I saw NACI getting criticized (read: ripped apart) online this week. What is going on?
And more on the US decision to begin the process of waiving vaccine patent protections.
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This week, we’re tackling this question: I saw NACI getting criticized (read: ripped apart) online this week. What is going on?
TL;DR: This week, we’re bringing you not one but two big pieces of COVID-19 vaccine news. In Canada, many are angry about the National Advisory Committee on Immunization’s communications around “preferred” COVID-19 vaccines because they worry it will exacerbate vaccine hesitancy. In foreign news, the US generated big buzz with its decision to support waiving COVID-19 vaccine patent protections — but there is still a way to go before they can actually be waived.
A lot is happening around COVID-19 vaccine, so we broke down the top two issues.
Q: I have seen people criticizing NACI recently. What happened?
Earlier this week, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) reiterated that Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are “preferred” over AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson for people at low risk of catching COVID-19.
NACI called it a matter of informed consent because even though the latter two are still effective, they have a slightly higher risk of producing blood clots. That being said, their rates are still much lower than that of taking birth control pills, smoking or from long trips.
But NACI’s messaging was quickly criticized as confusing because it contradicts governments’ recommendation to take the first COVID-19 vaccine that is offered.
Medical practitioners have also warned that it could stoke vaccine hesitancy.
“I really worry about a situation where Canada will be the only country in the world where we've managed to create buyer’s remorse about a vaccine we’ve provided free of charge to Canadians to protect them,” Dr. David Naylor, the national COVID-19 Immunity Task Force’s co-chair, said to CBC.
Also, here’s a piece providing more information about the AstraZeneca vaccine, following NACI’s announcement.
NACI did recommend that those who cannot wait for Moderna or Pfizer doses get AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.
While all these COVID-19 vaccines available are effective, many quickly pointed out how this messaging implies that groups like essential workers — many of whom are low-income and racialized — have to settle for vaccines with more risks.
Moral of the story: effective and inclusive science communication is so important, especially in an environment filled with mis/disinformation.
Q: I heard the US has now waived COVID-19 vaccine patents?
Not quite. The US announced on May 5 that it will now support waiving COVID-19 vaccine patent protections — a complete reversal of its previous stance — to help ease the global vaccine shortage, especially for the Global South. This comes amid a huge crisis in countries like India and Brazil, which are seeing mounting COVID-related deaths and a low percentage of their population fully vaccinated.
“This is a global health crisis, and the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures," said US Trade Representative Katherine Tai in a statement.
To borrow a Joe Biden saying, this is a BIG FUCKING DEAL because the US holds a lot of influence. But it doesn’t mean the deed is done.
The patent waiver idea, first proposed by South Africa and India, already has the support of around 100 countries — but the World Trade Organization requires consensus from all of its 164 members to make decisions. Canada, for example, has yet to announce if it will follow the US.
Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies opposed the proposal, saying that patent protections aren’t the main barrier to equity, and pointed to issues around raw materials and distribution instead. On the other hand, many public health experts and activists have long rallied around the idea.
This debate around vaccine patent protections also isn’t new: a similar fight was fought over HIV/AIDS drugs.
Here’s someone to follow:
Why follow one person when you can support a ton of different local journalists? Check out the Overstory Media Group, which this week announced themselves as the media startup behind outlets like Capital Daily, Burnaby Beacon, Fraser Valley Current and Vancouver Tech Journal. They have plans to rapidly expand — and if you’re a fellow journalist, they have a lot of job openings right now as well!
Here’s a story to check out:
In a recent story for Vice News, journalist Jane Gerster — who has done a lot of reporting on the RCMP — investigated how an RCMP officer accused of sexually assaulting an Indigenous woman has been on paid sick leave for SIXTEEN (16) years. It’s a must-read investigation!
Jane is also working on two books that delve into the RCMP’s history and current state of affairs!
