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Should Canada divert vaccines from regions with low COVID-19 levels to hot spots? – CBC.ca

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4 years ago

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This is an excerpt from Second Opinion, a weekly roundup of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers every Saturday morning. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here.

In a week bookended with significant COVID-19 vaccine delays while confirmed cases of coronavirus variants continue to climb in Canada, experts are divided on whether vaccines should be diverted from parts of the country with fewer cases to those with hot spots.

On one hand, Canada’s three hardest-hit provinces have collectively received more than 10 times the Atlantic provinces, which have had much lower COVID-19 levels.

But at a per-capita level, the situation looks much different. 

Ontario, Alberta and Quebec have each received between 2,200 and 2,800 doses per 100,000 people, while Prince Edward Island has over 4,700, Nunavut close to 13,300, Yukon more than 14,000 and the Northwest Territories in excess of 21,000 doses. 

“I know cities in Canada that have more patients hospitalized than there are patients in the Atlantic with COVID-19 total,” said Dr. Zain Chagla, an infectious disease specialist and associate professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont.

“They have functional health care, they’re separate from the rest of Canada. That’s fine, it’s working for you, but let us take the doses — give it to the rest of Canada that’s suffering.”

But others say the vaccine should be distributed equitably across the country because outbreaks can flare up quickly.

Alyson Kelvin, an assistant professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax and a virologist at the Canadian Center for Vaccinology who is evaluating vaccines with the VIDO-InterVac lab in Saskatoon, said Atlantic provinces that have faced serious lockdowns shouldn’t be forced to wait.

“It’s almost like you’re continuing to punish certain groups that have been following the rules,” she said.  

The federal government, meanwhile, isn’t ruling out shifting who receives how much of future shipments, but it’s a thorny issue both logistically and ethically in a country with vast disparities and limited vaccine supply. 

‘Redistribution’ required

Chagla said while an equitable approach to vaccine distribution in Canada is admirable, it doesn’t make sense on the ground in places with disproportionate spikes in cases like Toronto and nearby Peel and York Regions.

He’s among the health experts suggesting that regions with larger populations and more widespread COVID-19 levels be prioritized in Canada’s vaccine roll-out, due to the higher rates of hospitalizations and death they face.

“Especially if you’re having issues with vaccine shortages, we should probably do a bit of redistribution to these higher geographical spots as well,” said Dr. Sumon Chakrabarti, an infectious disease physician with Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga, Ont.

Chakrabarti says that in areas of the country where community transmission is high, long-term care facilities will bear the brunt of harm because residents are most at risk of severe outcomes and death from COVID-19 as the virus spreads.

“That’s where we should be focusing our vaccinations. And right now in Atlantic Canada, with due credit to them, they don’t have very much community transmission,” he said. 

“So I think that the best thing to do right now would be to shift that over to hot spots.” 

‘I know cities in Canada that have more patients hospitalized than there are patients in the Atlantic with COVID-19 total,’ said Dr. Zain Chagla, an infectious disease specialist and associate professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. (Craig Chivers/CBC)

Vaccines ‘not the tool’ to contain outbreaks

Dr. Lisa Barrett, an infectious diseases physician and immunologist at Dalhousie University in Halifax, said that from a scientific perspective, vaccines are meant to work on a wider population level and shouldn’t be used to try to contain flare ups.  

“This is not the tool that was ever meant to be a primary firefighting mechanism for hot spots,” said Barrett, “It was meant to be the long-term forest management that keeps things in good shape, when they’re in reasonable shape already.” 

“But having said that, is it a wrong thing to get long-term care vaccinated in hot spots where there is currently no vaccine? No, that’s a good idea; those people are likely to die.”

Kelvin says vaccines should be equally distributed throughout Canada, because even if an area has low levels of COVID-19 transmission for the time being, it doesn’t make a population any less vulnerable.

Canadian virologist Alyson Kelvin maintains that Atlantic provinces shouldn’t be forced to wait on vaccines. (Liam Richards/The Canadian Press)

“Northern communities had nothing for a really long time, but they were absolutely vulnerable to drastic and damaging consequences if the virus got in,” she said. 

“So to use that as a reason to not vaccinate those populations could lead to some serious consequences.” 

Dr. Anna Banerji, an infectious diseases specialist and Indigenous health expert at the University of Toronto, said remote Indigenous communities in particular need to remain prioritized for vaccines, due to the poor quality of healthcare they already receive. 

“The average person in Canada, if they get sick, if they’ve been exposed, they can go to see a doctor or go to a hospital,” she said.

