are a result of the vaccine.
The accusation is merely the latest in a sustained EU smear campaign against the UK-developed jab. As Brexit Britain’s vaccine rollout steams ahead of the EU’s, European leaders keep finding new faults with the vaccine to distract from their own failures.
Not for the first time in the pandemic, European governments are playing political games with people’s lives.
Europe is playing politics with people’s lives
The boss of Italy’s medicines regulator says Italy suspended the AstraZeneca jab for ‘political’ reasons.
www.spiked-online.com
There's no doubt the roll out was terrible for awhile, but due to no supply, NOT anything that Trudeau was doing!
Jesus fucking Christ man. Are you really that thick?
Through the looking glass with Ursula in EUland
EU technocrats have put stopping the spread of populism before vaccinating Europeans.
Here is the latest statement on the EU Covid-19 vaccines crisis, from the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen: ‘If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?’
All right, Ms von der Leyen may not have used those exact words. The quote is actually from Alice, of Lewis Carroll’s in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass fame. But Ursula in EUland might as well have said it during the vaccination debacle, given the way that the European Union has, time and again, gone through the looking glass and made ‘nothing be what it is’ in its political crusade against the ‘virus’ of Brexit and populism.
It seems as if everything that the EU’s technocratic elites (and their UK supporters) have claimed during the Covid-19 vaccines debate has turned reality on its head and turned out not to be true.
Those of us with slighter longer memories than Ursula, sorry, Alice (who can’t remember who she is from one day to the next), might recall how, last summer, there was hell to pay when Britain declined an invite to join the EU’s vaccination procurement scheme. Remainer Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs accused Boris Johnson’s Conservative government of ‘favouring Brexit over vaccines’ and ‘putting ideology before lives’. Leading Remainer luvvies were all over social media, screaming about the British government ‘killing your citizens to own the EU’, a move which apparently proved that Brexit is ‘a death cult’.
Really, Alice? In the months since then, of course, we have witnessed the UK rolling out Covid-19 vaccines to millions of people and leaving the EU’s hopelessly bureaucratic system trailing so far behind that member states have broken ranks and looked for vaccines elsewhere.
But none of that was the EU’s fault, of course. According to Alice and Co, it was all about the UK. Brexit Britain had apparently been involved in the development of an unreliable drug, the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine. Worse, Brexit Britain had then allegedly conspired to prevent this, err, dodgy vaccine from being supplied to EU member states. Those who might spot some contradiction in these two simultaneously held Brussels positions have not quite grasped the ‘contrary wise’ mindset of Ursula in EUland and her minions.
All more ‘nonsense’, of course. It turns out that it is the EU that has been ‘putting ideology before lives’, by pursuing its political war against Brexit Britain even at the cost of life-saving vaccinations.
We recall how Ms Von der Leyen even tried to impose a ‘hard border’ across Ireland to stop the North receiving vaccines. The European Council’s (unelected) president Charles Michel might claim with a straight face that ‘Europe will not use vaccines for propaganda purposes’. But the reality is that, despite Brussels’ empty claims to be putting people first, it has been bravely prepared to sacrifice Europe’s health on the altar of the EU supra-state.
This has come to a head in the latest sordid rows over the AstraZeneca vaccine. The EU leadership seized on reports that a few people had suffered blood clots after receiving it as another excuse to stop using the vaccine. By Tuesday, 17 countries were reported to have halted AstraZeneca vaccinations.
Why? Health authorities worldwide appeared at pains to say that there is no real evidence that the vaccine causes serious side effects, and to put the case for continued use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Even Europe’s own regulator, the European Medicines Agency, said it was ‘firmly convinced’ that the ‘benefits outweighed any risks’. But it seemed none of that mattered as the anti-AstraZeneca bandwagon gathered pace across the EU.
Because in the world of Ursula Through the Looking Glass, the important thing is to score points against Brexit and try to vaccinate the continent against the further dangerous spread of ‘populism’ – aka democracy. As the head of Italy’s medicines agency admitted, the decision to suspend use of the AstraZeneca vaccine was ‘a political one’, imposed ‘because other European countries, including Germany and France, preferred to interrupt’. There is one Eurocrat at least who does not always talk nonsense.
With the European Medicines Agency due to formally clear the AstraZeneca vaccine, EU leaders and officials are now trying to backpedal and downplay their political stunt. No, no, they say, it was just a sensible precaution to suspend the vaccination programme for a short time while we waited for clarification. As one Irish expert put it, if no link between the vaccine and blood clots is found, ‘then we have lost four or five days, but that’s all’.
