So much has happened with vaccines. I need another update. What’s going on?
We have you covered with info on the delays, new variants of the virus and vaccine hesitancy.
Hey there, and welcome to the 18th issue of The Supplement, a newsletter that fills in the gaps of your other news intake. This is Sierra, one-third of the Supplement team!
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This week, we’re tackling this question: So much has happened with vaccines. I need another update. What’s going on?
TL;DR:
Canada has been experiencing vaccine rollout delays at the mercy of international manufacturers, threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s plans. But even as vaccines become available, addressing hesitancy due to systemic racism — especially in vulnerable communities — is becoming more pressing.
What’s the drama around COVAX?
COVAX is an international vaccine-sharing initiative under the World Health Organization (WHO), made for wealthier countries to help pay for countries that can’t afford the shots. Canada is now coming under fire for its decision to accept vaccines from the program as the only G7 country who will take COVAX's vaccine supply in the first distribution. Last year, Canada pledged $440 million to COVAX — and while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is committed to helping poor countries, others are criticizing the move for being motivated by political gain.
Why is Canada so far behind schedule?
Moderna experienced delays because of kinks in its European supply chain. Pfizer’s scaleback was because of upgrades to the European manufacturers (and Pfizer isn’t shipping its vaccines across the border to Canada from its US plant). In a surprise move, Manitoba has made its own deal to secure two million doses of a vaccine being developed in Calgary.
Every vaccine maker our government has signed a contract with was asked if they could manufacture doses domestically and they all said no. So basically, Canada is at the mercy of international pharmaceutical companies, which raises the question: why don't we have our own vaccine manufacturers?
What is the updated timeline after the delays?
Federal Procurement Minister Anita Anand said the delays are only temporary. She reiterated Trudeau’s goal of receiving six million COVID-19 doses by the end of March. A survey from Nanos Research commissioned by CTV News suggests that 47 per cent of Canadians do not believe or somewhat do not believe in the timeline.
Launched last March, the COVID19Tracker.ca Project has accessible and nearly real-time data that you can follow at home. It’s the first of its kind in Canada, and was founded by Noah Little, an undergraduate student at the University of Saskatchewan.
How long are you supposed to wait between vaccine doses?
In clinical trials, Pfizer administered the second dose after 21 days and Moderna waited 28 days. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said these dates are flexible, and now allows up to 42 days (six weeks) between doses of those two vaccines. It also said people who are fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine if they are exposed to the virus.
Do the delays impact immunity for those who are impacted by the delays?
Scientific American explains that the optimal dose schedule depends on each specific design. But ultimately, there are no solid answers. Some believe that a short wait between vaccine doses is safe, others question if populations with partial immunization could create more risky variants. WHO estimates that at least 65 per cent of a population must be vaccinated to develop a degree of herd immunity.
What is the latest info about the variants?
The B.1.1.7 variant, the UK strain, is the most prominent variant in Canada. B.1.351 is the South Africa variant, to which the AstraZeneca vaccine is ineffective. P.1, the Brazil strain, caused one of the deadliest outbreaks in that country but has so far seen low presence in Canada. . Make sure you take a look at CTV’s variant case tracker for updates.
What’s the difference between an anti-vaxxer and someone who is vaccine hesitant?
According to WHO, vaccine hesitancy refers to a delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite availability of vaccine services. It is influenced by factors such as complacency, convenience and confidence. Marriam Webster defines an anti-vaxxer as a person who opposes vaccination or laws that mandate vaccination.
Why are community leaders asking the government to address vaccine hesitancy?
Because of years of incidents involving racialized communities, there is a lot of mistrust for some communities of colour. These lived histories have now resulted in vaccine hesitancy. Experts and Black Community and Indigenous leaders are saying that governments need to address trust issues for people to feel comfortable taking the vaccine.
Here’s someone to follow:
This week I’m going to recommend that you follow Andray Domise, contributing editor and columnist at Maclean’s. “As it turns out, there really is a niche for gaming nerds who read books on history and critical race theory in bed,” he writes on his website.
Here’s a story to check out:
For Refinery29, Pascale Diverlus asks an important question: Eight Months After #BlackoutTuesday, Have White “Allies” Actually Kept Their Promises? The other big question: how much power are they willing to give up? “ Non-Black people trying to convince the world they are anti-racist without leading and living an anti-racist life is just vanity,” she writes.
