Should Canadian public health officials be keeping second doses of COVID-19 vaccine on ice until all high-risk people get their first shot?
It’s a possibility Dr. Danuta Skowronski, epidemiology lead for influenza and emerging respiratory pathogens at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, is raising.
Skowronski says data shows that there is little extra protection provided by a second COVID-19 shot. And it means the majority of hospitalizations from severe COVID should already be “vaccine preventable.”
“We should not be waffling on this, it’s too critical right now,” she told Global News.
In a letter to the editor published in the New England Journal of Medicine co-authored with Dr. Gaston De Serres of the Institut National de Sante Publique du Quebec, Skowronski argues the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine — initially said to be just 52.4 per cent effective with one dose — could also provide more than 90 per cent protection with a single shot.
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2:01 New federal coronavirus modeling data warns of ‘third wave’ danger
New federal coronavirus modeling data warns of ‘third wave’ danger
According to Skowronski and De Serres, Pfizer’s own research started measuring how effective its vaccine was immediately after giving the shot, not after a two-week grace period she described as typical in vaccinology.
Using documents submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug administration, the doctors say they determined Pfizer’s vaccine is actually up to 92.6 per cent effective with a single dose.
Evidence collected on the ground to date in British Columbia from long-term care residents and inoculated health-care workers indicates a single-shot efficacy of at least 80 per cent, Skowronski said.
2:04 New data on effectiveness of single COVID-19 vaccine dose
New data on effectiveness of single COVID-19 vaccine dose
“What we’re showing, with that letter, is that the second dose gives very little added benefit over that first dose,” Skowronski said.
“We could be optimizing the use of the scarce vaccine supply by ensuring that all of our high risk individuals, target priority groups, get a first dose of vaccine before we double back and administer a second dose that is providing little added value to anyone at this stage.”
Skowronski stressed that she was not suggesting that second doses be dropped entirely, but that the priority should be getting first shots into the arms of people most at risk.
Pfizer is resistant to the idea of holding off on second doses.
In a reply to Skowronski and De Serres, the company insisted that “alternative dosing regimens … have not been evaluated.”
“The decision to implement alternative dosing regimens resides with health authorities; however, we at Pfizer believe that it is critical for health authorities to conduct surveillance on alternative dosing schedules to ensure that vaccines provide the maximum possible protection,” it said.
The federal government is seriously looking at the data.
2:50 Update on COVID-19 variants of concern in B.C.
Update on COVID-19 variants of concern in B.C.
Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu was asked Friday if a single-dose regimen, combined with new research showing the vaccine could possibly be kept at a warmer temperature, could be a “game changer.”
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“It could be,” she said.
“The regulators are always renewing the new data as it arrives, from both the manufacturer and our own domestic data that continues to grow.”
Health officials in B.C. are actively discussing the possibilities the data opened up.
“What we’re trying to do, what we’re all trying to do is maximize the protection from the available vaccine to the entire population,” deputy provincial health officer Dr. Reka Gustafson said.
“So I would say that the data are being looked at very, very carefully and evidence is accumulating to to support that as a potential approach for maximizing protection in the population.
The province has administered 192,942 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, of which 36,923 were second doses.
On Thursday, B.C. administered 12,250 doses of vaccine, its highest-ever single-day immunization. More than half of those shots were second doses.
Most job search advice is cookie-cutter. The advice you’re following is almost certainly the same advice other job seekers follow, making you just another candidate following the same script.
In today’s hyper-competitive job market, standing out is critical, a challenge most job seekers struggle with. Instead of relying on generic questions recommended by self-proclaimed career coaches, which often lead to a forgettable interview, ask unique, thought-provoking questions that’ll spark engaging conversations and leave a lasting impression.
Your level of interest in the company and the role.
Contributing to your employer’s success is essential.
You desire a cultural fit.
Here are the top four questions experts recommend candidates ask; hence, they’ve become cliché questions you should avoid asking:
“What are the key responsibilities of this position?”
Most likely, the job description answers this question. Therefore, asking this question indicates you didn’t read the job description. If you require clarification, ask, “How many outbound calls will I be required to make daily?” “What will be my monthly revenue target?”
“What does a typical day look like?”