They will have lost a lot more than that. They will have baselessly undermined the already-shaky confidence of millions of people across Europe in the safety and efficacy of all Covid-19 vaccinations. As the coronavirus crisis has confirmed, once the fear factor takes hold, it is hard to find a cure.
This is yet another way that the EU has reversed reality. The elites claimed that vaccine scepticism would be spread by populist demagogues stirring up the allegedly ignorant masses. In fact it has been encouraged from the top of the system down, by those using their expertise and authority to warn the peoples of Europe against a vaccine. And then, when all else fails, resorting to barefaced lies to deny what they have done and pretend that Brexit Britain is now blocking vaccine exports to the EU. It is the EU elites who are to blame for the fact that, as The Times reports, of the 15million AstraZeneca vaccines exported to the EU, less than half have been used.
The entire vaccines fiasco should stand as an indictment of the EU’s technocratic elite, weighed down by a system that moves with glacial speed, shackled by the ‘precautionary principle’, and twisted by a bitter political mission to take revenge on Brexit Britain and stop the spread of the virus of popular democracy.
Listening to the truth-twisting language of Ursula Through the Looking Glass and her allies, I am often reminded of the exchange between Alice and Humpty Dumpty:
‘ “When I use a word”, Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less”.
“The question is”, said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things”.
“The question is”, said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master – that’s all”.’
www.spiked-online.com
EU technocrats have put stopping the spread of populism before vaccinating Europeans.
MICK HUME
COLUMNIST
17th March 2021
SpikedHere is the latest statement on the EU Covid-19 vaccines crisis, from the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen: ‘If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?’
All right, Ms von der Leyen may not have used those exact words. The quote is actually from Alice, of Lewis Carroll’s in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass fame. But Ursula in EUland might as well have said it during the vaccination debacle, given the way that the European Union has, time and again, gone through the looking glass and made ‘nothing be what it is’ in its political crusade against the ‘virus’ of Brexit and populism.
It seems as if everything that the EU’s technocratic elites (and their UK supporters) have claimed during the Covid-19 vaccines debate has turned reality on its head and turned out not to be true.
Those of us with slighter longer memories than Ursula, sorry, Alice (who can’t remember who she is from one day to the next), might recall how, last summer, there was hell to pay when Britain declined an invite to join the EU’s vaccination procurement scheme. Remainer Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs accused Boris Johnson’s Conservative government of ‘favouring Brexit over vaccines’ and ‘putting ideology before lives’. Leading Remainer luvvies were all over social media, screaming about the British government ‘killing your citizens to own the EU’, a move which apparently proved that Brexit is ‘a death cult’.
Really, Alice? In the months since then, of course, we have witnessed the UK rolling out Covid-19 vaccines to millions of people and leaving the EU’s hopelessly bureaucratic system trailing so far behind that member states have broken ranks and looked for vaccines elsewhere.
But none of that was the EU’s fault, of course. According to Alice and Co, it was all about the UK. Brexit Britain had apparently been involved in the development of an unreliable drug, the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine. Worse, Brexit Britain had then allegedly conspired to prevent this, err, dodgy vaccine from being supplied to EU member states. Those who might spot some contradiction in these two simultaneously held Brussels positions have not quite grasped the ‘contrary wise’ mindset of Ursula in EUland and her minions.
All more ‘nonsense’, of course. It turns out that it is the EU that has been ‘putting ideology before lives’, by pursuing its political war against Brexit Britain even at the cost of life-saving vaccinations.
We recall how Ms Von der Leyen even tried to impose a ‘hard border’ across Ireland to stop the North receiving vaccines. The European Council’s (unelected) president Charles Michel might claim with a straight face that ‘Europe will not use vaccines for propaganda purposes’. But the reality is that, despite Brussels’ empty claims to be putting people first, it has been bravely prepared to sacrifice Europe’s health on the altar of the EU supra-state.
This has come to a head in the latest sordid rows over the AstraZeneca vaccine. The EU leadership seized on reports that a few people had suffered blood clots after receiving it as another excuse to stop using the vaccine. By Tuesday, 17 countries were reported to have halted AstraZeneca vaccinations.
Why? Health authorities worldwide appeared at pains to say that there is no real evidence that the vaccine causes serious side effects, and to put the case for continued use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Even Europe’s own regulator, the European Medicines Agency, said it was ‘firmly convinced’ that the ‘benefits outweighed any risks’. But it seemed none of that mattered as the anti-AstraZeneca bandwagon gathered pace across the EU.