“But when you’re in these remote communities, you need to fly down into hospitals that are usually further south or far away. So that means that if you’re sick, then you have to wait.”

Feds not diverting doses

For its part, the federal government is staying the course on its vaccine distribution plan, with no plans to redirect doses from provinces and territories with low levels of community transmission — but that could change. 

“We have not considered shifting doses from one province or one jurisdiction to another at this time. I think it would be counterproductive to do that in the midst of our immunization plan,” said Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, the military commander leading Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine logistics, during a press conference Thursday.

“What we could anticipate being prepared to do is adjust based on per-capita distribution at the locations that require the most future shipments long enough out for provinces to plan accordingly.” 

It would be ‘counterproductive’ to shift doses between regions in the midst of Canada’s immunization plan, said Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, the military commander leading Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine logistics. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

Canada’s Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Njoo said the emergence of more contagious variants has led to active discussions with health officials across the country, but he ultimately feels the provinces are better positioned to redistribute vaccines within their jurisdictions.

“They’re the people who have the data and know what’s going on in terms of the situation on the ground with respect to specific outbreaks and what variants might be emerging,” he said. “They can make the adjustments I think much more easily.” 

WATCH | Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shares update on COVID-19 vaccine delays:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with reporters outside Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Friday. 1:38

Concerns over rural, urban divide

Other physicians agree the focus shouldn’t be on redistribution across the country, but rather where supplies are most needed within each region.

“It does feel like it’s a bit of a distraction to argue about which province should have more,” said Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth, a family physician in Ottawa. “That’s not the point.”

Within Ontario, for instance, there’s a stark divide between which regions were sent vaccines, she said, with healthcare workers in rural areas still waiting to be vaccinated while hospital staff in larger cities are often receiving shots sooner.

“If you work in a hospital that already has the vaccine, and your name comes up, or they had extra doses, it was like this kind of quick free-for-all — ‘come down and get the vaccine’ — because we don’t want to throw out any doses,” she said.

“That only works for people who are already there, and so it doesn’t work when you’re hundreds of kilometres away.”

A Canadian North flight lands on the tarmac in Iqaluit at the end of December, carrying Nunavut’s first doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. (Jackie McKay/CBC)

That’s also a concern for the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada (SRPC), which issued a statement in late January calling on all Canadian vaccine task forces to consider the potential disparity that could arise if the needs of rural communities aren’t met.

Both long-term care and retirement homes in many rural and remote areas haven’t been vaccinated at the same rate as settings in urban areas, despite experiencing outbreaks at various facilities, the organization stressed. 

In Ontario, for instance, COVID-19 immunization clinics had been held at all 87 long-term care homes in Toronto by mid-January, while vaccinations for all of Lambton County near the Ontario-Michigan border only started on January 26 — even as that rural region continues to face deadly outbreaks at multiple long-term care homes. 

“If one or two people get sick, or need to be isolated or quarantined, that can have major detrimental effects on the entire health system in a rural area,” said SPRC president Dr. Gabe Woollam, a physician working in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, N.L.

“That’s one of the reasons why we see it as very important to ensure equitable access to vaccines.” 

Determining best approach ethically ‘tricky’

Given the competing priorities and perspectives on how to vaccinate Canadians effectively — all while the country faces a vaccine supply crunch — there’s no perfect approach for policymakers trying to wade through the debate.

“I look at the communities that could be devastated if they had the virus spread through them,” said Kelvin. 

“If we went to a model of only vaccinating places where the virus was, then I think we would be in some serious trouble in some places.”

University of Toronto associate professor Alison Thompson, a researcher on the ethical issues arising from public health policies, stressed there’s no easy road here: staying the course won’t please everyone, while redistributing doses between regions would be logistically challenging.

“What we’re ultimately saying is that some people are more vulnerable than others,” she said.

“It’s tricky ethically.”

To read the entire Second Opinion newsletter every Saturday morning, subscribe by clicking here.

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The #1 Skill I Look For When Hiring

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1 day ago

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September 17, 2024

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File this column under “for what it’s worth.”

“Communication is one of the most important skills you require for a successful life.” — Catherine Pulsifer, author.

I’m one hundred percent in agreement with Pulsifer, which is why my evaluation of candidates begins with their writing skills. If a candidate’s writing skills and verbal communication skills, which I’ll assess when interviewing, aren’t well above average, I’ll pass on them regardless of their skills and experience.

 

Why?

 

Because business is fundamentally about getting other people to do things—getting employees to be productive, getting customers to buy your products or services, and getting vendors to agree to a counteroffer price. In business, as in life in general, you can’t make anything happen without effective communication; this is especially true when job searching when your writing is often an employer’s first impression of you.

