Health

Aitchison condemns Lewis’ Nuremberg email as ‘dog whistle’ to COVID vaccine critics

Published

2 years ago

August 25, 2022

OTTAWA — Conservative party leadership candidate Scott Aitchison is condemning Leslyn Lewis’ message to members last week about the Nuremberg Code and medical experimentation as nothing but a “dog whistle” to COVID-19 vaccine critics.

Aitchison made the comments in a missive sent to party members Thursday, with less than two weeks before they must return their ballots for a new leader by the Sept. 6 deadline.

Aitchison, an MP first elected for the party in 2019 and again last year, entered the leadership race as a largely unknown figure.

Throughout the race, the rural Ontario representative has campaigned on a message of restoring decency in politics at a time when leaders of different stripes have been accused of stoking division.

He referred to those values in Thursday’s message, saying he has heard from Canadians who were confused and “appalled” at the comparison Lewis drew between contemporary issues and the Holocaust.

In her message, Lewis provided a timeline of moments in history when humans have been subjected to experimentation, including some Indigenous children in residential schools who were malnourished.

She wrote that, “even in modern times the tenets of informed consent and voluntary participation in scientific experiments can be easily undermined by even our modern governments.”

Although Lewis didn’t mention COVID-19 in last week’s note about the Nuremberg Code — a set of research guidelines established after the Second World War, when Nazi doctors carried out inhumane experiments on prisoners — Aitchison says some opposed to COVID-19 immunizations have compared vaccine mandates to the horrors of Nazi Germany.

“Leslyn’s email was a dog whistle to these people so loud that it sounds more like a freight train’s horn,” Aitchison said.

“Let me be clear — being offered a vaccine that prevents serious illness and our governments’ responses to this pandemic are not the same as being tortured in a Nazi concentration camp.”

Lewis responded to Aitchison’s condemnation in a statement pointing out how her initial message never mentioned COVID-19. She went on to accuse her colleague of attacking her publicly, saying “he diminished my existence as a Black woman who has endured racism, and rose above it all.”

“I understand that some people were shocked by the fact that I was willing to point out how governments throughout history have broken the Nuremberg Code, including right here in Canada,” Lewis said.

“I had a few caucus colleagues who had questions about my letter. They contacted me directly, and we discussed it,” she said, adding that “we came away with a greater understanding of the other’s thoughts.”

Aitchison, in his message to members, also touched on a recent decision by the Liberal government to back away from a group hired to do anti-racism work after The Canadian Press reported one of its consultants had sent tweets about “Jewish white supremacists.”

Many Conservative MPs have roundly criticized the government, questioning what kind of vetting occurred.

“If we want to actually deliver on the promise of better government, we as a party must do better as well,” Aitchison said.

Lewis entered the contest to become party leader as a sitting MP who placed third in the 2020 leadership race.

Like in the first race, she once again enjoys the backing of the social conservative wing of the party, a segment of the base that is highly motivated to purchase memberships and elect a leader who opposes abortion — which Lewis does.

This time around, however, Lewis has also championed opposition to COVID-19 health measures as well as global entities like the World Economic Forum, the United Nations and the World Health Organization

Lewis has been criticized for playing into conspiracy theories — which some in the party worry have been spreading — to make political gain. For her part, Lewis has defended raising such issues by saying it’s what she hears when she talks to Canadians, whose views should not be dismissed.

In May, Aitchison raised concerns about the prevalence of conspiracy theories in the party during a debate in Ottawa, hosted by the Canada Strong and Free Network, an organization that advocates for the conservative movement.

“Every time I hear a Conservative talking about some conspiracy theory, I realize that there’s another group of swing voters in the (Greater Toronto Area) that just are not going to come our way,” he told the audience at the time.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 25, 2022.

Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press

Health

Tips for shopping for Medicare Advantage plans

Published

2 days ago

September 28, 2024

Anne Joseph

Shopping season for Medicare coverage is about to begin. With it comes the annual onslaught of TV ads and choices to consider.

People eligible for the federal government’s Medicare program will have from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 to sign up for 2025 Medicare Advantage plans, which are privately run versions of the program. They also can add a prescription drug plan to traditional Medicare coverage.

Many people on Medicare Advantage plans will probably have to find new coverage as major insurers cut costs and pull back from markets. Industry experts also predict some price increases for Medicare prescription drug plans.

Shoppers often have dozens of options during this sign-up period. Here are some things to consider.

Don’t put off shopping for Medicare coverage

Start thinking about next year’s coverage before the annual enrollment window begins. Insurers will usually preview their offerings or let customers know about any big changes. That makes anything arriving in the mail from your insurer important to read.

Insurance agents say many people wait until after Thanksgiving to decide coverage plans for the new year. That could be a mistake this year: The holiday falls on Nov. 28, leaving slightly more than a week to decide before the enrollment window closes.

Look beyond the premium

Many Medicare Advantage plans promote a $0 premium. That may sound attractive, but price is only one variable to consider.

Shoppers should look at whether their doctors are in the plan’s coverage network and how prescriptions would be covered. They also should know the maximum amount under the plan that they’d have to pay if a serious health issue emerges.

Plans offer many supplemental benefits, including help paying food or utility bills. Don’t let those distract from understanding the core coverage, said Danielle Roberts, co-founder of the Fort Worth, Texas, insurance agency Boomer Benefits.

“Remember that we buy health insurance for the big things, not the frills,” she said.

How to get help shopping for plans

The federal government operates a plan finder that lets people compare options. The State Health Insurance Assistance Program can be another resource. Insurance brokers or agents also guide customers through searches.

Sometimes a plan’s coverage doesn’t work as expected. If that happens, there’s another enrollment window in the first three-months of each year where some shoppers may be able to make a change.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Health

The US is mailing Americans COVID tests again. Here’s how to get them

Published

5 days ago

September 26, 2024

Anne Joseph

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans can once again order COVID-19 tests, without being charged, sent straight to their homes.

The U.S. government reopened the program on Thursday, allowing any household to order up to four at-home COVID nasal swab kits through the website, covidtests.gov. The tests will begin shipping, via the United States Postal Service, as soon as next week.

The website has been reopened on the heels of a summer COVID-19 virus wave and heading into the fall and winter respiratory virus season, with health officials urging Americans to get an updated COVID-19 booster and their yearly flu shot.

“Before you visit with your family and friends this holiday season, take a quick test and help keep them safe from COVID-19,” U.S. Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell said in a statement.

U.S. regulators approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine that is designed to combat the recent virus strains and, they hope, forthcoming winter ones, too. Vaccine uptake is waning, however. Most Americans have some immunity from prior infections or vaccinations, but under a quarter of U.S. adults took last fall’s COVID-19 shot.

Using the swab, people can detect current virus strains ahead of the fall and winter respiratory virus season and the holidays. Over-the-counter COVID-19 at-home tests typically cost around $11, as of last year. Insurers are no longer required to cover the cost of the tests.

Before using any existing at-home COVID-19 tests, you should check the expiration date. Many of the tests have been given an extended expiration from the date listed on the box. You can check on the Food and Drug Administration’s website to see if that’s the case for any of your remaining tests at home.

Since COVID-19 first began its spread in 2020, U.S. taxpayers have poured billions of dollars into developing and purchasing COVID-19 tests as well as vaccines. The Biden administration has given out 1.8 billion COVID-19 tests, including half distributed to households by mail. It’s unclear how many tests the government still has on hand.

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