Because in the world of Ursula Through the Looking Glass, the important thing is to score points against Brexit and try to vaccinate the continent against the further dangerous spread of ‘populism’ – aka democracy. As the head of Italy’s medicines agency admitted, the decision to suspend use of the AstraZeneca vaccine was ‘a political one’, imposed ‘because other European countries, including Germany and France, preferred to interrupt’. There is one Eurocrat at least who does not always talk nonsense.
With the European Medicines Agency due to formally clear the AstraZeneca vaccine, EU leaders and officials are now trying to backpedal and downplay their political stunt. No, no, they say, it was just a sensible precaution to suspend the vaccination programme for a short time while we waited for clarification. As one Irish expert put it, if no link between the vaccine and blood clots is found, ‘then we have lost four or five days, but that’s all’.
They will have lost a lot more than that. They will have baselessly undermined the already-shaky confidence of millions of people across Europe in the safety and efficacy of all Covid-19 vaccinations. As the coronavirus crisis has confirmed, once the fear factor takes hold, it is hard to find a cure.
This is yet another way that the EU has reversed reality. The elites claimed that vaccine scepticism would be spread by populist demagogues stirring up the allegedly ignorant masses. In fact it has been encouraged from the top of the system down, by those using their expertise and authority to warn the peoples of Europe against a vaccine. And then, when all else fails, resorting to barefaced lies to deny what they have done and pretend that Brexit Britain is now blocking vaccine exports to the EU. It is the EU elites who are to blame for the fact that, as The Times reports, of the 15million AstraZeneca vaccines exported to the EU, less than half have been used.
The entire vaccines fiasco should stand as an indictment of the EU’s technocratic elite, weighed down by a system that moves with glacial speed, shackled by the ‘precautionary principle’, and twisted by a bitter political mission to take revenge on Brexit Britain and stop the spread of the virus of popular democracy.
Listening to the truth-twisting language of Ursula Through the Looking Glass and her allies, I am often reminded of the exchange between Alice and Humpty Dumpty:
‘ “When I use a word”, Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less”.
“The question is”, said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things”.
“The question is”, said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master – that’s all”.’
Through the looking glass with Ursula in EUland
EU technocrats have put stopping the spread of populism before vaccinating Europeans.
www.spiked-online.com
Do you walk slowly? You're more susceptible to COVID-19, study says
Author of the article:Liz Braun
Publishing date:Mar 16, 2021 • 22 hours ago • 2 minute read • comment bubbleJoin the conversation
Do you walk quickly or slowly? The answer to that question may determine whether you'd survive a bout of COVID-19.
Do you walk quickly or slowly? The answer to that question may determine whether you'd survive a bout of COVID-19. PHOTO BY MICHAEL KIENZLER /Bongarts/Getty Images
Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through our links on this page.
Article content
Do you walk quickly or slowly?
The answer to that question may determine whether you’d survive a bout of COVID-19.
For years, researchers have known that people who walk briskly live longer.
Now a study suggests that slow walkers are actually more susceptible to COVID-19 and far more likely to die of it.
This is according to a team from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Leicester Biomedical Research Centre.
Results of the study were published last month in the International Journal of Obesity.
The study of 412,596 middle-aged U.K. Biobank participants examined the relative association of body mass index (BMI) and self-reported walking pace with the risk of contracting severe COVID-19 and COVID-19 mortality.
Results: Slow walkers of normal weight were 2 1/2 times more likely to get a bad case of COVID-19, and almost four times more likely to die from it than people of normal weight who walk fast.
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“We know already that obesity and frailty are key risk factors for COVID-19 outcomes,” said lead researcher Tom Yates, a professor at the University of Leicester.
“This is the first study to show that slow walkers have a much higher risk of contracting severe COVID-19 outcomes, irrespective of their weight.”
The information will be useful both in identifying those at greater risk of COVID and in furthering preventative measures to protect them.
Research has proved that walking pace is an important indicator of whole-body physical fitness and resilience.
Asked if there are other simple measures of overall physical function besides walking pace, Yates said hand-grip strength is another that has been studied.
“Other relatively simple measures involve physical tests, i.e. time taken to complete five sit-to-stand repetitions,” he said.
As to any anecdotal evidence about mental attitude and walking pace, “We have undertaken genetics work, and have shown that there is generic overlap between walking pace and a whole lot of other traits,” said Yates.