 

Think of all the writing you engage in during a job search (resumes, cover letters, emails, texts) and all your other writing (LinkedIn profile, as well as posts and comments, blogs, articles, tweets, etc.) employers will read when they Google you to determine if you’re interview-worthy.

 

With so much of our communication today taking place via writing (email, text, collaboration platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, ClickUp, WhatsApp and Rocket.Chat), the importance of proficient writing skills can’t be overstated.

 

When assessing a candidate’s writing skills, you probably think I’m looking for grammar and spelling errors. Although error-free writing is important—it shows professionalism and attention to detail—it’s not the primary reason I look at a candidate’s writing skills.

 

The way someone writes reveals how they think.

 

  • Clear writing = Clear thinking
  • Structured paragraphs = Structured mind
  • Impactful sentences = Impactful ideas

 

Effective writing isn’t about using sophisticated vocabulary. Hemingway demonstrated that deceptively simple, stripped-down prose can captivate readers. Effective writing takes intricate thoughts and presents them in a way that makes the reader think, “Damn! Why didn’t I see it that way?” A good writer is a dead giveaway for a good thinker. More than ever, the business world needs “good thinkers.”

 

Therefore, when I come across a candidate who’s a good writer, hence a good thinker, I know they’re likely to be able to write:

 

  • Emails that don’t get deleted immediately and are responded to
  • Simple, concise, and unambiguous instructions
  • Pitches that are likely to get read
  • Social media content that stops thumbs
  • Human-sounding website copy
  • Persuasively, while attuned to the reader’s possible sensitivities

 

Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: AI, which job seekers are using en masse. Earlier this year, I wrote that AI’s ability to hyper-increase an employee’s productivity—AI is still in its infancy; we’ve seen nothing yet—in certain professions, such as writing, sales and marketing, computer programming, office and admin, and customer service, makes it a “fewer employees needed” tool, which understandably greatly appeals to employers. In my opinion, the recent layoffs aren’t related to the economy; they’re due to employers adopting AI. Additionally, companies are trying to balance investing in AI with cost-cutting measures. CEOs who’ve previously said, “Our people are everything,” have arguably created today’s job market by obsessively focusing on AI to gain competitive advantages and reduce their largest expense, their payroll.

 

It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that most AI usage involves generating written content, content that’s obvious to me, and likely to you as well, to have been written by AI. However, here’s the twist: I don’t particularly care.

 

Why?

 

Because the fundamental skill I’m looking for is the ability to organize thoughts and communicate effectively. What I care about is whether the candidate can take AI-generated content and transform it into something uniquely valuable. If they can, they’re demonstrating the skills of being a good thinker and communicator. It’s like being a great DJ; anyone can push play, but it takes skill to read a room and mix music that gets people pumped.

 

Using AI requires prompting effectively, which requires good writing skills to write clear and precise instructions that guide the AI to produce desired outcomes. Prompting AI effectively requires understanding structure, flow and impact. You need to know how to shape raw information, such as milestones throughout your career when you achieved quantitative results, into a compelling narrative.

So, what’s the best way to gain and enhance your writing skills? As with any skill, you’ve got to work at it.

Two rules guide my writing:

 

  • Use strong verbs and nouns instead of relying on adverbs, such as “She dashed to the store.” instead of “She ran quickly to the store.” or “He whispered to the child.” instead of “He spoke softly to the child.”
  • Avoid using long words when a shorter one will do, such as “use” instead of “utilize” or “ask” instead of “inquire.” As attention spans get shorter, I aim for clarity, simplicity and, most importantly, brevity in my writing.

 

Don’t just string words together; learn to organize your thoughts, think critically, and communicate clearly. Solid writing skills will significantly set you apart from your competition, giving you an advantage in your job search and career.

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.

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Politics likely pushed Air Canada toward deal with ‘unheard of’ gains for pilots

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September 16, 2024

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MONTREAL – Politics, public opinion and salary hikes south of the border helped push Air Canada toward a deal that secures major pay gains for pilots, experts say.

Hammered out over the weekend, the would-be agreement includes a cumulative wage hike of nearly 42 per cent over four years — an enormous bump by historical standards — according to one source who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. The previous 10-year contract granted increases of just two per cent annually.

The federal government’s stated unwillingness to step in paved the way for a deal, noted John Gradek, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made it plain the two sides should hash one out themselves.

“Public opinion basically pressed the federal cabinet, including the prime minister, to keep their hands clear of negotiations and looking at imposing a settlement,” said Gradek, who teaches aviation management at McGill University.

