The World Health Organization on Monday recommended that immunocompromised people be given an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine due to their higher risk of breakthrough infections after standard immunization.
The WHO’s strategic advisory group of experts on immunization said the additional dose should be offered “as part of an extended primary series since these individuals are less likely to respond adequately to vaccination following a standard primary vaccine series and are at high risk of severe COVID-19 disease.”
WATCH | Advisory body recommends 3rd doses for immunocompromised Canadians:
Public Health officials recommend a third dose of COVID vaccine for immunocompromised Canadians
1 month ago
Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam says a third dose of a COVID vaccine is recommended for Canadians who are moderately to severely immunocompromised and could help them build stronger immunity to the virus. 2:34
The WHO panel also recommended that people over 60 receive an additional dose of the shots made by Chinese vaccine makers Sinopharm and Sinovac one to three months after completing their schedule, citing evidence in studies in Latin America that they perform less well over time.
The panel, composed of independent experts who make policy but not regulatory recommendations, will review all global data on booster shots in a Nov. 11 meeting, amid questions over coronavirus variants and potential waning of immunity, WHO vaccine director Kate O’Brien told a news briefing.
Meanwhile, drugmaker Merck asked U.S. regulators on Monday to authorize its pill for treating COVID-19 in what would add a new and easy-to-use weapon to the world’s arsenal against the pandemic.
If cleared by the Food and Drug Administration — a decision that could come in a matter of weeks — it would be the first pill approved to treat the illness. All other FDA-backed treatments against COVID-19 require an IV or injection.
WATCH | Merck antiviral will help but vaccination more important, says specialist:
Specialist touts vaccines as Merck antiviral pill moves to U.S. regulators
8 hours ago
Merck’s new antiviral pill for COVID-19 may be of some help once it is approved by health regulators, says Montreal cardiologist Dr. Christopher Labos, but he’s wary of the term ‘game changer.’ (Merck & Co.) 2:19
An approved antiviral pill that people could take at home to reduce their symptoms and speed recovery could help ease the crushing caseload on some U.S. hospitals and help curb outbreaks in poorer countries with weak health-care systems.
The FDA will scrutinize company data on the safety and effectiveness of the drug, molnupiravir, before rendering a decision.
Merck and its partner, Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, said they specifically asked the agency to grant emergency use for adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at risk for severe disease or hospitalization.
What’s happening across Canada
WATCH | Canadians gather for Thanksgiving with varying restrictions in place:
Safety top of mind at many Thanksgiving gatherings
19 hours ago
During the first major holiday since mass COVID-19 vaccinations, many Canadians were still giving safety a seat at their Thanksgiving table, if local restrictions allowed gatherings. 2:07
What’s happening around the world
As of Monday afternoon, more than 238 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus-tracking tool. The reported global death toll stood at more than 4.8 million.
In Europe, Russian President Vladimir Putin, seen coughing during a televised government meeting, reassured officials on Monday that he was fine and said he was being tested for COVID-19 virtually every day.
Russia reported 957 coronavirus-related deaths on Monday, close to the all-time high of 968 reported two days earlier. The government coronavirus task force also said it had recorded 29,409 new cases in the last 24 hours.
Moscow, which reported 5,002 cases on Monday, said it was launching free “express” antibody-based tests for COVID-19 at a number of locations, including shopping malls, in an attempt to avert a new wave of restrictions.
A gravedigger stands during a COVID-19 victim’s burial at a cemetery outside Omsk, Russia, on Oct. 7. Russia’s daily coronavirus infections and deaths hovered near all-time highs Monday amid sluggish vaccination rates and the Kremlin’s reluctance to toughen restrictions. (The Associated Press)
In the Asia-Pacific region, Thailand will end quarantine requirements for vaccinated visitors from at least 10 countries including the United Kingdom, Singapore, Germany, China and the United States starting Nov. 1. The full list of eligible countries will be out later this week.
Sydney hairdressers, gyms, cafes and bars reopened to fully vaccinated customers on Monday for the first time in more than 100 days after Australia’s largest city achieved a vaccination benchmark.
Sydney had planned to reopen after 70 per cent of the New South Wales state population aged 16 and older were fully vaccinated. By Monday, 73.5 per cent of the target population was fully vaccinated and more than 90 per cent have received at least one dose.