Although it’s important to understand day-to-day expectations, this question tends to elicit vague responses and rarely leads to a deeper conversation. Don’t focus on what your day will look like; instead, focus on being clear on the results you need to deliver. Nobody I know has ever been fired for not following a “typical day.” However, I know several people who were fired for failing to meet expectations. Before accepting a job offer, ensure you’re capable of meeting the employer’s expectations.
“How would you describe the company culture?”
Asking this question screams, “I read somewhere to ask this question.” There are much better ways to research a company’s culture, such as speaking to current and former employees, reading online reviews and news articles. Furthermore, since your interviewer works for the company, they’re presumably comfortable with the culture. Do you expect your interviewer to give you the brutal truth? “Be careful of Craig; get on his bad side, and he’ll make your life miserable.” “Bob is close to retirement. I give him lots of slack, which the rest of the team needs to pick up.”
Truism: No matter how much due diligence you do, only when you start working for the employer will you experience and, therefore, know their culture firsthand.
“What opportunities are there for professional development?”
When asked this question, I immediately think the candidate cares more about gaining than contributing, a showstopper. Managing your career is your responsibility, not your employer’s.
Cliché questions don’t impress hiring managers, nor will they differentiate you from your competition. To transform your interaction with your interviewer from a Q&A session into a dynamic discussion, ask unique, insightful questions.
Here are my four go-to questions—I have many more—to accomplish this:
“Describe your management style. How will you manage me?”
This question gives your interviewer the opportunity to talk about themselves, which we all love doing. As well, being in sync with my boss is extremely important to me. The management style of who’ll be my boss is a determining factor in whether or not I’ll accept the job.
“What is the one thing I should never do that’ll piss you off and possibly damage our working relationship beyond repair?”
This question also allows me to determine whether I and my to-be boss would be in sync. Sometimes I ask, “What are your pet peeves?”
“When I join the team, what would be the most important contribution you’d want to see from me in the first six months?”
Setting myself up for failure is the last thing I want. As I mentioned, focus on the results you need to produce and timelines. How realistic are the expectations? It’s never about the question; it’s about what you want to know. It’s important to know whether you’ll be able to meet or even exceed your new boss’s expectations.
“If I wanted to sell you on an idea or suggestion, what do you need to know?”
Years ago, a candidate asked me this question. I was impressed he wasn’t looking just to put in time; he was looking for how he could be a contributing employee. Every time I ask this question, it leads to an in-depth discussion.
Other questions I’ve asked:
“What keeps you up at night?”
“If you were to leave this company, who would follow?”
“How do you handle an employee making a mistake?”
“If you were to give a Ted Talk, what topic would you talk about?”
“What are three highly valued skills at [company] that I should master to advance?”
“What are the informal expectations of the role?”
“What is one misconception people have about you [or the company]?”
Your questions reveal a great deal about your motivations, drive to make a meaningful impact on the business, and a chance to morph the questioning into a conversation. Cliché questions don’t lead to meaningful discussions, whereas unique, thought-provoking questions do and, in turn, make you memorable.
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.
CALGARY – Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. reported a third-quarter profit of $2.27 billion, down from $2.34 billion in the same quarter last year.
The company says the profit amounted to $1.06 per diluted share for the quarter that ended Sept. 30 compared with $1.06 per diluted share a year earlier.
Product sales totalled $10.40 billion, down from $11.76 billion in the same quarter last year.
Daily production for the quarter averaged 1,363,086 barrels of oil equivalent per day, down from 1,393,614 a year ago.
On an adjusted basis, Canadian Natural says it earned 97 cents per diluted share for the quarter, down from an adjusted profit of $1.30 per diluted share in the same quarter last year.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 90 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.
CALGARY – Cenovus Energy Inc. reported its third-quarter profit fell compared with a year as its revenue edged lower.
The company says it earned $820 million or 42 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, down from $1.86 billion or 97 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue for the quarter totalled $14.25 billion, down from $14.58 billion in the same quarter last year.
Total upstream production in the quarter amounted to 771,300 barrels of oil equivalent per day, down from 797,000 a year earlier.
Total downstream throughput was 642,900 barrels per day compared with 664,300 in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Cenovus says its funds flow amounted to $1.05 per diluted share in its latest quarter, down from adjusted funds flow of $1.81 per diluted share a year earlier.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.