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“Although not a lot has been done in this area, I would agree that it is likely that a brisk walking pace is associated with people with more ‘drive’ and a positive outlook.”
The good news? Making an effort to increase your rate of walking pays off in measurable health results and can add 15 years to your life.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Liz Braun
Publishing date:Mar 16, 2021 • 22 hours ago • 2 minute read • comment bubbleJoin the conversation
Do you walk quickly or slowly? The answer to that question may determine whether you'd survive a bout of COVID-19.
Do you walk quickly or slowly? The answer to that question may determine whether you'd survive a bout of COVID-19. PHOTO BY MICHAEL KIENZLER /Bongarts/Getty Images
Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through our links on this page.
Article content
Do you walk quickly or slowly?
The answer to that question may determine whether you’d survive a bout of COVID-19.
For years, researchers have known that people who walk briskly live longer.
Now a study suggests that slow walkers are actually more susceptible to COVID-19 and far more likely to die of it.
This is according to a team from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Leicester Biomedical Research Centre.
Results of the study were published last month in the International Journal of Obesity.
The study of 412,596 middle-aged U.K. Biobank participants examined the relative association of body mass index (BMI) and self-reported walking pace with the risk of contracting severe COVID-19 and COVID-19 mortality.
Results: Slow walkers of normal weight were 2 1/2 times more likely to get a bad case of COVID-19, and almost four times more likely to die from it than people of normal weight who walk fast.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
“We know already that obesity and frailty are key risk factors for COVID-19 outcomes,” said lead researcher Tom Yates, a professor at the University of Leicester.
“This is the first study to show that slow walkers have a much higher risk of contracting severe COVID-19 outcomes, irrespective of their weight.”
The information will be useful both in identifying those at greater risk of COVID and in furthering preventative measures to protect them.
Research has proved that walking pace is an important indicator of whole-body physical fitness and resilience.
Asked if there are other simple measures of overall physical function besides walking pace, Yates said hand-grip strength is another that has been studied.
“Other relatively simple measures involve physical tests, i.e. time taken to complete five sit-to-stand repetitions,” he said.
As to any anecdotal evidence about mental attitude and walking pace, “We have undertaken genetics work, and have shown that there is generic overlap between walking pace and a whole lot of other traits,” said Yates.
Ottawa residents age 80 and over arrive at the Nepean Sportsplex for their appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, Mar. 15, 2021.
Ontario experiencing COVID third wave, science advisers say
A woman with acne from mask-wearing.
'MASKNE': Acne a side-effect of mask-wearing during COVID-19?
A hydro tower in Toronto.
End of COVID hydro break means bigger bills
“Although not a lot has been done in this area, I would agree that it is likely that a brisk walking pace is associated with people with more ‘drive’ and a positive outlook.”
The good news? Making an effort to increase your rate of walking pays off in measurable health results and can add 15 years to your life.
Do you walk slowly? You're more susceptible to COVID-19, study says
Do you walk quickly or slowly? The answer to that question may determine whether you'd survive a bout of COVID-19.
'MASKNE': Acne a side-effect of mask-wearing during COVID-19?
Author of the article:Jenny Yuen
Publishing date:Mar 16, 2021 • 1 day ago • 1 minute read • comment bubble7 Comments
A woman with acne from mask-wearing.
A woman with acne from mask-wearing. PHOTO BY @MASKNECONDITION /FACEBOOK
Article content
Here’s a fallout you may not have thought of from the pandemic — acne.
Manni Szigeti, the owner of Rain Spa and Salon in North York, said she’s been approached by clients on social media, claiming that wearing masks resulted in them breaking out in pimples.
Did Cardi B fart on Megan Thee Stallion during sexy Grammys performance?
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She said people have dubbed the unsightly facial bumps, “Maskne,” as in mask acne.
“It’s sweat, you’re breathing in bacteria,” she said Tuesday. “Normally, we shed skin cells. It’s the dirt and oil that gets clogged. In 25 days, our skin exfoliates and sheds. Because of the mask that we have to wear, it’s trapped. And some people find they have irritation with masks (with chafing).”
Szigeti said because her spa has been closed for months, she hasn’t been able to treat clients with these acne concerns.
She said said it was an unexpected side effect of the pandemic and face coverings, especially those who wear make-up and sweat a lot, causing bacteria buildup to erupt in acne.
According to healthline, maskne is the result of clogged pores. A mask also traps humidity from breathing and sweating.
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Some people who have sensitive skin may also have a reaction to the detergent used to frequently wash the face mask, said the media outlet.
