OTTAWA —
Starting Friday, hundreds of federal inmates will begin to receive COVID-19 vaccines as part of a pilot project, according to the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers (UCCO). It’s a move that’s sparked debate among federal and provincial politicians about who is being prioritized in the early stages of the mass vaccination campaign.
As part of this initial vaccine rollout, 1,200 doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be delivered to prisons across the country. In all, 600 inmates will receive vaccinations, with each inmate getting the required two doses over a few weeks. It remains unclear which vaccine they will be using to immunize the inmates.
In total, across the country, more than 165,000 health care workers, front line staff and seniors have begun receiving shots, with 1.2 million more doses expected to land in this country and be administered to these key groups this month.
Elderly prisoners and those with pre-existing conditions are being given first access to these shots, but prison officers and employees are not a part of the program, according to the union. National president of the UCCO Jeff Wilkins is pushing to see prison officers vaccinated sooner.
“People are very close together in there, our members are going to work in there every single day,” he said. “They need to be protected.”
Facing questions about the plan during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair defended the federal government’s approach and derided politicians for “the language of resentment and fear” which he said “really has no place in this discussion.”
Blair emphasized that this initial program is using a “small number” of vaccines for those most acutely at risk and the general prison population will have to “wait their turn” like all other Canadians.
“We have a duty of care for those who are in our custody to ensure that they are treated fairly and that they are kept safe,” Blair said.
Blair said he understands there are concerns about this vaccination effort leaving out correctional officers given the risks they face, but said they too will be among the earliest to receive immunizations. He did not offer a specific timeline.
“I think that’s also very much in the interest of those workers who are in those institutions to take the steps necessary to protect the most vulnerable people in those institutions,” Blair said.
Through the pilot, doses will be sent to five prisons: one federal institution Atlantic Canada, one in Quebec, one in Ontario, one in the Prairies, and one on the West Coast to start. The union says it does not know which facilities in particular will be receiving the vaccines.
Correctional Service Canada (CSC) said in a statement that they are following health guidelines for vaccinations.
“We have worked very closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada to respond to every aspect of the pandemic, including the provision of vaccines to inmates,” said the CSC.
CTVNews.ca has followed up with the agency to provide additional details about this program.
The news has prompted the outrage of Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, who tweeted Tuesday night that: “Not one criminal should be vaccinated ahead of any vulnerable Canadian or front-line health worker.”
“There is no prison ICU… prisoners use regular hospital beds,” tweeted Liberal MP Chris Bittle. “Maybe we should listen to public health experts rather than the leader of the opposition,” he said.
In a subsequent statement on Wednesday, Conservative public safety critic Shannon Stubbs and Quebec MP Richard Martel doubled down on their opposition to this plan, which they characterized as “Liberals giving COVID-19 vaccines to criminals” before other at-risk groups, and said that prison outbreaks have been “isolated.” Ontario Premier Doug Ford also joined in on the criticism of this plan, saying Blair has “dropped the ball” and this move should be corrected.
Responding to the criticism, Blair was unapologetic and said that provinces share responsibility in ensuring the current supplies of vaccines go where they should.
Blair said he understands there are concerns but this vaccination effort is following the advice of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), which is providing the federal government with advice and guidance around prioritization of vaccines.
NACI has suggested that residents and staff of congregate living settings that provide care for seniors should be among the first phase of vaccinations, and that residents and staff of correctional facilities should be prioritized in the second phase of immunizations.
“The risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 is high in congregate settings where physical distancing and other infection prevention and control measures are challenging and individuals may not be able to exercise sufficient personal actions to adequately protect themselves from infection. Furthermore, many residents in these settings have inequitable access to health care,” reads NACI’s recommendations in part.
Blair said that the inmates being vaccinated through this program meet the criteria of being eligible in the first phase.
“There are some individuals within our federal institutions who are elderly, who have existing health conditions, and as a consequence are at a much, much more significant risk and very similar to those elderly individuals living in long-term health care facilities,” Blair said.
While steps have been taken in an effort to limit the spread of the highly contagious virus through the closed quarters of federal corrections facilities, prisons across the country have experienced outbreaks, with seven institutions currently dealing with active COVID-19 cases.
In eastern Ontario for example, the Joyceville Institution in Kingston has an ongoing outbreak with 67 active cases, of the total 151 inmates that have tested positive for the virus at that facility over the course of the pandemic.
University of Ottawa Associate Criminology Professor Justin Piche said given the threat of COVID-19 transmission inside prisons, inmates and staff should be among those receiving early access to vaccines.
“These congregate settings need to be dealt with sooner rather than later,” Piche said. “Especially for folks who are who are older or who have health issues.”
To date, there have been a total of 1,146 confirmed COVID-19 cases among Canada’s inmate population which averages around 14,000 people, and there have been three deaths.
More to come.
With files from CTV News’ Kimberley Johnson,Ted Raymond and Jeremiah Rodriguez
The Canadian government says it will donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to fight the mpox outbreak in Congo and other African countries.
It says the donated doses of Imvamune will come from Canada’s existing supply and will not affect the country’s preparedness for mpox cases in this country.
Minister of Health Mark Holland says the donation “will help to protect those in the most affected regions of Africa and will help prevent further spread of the virus.”
Dr. Madhukar Pai, Canada research chair in epidemiology and global health, says although the donation is welcome, it is a very small portion of the estimated 10 million vaccine doses needed to control the outbreak.
Vaccine donations from wealthier countries have only recently started arriving in Africa, almost a month after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
A few days after the declaration in August, Global Affairs Canada announced a contribution of $1 million for mpox surveillance, diagnostic tools, research and community awareness in Africa.
On Thursday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said mpox is still on the rise and that testing rates are “insufficient” across the continent.
Jason Kindrachuk, Canada research chair in emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, said donating vaccines, in addition to supporting surveillance and diagnostic tests, is “massively important.”
But Kindrachuk, who has worked on the ground in Congo during the epidemic, also said that the international response to the mpox outbreak is “better late than never (but) better never late.”
“It would have been fantastic for us globally to not be in this position by having provided doses a much, much longer time prior than when we are,” he said, noting that the outbreak of clade I mpox in Congo started in early 2023.
Clade II mpox, endemic in regions of West Africa, came to the world’s attention even earlier — in 2022 — as that strain of virus spread to other countries, including Canada.
Two doses are recommended for mpox vaccination, so the donation may only benefit 100,000 people, Pai said.
Pai questioned whether Canada is contributing enough, as the federal government hasn’t said what percentage of its mpox vaccine stockpile it is donating.
“Small donations are simply not going to help end this crisis. We need to show greater solidarity and support,” he said in an email.
“That is the biggest lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic — our collective safety is tied with that of other nations.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.
The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.
Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.
“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”
The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.
A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.
Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.
“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.
Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.
The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.
Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.
The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.
“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.
Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.
Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.
A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
