Ian McKellen, Biden — and Trudeau? Experts torn on when VIPs should get COVID-19 shot - Global News | Canada News Media
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Ian McKellen, Biden — and Trudeau? Experts torn on when VIPs should get COVID-19 shot – Global News

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Politicians and celebrities are deciding to roll up their sleeves and get the coronavirus vaccine as nations such as Canada and the United States start to roll out the shot.

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, 78, will get the coronavirus vaccine as soon as next week, according to officials. And Vice President Mike Pence, 61, will get the vaccine on Friday, the White House said.

Read more:
Biden to receive coronavirus vaccine next week, Pence set to be vaccinated Friday

On Thursday, 81-year-old actor Sir Ian McKellen, known for his roles in X-Men and Lord of the Rings, received the Pfizer vaccine in London. After he got the shot he took to Twitter saying he feels “very lucky to have had the vaccine,” and has “no hesitation recommending it to anyone.”

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In Canada, the first round of the Pfizer vaccine has been administered to vulnerable populations, such as healthcare employees and seniors. Currently, a politician has not publicly received a COVID-vaccine.

Global News reached out to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking if he plans on getting the shot in the near future.

A spokesperson from his office referred to comments Trudeau made Monday that he will get vaccinated “when the time comes,” but it should be given to the most vulnerable people first. As soon as it’s his turn he said he will take the vaccine in a very “visible” and “enthusiastic” way.






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Coronavirus: Trudeau says Ottawa covering vaccine costs, creating program around safety


Coronavirus: Trudeau says Ottawa covering vaccine costs, creating program around safety – Dec 10, 2020

Helps build public confidence

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Ana Santos Rutschman, a professor at the Center for Health Law Studies of Saint Louis University, said because a percentage of the population is hesitant to get the coronavirus vaccine, having a celebrity or politician get inoculated can help build public confidence.

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“Getting vaccinated on television, it’s not a publicity stunt, it’s how we get the public to gain trust in vaccines,” she said.

“Thomas Jefferson got the (smallpox) vaccine before he became president. … It was made into a showing to incentivize people to get it and show them it’s safe. That’s how we started modelling vaccine trust in the U.S.”

In 1956 Elvis publicly rolled up his sleeve for the polio vaccine in order to encourage his fans to do the same.

Read more:
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According to Ipsos polling carried out for Global News between Oct. 23 and 26, just 54 per cent of the Canadian public is willing to take a vaccine as soon as they can.

That’s not just in Canada. Polling from south of the border shows a majority of Americans saying they would be uncomfortable being among the first to receive the coronavirus vaccine, and a sizable minority said they will pass on getting vaccinated, according to Pew Research.

A vaccine information campaign could help gain public trust, Rutschman argued, but because there is such a short timeline until the general public gets a shot, the best way to gain confidence is for politicians to lead by example.

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Easing fears around the COVID-19 vaccine


Easing fears around the COVID-19 vaccine

Politicians should wait their turn

Biden is scheduled to receive the vaccine publicly in the coming days and has already addressed any controversy surrounding the decision.

“I don’t want to get ahead of the line but I want to make sure that we demonstrate to the American people that it is safe to take,” Biden said at an event on Wednesday. Biden is in a high-risk category for the coronavirus because of his age.

Trump will get the vaccine himself as soon as his medical team determines it is best, the White House said on Tuesday. The president was hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19 this fall.

Former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton previously volunteered to get their COVID-19 vaccines on camera to promote public confidence in the vaccine’s safety.

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Coronavirus: U.S. President Trump ‘absolutely open’ to publicly taking COVID-19 vaccine


Coronavirus: U.S. President Trump ‘absolutely open’ to publicly taking COVID-19 vaccine

Although American politicians seem eager to lead by example, Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases faculty member at the University of Toronto, said unless they are in the vulnerable population category, they should wait their turn.

“I think that people can certainly promote the vaccine publicly, but I really think it sends the right message when the appropriate people are vaccinated at the appropriate time,” he said.

“And while it would be wonderful for very high profile individuals in the community — so political leaders, business leaders, sports leaders and arts leaders — for them to promote the vaccine, I don’t think it’s fair for anyone to jump the queue and be vaccinated before their time.”

Bogoch added that the U.S. is in a different situation than Canada, which is why more politicians may be standing in line to get a vaccine.

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While Canada has procured thousands of vaccines before the end of December, the U.S. still has more per capita, and the ability to roll it out faster, he said.

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“I don’t think we should be treating Canada and the United States the same. We have a more limited supply … our roll-out is going to take longer. I think it sends the best message that we continue to do this in an equitable and data-driven manner, and no one jumps the queue. It doesn’t matter who you are.”

But, Bogoch said that doesn’t mean leaders can’t speak positively about the vaccine, and if anything, they should promote it when it’s their turn to get vaccinated.

— With files from Rachael D’Amore, Global News.

© 2020 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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Canada to donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to combat mpox outbreaks in Africa

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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.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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How many Nova Scotians are on the doctor wait-list? Number hit 160,000 in June

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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.

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Newfoundland and Labrador monitoring rise in whooping cough cases: medical officer

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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.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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