A barbershop in Sydney, Australia, clips and snips some of its first costumers in months on Monday after more than 100 days of lockdown imposed to help curb the spread of COVID-19. (Rick Rycroft/The Associated Press)
New Zealand will require teachers and workers in the health and disability sectors to be fully vaccinated, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said, as she extended restrictions in Auckland for another week.
In the Americas, Merck applied for U.S. emergency use authorization for its drug to treat mild-to-moderate patients of COVID-19, putting it on course to become the first oral antiviral medication for the disease.
Venezuela on Sunday received a second batch of 2.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines via the COVAX mechanism, while the government said it hoped to reach immunity for 70 per cent of Venezuelans by the end of the month.
In Africa, Egypt’s public prosecution said on Sunday it had ordered the arrest of three people after thousands of unused COVID-19 vaccines were found dumped along a water channel.
LONGUEUIL, Que. – People in a part of Longueuil, Que., were being asked to stay indoors with their doors and windows closed on Thursday morning after a train derailed, spilling an unknown quantity of hydrogen peroxide.
Police from the city just east of Montreal said it didn’t appear anyone was hurt, although a CN rail official told a news conference that three employees had been taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.
The derailment happened at around 9 a.m. in the LeMoyne area, near the intersection of St-Louis and St-Georges streets. Mathieu Gaudreault, a spokesman for CN rail, said about eight cars derailed at the Southwark rail facility, including four that toppled over.
“As of this morning, the information we have is it’s hydrogen peroxide that was in the rail car and created the fumes we saw,” he said, adding that there was no risk of fire.
François Boucher, a spokesman for the Longueuil police department, said police were asking people in the area, including students at nearby schools, to stay indoors while experts ensure the air is safe to breathe.
“It is as a preventive measure that we encourage people to really avoid exposing themselves unnecessarily,” he told reporters near the scene.
Police and fire officials were on site, as well as CN railworkers, and a large security perimeter was erected.
Officers were asking people to avoid the sector, and the normally busy Highway 116 was closed in the area. The confinement notice includes everyone within 800 metres of the derailment, officials said, who added that it would be lifted once a team with expertise in dangerous materials has given the green light.
In addition to closing doors and windows, people in the area covered by the notice are asked to close heating, ventilation and air exchange systems, and to stay as far from windows as possible.
Gaudreault said it wasn’t yet clear what caused the derailment. The possibilities include a problem with the track, a problem with a manoeuvre, or a mechanical issue, he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s Liberal party is promising to improve cellphone service and invest in major highways if the party is elected to govern on Nov. 26.
Party leader Zach Churchill says a Liberal government would spend $60 million on building 87 new cellphone towers, which would be in addition to the $66 million the previous Progressive Conservative government committed to similar projects last year.
As well, Churchill confirmed the Liberals want to improve the province’s controlled access highways by adding exits along Highway 104 across the top of the mainland, and building a bypass along Highway 101 near Digby.
Churchill says the Liberals would add $40 million to the province’s $500 million capital budget for highways.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the three major political parties were expected to spend much of today preparing for a televised debate that will be broadcast tonight at 6 p.m. local time.
Churchill will face off against Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston and NDP Leader Claudia Chender during a 90-minute debate that will be carried live on CBC TV and streamed online.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
TORONTO – A group of hotel service workers in Toronto is set to hold a rally today outside the Fairmont Royal York to demand salary increases as hotel costs in the city skyrocket during Taylor Swift’s concerts.
Unite Here Local 75, the union representing 8,000 hospitality workers in the Greater Toronto Area, says Royal York employees have not seen a salary increase since 2021, and have been negotiating a new contract with the hotel since 2022.
The rally comes as the megastar begins her series of six sold-out concerts in Toronto, with the last show scheduled for Nov. 23.
During show weekends, some hotel rooms and short-term rentals in Toronto are priced up to 10 times more than other weekends, with some advertised for as much as $2,000 per night.
The union says hotel workers who will be serving Swifties during her Toronto stops are bargaining for raises to keep up with the rising cost of living.
The union represents hospitality workers including food service employees, room attendants and bell persons.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
