Vaccine panel’s advice on AstraZeneca use for seniors to evolve as new data comes, say public health officials
The federal vaccine advisory committee’s guidance advising against giving the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to seniors, despite Health Canada’s approval for its use by adults of all ages, should not be read as “static,” say public health officials, dismissing concerns that the conflicting advice puts provinces and territories in a bind. “As they see more and more […]
Pandemic supports surpass losses for lower-income households, suggests new data
As many coped with the impact of economic closures and lost wages, Ottawa’s pandemic relief measures “more than compensated” for the losses lower-income households experienced, and instead, led to an uptick in disposable income, according to new data. The “unprecedented increases in transfers to households” during the first three quarters of 2020 helped drive that […]
We must ensure post-pandemic employment for so-called ‘expendables’
TORONTO—One of the most urgent messages from the pandemic world is that when the crisis is over, many people who lost their jobs—there are some 850,000 Canadians affected—won’t get their old jobs back, and will lack the skills for the new jobs. Most are in low-wage jobs. The actual number at risk is larger because […]
Liberals introduce bills to close sickness benefit loophole, allow pandemic-friendly court proceedings
After a month-long standoff in Parliament, the Liberal government has introduced a bill that will fix a legal loophole in the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit. Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough (Delta, B.C.) introduced Bill C-24 into the House on Feb. 25. The full title of the bill is An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act […]
NACI’s call to prioritize at-risk racialized Canadians reflects ‘deliberate attempt’ to recognize inequities, says expert
The feds’ immunization task force’s recent recommendation to prioritize racialized adults in the second stage of Canada’s vaccination campaign is a “deliberate attempt” to acknowledge the barriers faced by those disproportionately affected by the pandemic, but it will need to be adopted on a wide scale to be effective, says one expert. Carl James, a […]
AstraZeneca vaccine approval to give Canada ‘greater flexibility’ in distributing doses widely, says health official
Health Canada’s approval of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Friday will give Canada “greater flexibility” in distributing supplies more widely across the country once it starts to receive the more than 20 million doses on order, say federal officials. The two-dose AstraZeneca vaccine co-developed with Oxford University can be stored at refrigerated temperatures and has […]
January lobbying picks up from holiday slump
Lobbying activity rose slightly in January, with the holiday slump ebbing even as Parliament remained in recess and the usual legislative wrangling was more or less on hold. Last month, lobbyists filed 2,033 communication reports in the federal registry, an uptick of 8.6 per cent from the 1,872 filed in December. Activity was also up […]
Now is the time to think long term, plan for next pandemic or major health crisis
The global pandemic has gripped the public consciousness and is understandably top of mind for most of us these days. From lockdowns to facemasks to social distancing, COVID-19 has instigated societal transformations, unlike anything we have experienced in our lifetimes. As Canadians, we can take pride in knowing that our researchers have been at the […]
Advancing mental health has been my life’s work
When I near the end of a book I have particularly enjoyed, I begin to turn the pages at a more measured pace. The temptation, of course, is to race to the end. But I want to prolong that feeling–deep satisfaction with a dash of sadness–that precedes closing the cover one last time. So, I […]
‘Much water has flown’ since heated row over Trudeau’s farmers’ protest comments, says Indian envoy
While demonstrators stood across the street from India’s New Edinburgh High Commission protesting new farm laws as snow covered the national capital last week, inside, India’s envoy to Canada said a recent phone call between the countries’ two prime ministers has helped New Delhi and Ottawa move past a diplomatic row over Canadian support for […]