Szigeti recommends a cotton mask for better breathability.
For those suffering from a bout of mask acne, she said a good plan to combat the bumps is washing your face regularly with a gentle cleanser, patting it dry and keeping your skin hydrated.
Do a facial mask at home three times a week. If necessary, use hydrocortisone cream or a moisturizer with ceramides.
“Cleanse well and tone,” she said. “Just make sure you get on a routine.”
Healthline also recommended taking a hiatus from wearing make-up during a maskne breakout, as some products can clog pores and prolong healing.
jyuen@postmedia.com
healthline.com
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Jenny Yuen
Publishing date:Mar 16, 2021 • 1 day ago • 1 minute read • comment bubble7 Comments
A woman with acne from mask-wearing.
A woman with acne from mask-wearing. PHOTO BY @MASKNECONDITION /FACEBOOK
Article content
Here’s a fallout you may not have thought of from the pandemic — acne.
Manni Szigeti, the owner of Rain Spa and Salon in North York, said she’s been approached by clients on social media, claiming that wearing masks resulted in them breaking out in pimples.
Did Cardi B fart on Megan Thee Stallion during sexy Grammys performance?
Trackerdslogo
She said people have dubbed the unsightly facial bumps, “Maskne,” as in mask acne.
“It’s sweat, you’re breathing in bacteria,” she said Tuesday. “Normally, we shed skin cells. It’s the dirt and oil that gets clogged. In 25 days, our skin exfoliates and sheds. Because of the mask that we have to wear, it’s trapped. And some people find they have irritation with masks (with chafing).”
Szigeti said because her spa has been closed for months, she hasn’t been able to treat clients with these acne concerns.
She said said it was an unexpected side effect of the pandemic and face coverings, especially those who wear make-up and sweat a lot, causing bacteria buildup to erupt in acne.
According to healthline, maskne is the result of clogged pores. A mask also traps humidity from breathing and sweating.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
Some people who have sensitive skin may also have a reaction to the detergent used to frequently wash the face mask, said the media outlet.
Szigeti recommends a cotton mask for better breathability.
For those suffering from a bout of mask acne, she said a good plan to combat the bumps is washing your face regularly with a gentle cleanser, patting it dry and keeping your skin hydrated.
Do a facial mask at home three times a week. If necessary, use hydrocortisone cream or a moisturizer with ceramides.
“Cleanse well and tone,” she said. “Just make sure you get on a routine.”
Healthline also recommended taking a hiatus from wearing make-up during a maskne breakout, as some products can clog pores and prolong healing.
jyuen@postmedia.com
Maskne: How to Treat, Prevent Acne from Face Masks
Maskne, or mask acne, can be a potential side effect of wearing a face mask. However, there are ways to treat and prevent this condition while following COVID-19 safety protocols.
healthline.com
'MASKNE': Acne a side-effect of mask-wearing during COVID-19?
Here’s a fallout you may not have thought of from the pandemic — acne.
White House confirms Canada asked for vaccine help, won't say if U.S. has agreed
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Publishing date:Mar 17, 2021 • 14 hours ago • 2 minute read • comment bubbleJoin the conversation
Canada Border Services Agency personnel watch as a shipment of the newly authorized AstraZeneca vaccine arrives at an airport in Canada, March 3, 2021.
Canada Border Services Agency personnel watch as a shipment of the newly authorized AstraZeneca vaccine arrives at an airport in Canada, March 3, 2021. PHOTO BY CANADA BORDER SERVICES AGENCY /Handout via REUTERS
Article content
WASHINGTON — Canada has indeed asked the United States for help in procuring doses of COVID-19 vaccines, but the White House refused to say Wednesday whether it has agreed to the request.
Press secretary Jen Psaki was responding to reports about Canada and Mexico clamouring for surplus doses — including one from Bloomberg News that the two countries would top the list when the time comes.
“We have received requests from both Mexico and Canada and are considering those requests carefully,” Psaki said.
“I don’t have any update for you on whether they will be granted and a timeline for that.”
Instead, she repeated the long-standing White House position that President Joe Biden first wants to ensure that every American who wants to can get vaccinated, and that it happen as soon as possible.
“We are still in the midst of fighting the war against the pandemic, right here,” Psaki said, acknowledging the U.S. is currently leading the world in getting its residents vaccinated.
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That’s largely because of the country’s virtually unrivalled capacity for developing and manufacturing vaccines, which has been almost exclusively focused on meeting domestic demand.