After late-night talks at a hotel near Toronto’s Pearson airport, the country’s biggest airline and the union representing 5,200-plus aviators announced early Sunday morning they had reached a tentative agreement, averting a strike that would have grounded flights and affected some 110,000 passengers daily.

The relative precariousness of the Liberal minority government as well as a push to appear more pro-labour underlay the prime minister’s hands-off approach to the negotiations.

Trudeau said Friday the government would not step in to fix the impasse — unlike during a massive railway work stoppage last month and a strike by WestJet mechanics over the Canada Day long weekend that workers claimed road roughshod over their constitutional right to collective bargaining. Trudeau said the government respects the right to strike and would only intervene if it became apparent no negotiated deal was possible.

“They felt that they really didn’t want to try for a third attempt at intervention and basically said, ‘Let’s let the airline decide how they want to deal with this one,'” said Gradek.

“Air Canada ran out of support as the week wore on, and by the time they got to Friday night, Saturday morning, there was nothing left for them to do but to basically try to get a deal set up and accepted by ALPA (Air Line Pilots Association).”

Trudeau’s government was also unlikely to consider back-to-work legislation after the NDP tore up its agreement to support the Liberal minority in Parliament, Gradek said. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, whose party has traditionally toed a more pro-business line, also said last week that Tories “stand with the pilots” and swore off “pre-empting” the negotiations.

Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau had asked Ottawa on Thursday to impose binding arbitration pre-emptively — “before any travel disruption starts” — if talks failed. Backed by business leaders, he’d hoped for an effective repeat of the Conservatives’ move to head off a strike in 2012 by legislating Air Canada pilots and ground crew to stick to their posts before any work stoppage could start.

The request may have fallen flat, however. Gradek said he believes there was less anxiety over the fallout from an airline strike than from the countrywide railway shutdown.

He also speculated that public frustration over thousands of cancelled flights would have flowed toward Air Canada rather than Ottawa, prompting the carrier to concede to a deal yielding “unheard of” gains for employees.

“It really was a total collapse of the Air Canada bargaining position,” he said.

Pilots are slated to vote in the coming weeks on the four-year contract.

Last year, pilots at Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines secured agreements that included four-year pay boosts ranging from 34 per cent to 40 per cent, ramping up pressure on other carriers to raise wages.

After more than a year of bargaining, Air Canada put forward an offer in August centred around a 30 per cent wage hike over four years.

But the final deal, should union members approve it, grants a 26 per cent increase in the first year alone, retroactive to September 2023, according to the source. Three wage bumps of four per cent would follow in 2024 through 2026.

Passengers may wind up shouldering some of that financial load, one expert noted.

“At the end of the day, it’s all us consumers who are paying,” said Barry Prentice, who heads the University of Manitoba’s transport institute.

Higher fares may be mitigated by the persistence of budget carrier Flair Airlines and the rapid expansion of Porter Airlines — a growing Air Canada rival — as well as waning demand for leisure trips. Corporate travel also remains below pre-COVID-19 levels.

Air Canada said Sunday the tentative contract “recognizes the contributions and professionalism of Air Canada’s pilot group, while providing a framework for the future growth of the airline.”

The union issued a statement saying that, if ratified, the agreement will generate about $1.9 billion of additional value for Air Canada pilots over the course of the deal.

Meanwhile, labour tension with cabin crew looms on the horizon. Air Canada is poised to kick off negotiations with the union representing more than 10,000 flight attendants this year before the contract expires on March 31.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.

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Federal $500M bailout for Muskrat Falls power delays to keep N.S. rate hikes in check

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2 days ago

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September 16, 2024

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HALIFAX – Ottawa is negotiating a $500-million bailout for Nova Scotia’s privately owned electric utility, saying the money will be used to prevent a big spike in electricity rates.

Federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson made the announcement today in Halifax, saying Nova Scotia Power Inc. needs the money to cover higher costs resulting from the delayed delivery of electricity from the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric plant in Labrador.

Wilkinson says that without the money, the subsidiary of Emera Inc. would have had to increase rates by 19 per cent over “the short term.”

Nova Scotia Power CEO Peter Gregg says the deal, once approved by the province’s energy regulator, will keep rate increases limited “to be around the rate of inflation,” as costs are spread over a number of years.

The utility helped pay for construction of an underwater transmission link between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, but the Muskrat Falls project has not been consistent in delivering electricity over the past five years.

Those delays forced Nova Scotia Power to spend more on generating its own electricity.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.

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