But the international responsibility that comes with that manufacturing capacity is not lost on Biden, who also understands the importance of getting people vaccinated around the world, Psaki said.
“The president wants to be, we all want to be, contributing members of the global community and getting the pandemic under control,” she said.
“Any decision we make about requests ⦠will ensure that we’re able to still quickly vaccinate the American people, as that remains our top priority.”
Canada, a country devoid of its own domestic manufacturing pipeline, has been lagging in its vaccination efforts, thanks in part to lingering production problems. Export controls in Europe, which have so far not affected Canada’s shipments, are a potential threat.
Those bottlenecks are only beginning to clear. Health Canada says more than 8.5 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are scheduled to arrive in Canada over the next eight weeks.
Shipments of the two-dose Moderna vaccine have not been confirmed past the end of March, while a delivery date has yet to materialize for the other two vaccines — the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot and a single-dose option from Johnson & Johnson.
The Serum Institute of India is to ship another million doses of its version of the AstraZeneca vaccine next month, with an additional 500,000 in May, but it is not clear when those will arrive.
Canada is also counting on an additional 1.6 million doses of AstraZeneca being shipped from a production facility in South Korea before the end of May.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Publishing date:Mar 17, 2021 • 14 hours ago • 2 minute read • comment bubbleJoin the conversation
Canada Border Services Agency personnel watch as a shipment of the newly authorized AstraZeneca vaccine arrives at an airport in Canada, March 3, 2021.
Canada Border Services Agency personnel watch as a shipment of the newly authorized AstraZeneca vaccine arrives at an airport in Canada, March 3, 2021. PHOTO BY CANADA BORDER SERVICES AGENCY /Handout via REUTERS
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WASHINGTON — Canada has indeed asked the United States for help in procuring doses of COVID-19 vaccines, but the White House refused to say Wednesday whether it has agreed to the request.
Press secretary Jen Psaki was responding to reports about Canada and Mexico clamouring for surplus doses — including one from Bloomberg News that the two countries would top the list when the time comes.
“We have received requests from both Mexico and Canada and are considering those requests carefully,” Psaki said.
“I don’t have any update for you on whether they will be granted and a timeline for that.”
Instead, she repeated the long-standing White House position that President Joe Biden first wants to ensure that every American who wants to can get vaccinated, and that it happen as soon as possible.
“We are still in the midst of fighting the war against the pandemic, right here,” Psaki said, acknowledging the U.S. is currently leading the world in getting its residents vaccinated.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
That’s largely because of the country’s virtually unrivalled capacity for developing and manufacturing vaccines, which has been almost exclusively focused on meeting domestic demand.
But the international responsibility that comes with that manufacturing capacity is not lost on Biden, who also understands the importance of getting people vaccinated around the world, Psaki said.
“The president wants to be, we all want to be, contributing members of the global community and getting the pandemic under control,” she said.
“Any decision we make about requests ⦠will ensure that we’re able to still quickly vaccinate the American people, as that remains our top priority.”
Canada, a country devoid of its own domestic manufacturing pipeline, has been lagging in its vaccination efforts, thanks in part to lingering production problems. Export controls in Europe, which have so far not affected Canada’s shipments, are a potential threat.
Those bottlenecks are only beginning to clear. Health Canada says more than 8.5 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are scheduled to arrive in Canada over the next eight weeks.
Shipments of the two-dose Moderna vaccine have not been confirmed past the end of March, while a delivery date has yet to materialize for the other two vaccines — the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot and a single-dose option from Johnson & Johnson.
The Serum Institute of India is to ship another million doses of its version of the AstraZeneca vaccine next month, with an additional 500,000 in May, but it is not clear when those will arrive.
Canada is also counting on an additional 1.6 million doses of AstraZeneca being shipped from a production facility in South Korea before the end of May.
White House confirms Canada asked for vaccine help, won't say if U.S. has agreed
WASHINGTON — Canada has indeed asked the United States for help in procuring doses of COVID-19 vaccines, but the White House refused to say Wednesday whether…
I just got the Astra-Zenika vaccine today. I theoretically don't qualify. Not quite 60 yet. Unless it is because my wife has health issues. But they called, they had all my information truthfully recorded. And I jumped at the opportunity. So it's on them if I wasn't supposed to and was.
My parents have had theirs early, too. They phoned up and got an appointment at the University of Bolton Stadium.
This was through my local pharmacy. Government sites are 80+ (75+ as of Monday).