Made-in-Canada COVID-19 vaccine effort slowed by manufacturing delay
In early February, a tiny tube of yellow-tinged liquid was packed into a sealed container designed to withstand an airplane crash.
The sample was from the first Canadian case of COVID-19, and destined for the University of Saskatchewan campus in Saskatoon, where research scientists were mobilizing their efforts to develop a vaccine.
At the time, the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac) was one of only a handful of labs around the world working on a potential COVID-19 vaccine.
The team, which is now one of more than 160 research groups around the world working on a vaccine, set an incredibly tight timeline considering vaccines usually take around a decade to get approval.
VIDO-InterVac’s plan, if trials were successful, was to have a vaccine ready to manufacture for targeted groups — such as front-line workers — by March 2021.
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="But now, despite long workdays and promising early results, the team says a lack of manufacturing capacity is slowing down their efforts at a made-in-Canada vaccine — something that matters given concerns over "vaccine nationalism," which could prevent access to a product that’s not made at home.” data-reactid=”37″>But now, despite long workdays and promising early results, the team says a lack of manufacturing capacity is slowing down their efforts at a made-in-Canada vaccine — something that matters given concerns over “vaccine nationalism,” which could prevent access to a product that’s not made at home.
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VIDO-InterVac/University of Saskatchewan
A typical day for director Volker Gerdts could begin with a meeting with the World Health Organization as early as 6:30 a.m. CST and end as late as 10 p.m. with a call to China.
“We all sense the urgency and the importance of our work and so it’s hard to explain to yourself taking time off when people are literally dying in the hospital,” said Gerdts in June.
“We have a really good team … however burnout is a real thing.”
Early test results were good. Ferrets given the vaccine candidate showed a strong immune response to COVID-19, generating antibodies and having a decreased viral infection.
Regardless of the encouraging signs, the researchers were always at the mercy of external factors like global politics and manufacturing capacity. Now, Gerdts says the timeline of a VIDO-InterVac vaccine being ready to manufacture, if it’s successful, has been delayed by both.
Before it can proceed to human clinical trials, the facility needs to complete more studies using higher-grade materials than what they needed for their early animal studies. But waiting for busy manufacturers to provide them is holding up the process.
Had the federal government invested more in a proposed manufacturing facility at VIDO- InterVac before the pandemic, Gerdts said, a Canadian vaccine would be at the front of the race.
“We’ve been telling the government, and I don’t want to use this as a blaming, but we have raised the issue of Canada’s unpreparedness for pandemic diseases for quite a while,” Gerdts said. “You need to have manufacturing capacity. You need to have the ability to quickly respond.”
CBC News asked the federal government why it didn’t invest more in manufacturing at VIDO-InterVac before 2020, and whether it feels it did enough to prepare for a potential pandemic before COVID-19.
“The health and safety of Canadians is the Government of Canada’s top priority,” said part of a statement from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada in response.
“That’s why the government is mobilizing Canada’s world-class researchers to deliver rapid responses to fight COVID-19.”
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Inside the lab” data-reactid=”74″>Inside the lab
Darryl Falzarano’s work day begins with a series of biosecurity protocols including changing his clothes twice, showering and going through a secure corridor.
He works in the Level 3 high containment lab with SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — and other viruses. His uniform includes a face shield and a head covering that pumps clean air around his face. He puts duct-tape around his wrists where his gloves meet the sleeves of his suit.
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Matthew Garand/CBC
Falzarano said people ask him if he is scared about working in containment labs.
“For myself, that’s not the case,” he said.
“Of course you’re working with a pathogen that can infect you and in some cases cause a … high fatality rate, but being fearful, that’s not the right attitude to have.”
Falzarano, who is also working on a vaccine for the MERS coronavirus in camels, needs to prepare samples of SARS-CoV-2 for what the researchers called “challenge” studies.
The study involves giving ferrets or hamsters two doses of the vaccine over a period of two months. After that, the animals are infected with the virus. The scientists then monitor the infected animals to see how well they are protected by the vaccine.
The VIDO-InterVac vaccine is made with the spike protein on the outside of SARS-CoV-2. If successful, it would work by using that protein to trick the immune system into thinking it has COVID-19 so it will generate the antibodies and T-cells that fight the virus.
To make it, the researchers grow the spike protein in human cells then combine it with an ingredient called an “adjuvant,” which kicks the immune system into even higher gear.
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="WATCH | See inside the high-security lab in January, as work began on a COVID-19 vaccine” data-reactid=”106″>WATCH | See inside the high-security lab in January, as work began on a COVID-19 vaccine
To test the vaccine, VIDO-InterVac identified ferrets and hamsters as the animals who experience the effects of the virus most like humans.
The researchers said ferrets tend to be infected most strongly in the upper respiratory tract. The vaccinated ferrets had a strong immune response to the virus.
But the researchers wanted their tests to show the vaccine also reduces the amount of virus in the lower respiratory tract: the lungs. Hamsters were better suited to show that effect.
In late July, the researchers learned the experiment involving the hamsters, which takes two months, would have to be repeated to try a higher dose of the virus.
The researchers said the vaccine also generated an immune response in the hamsters, but not as consistently as it did in ferrets.
Falzarano said that, despite the tight timeline, he has to filter out the pressure that comes with working on a vaccine the world is waiting for.
“I don’t feel that so much. I actually think that’s a bad thing that leads you to want to cut corners or, you know, look at potentially your data differently,” he said.
“I think it’s very important that doesn’t happen.”
In June, Gerdts laid out his ideal timeline for progressing to human clinical trials and then manufacturing, if all went well: begin manufacturing in the new year to have 10-20 million doses by March or April 2021
But now, he expects manufacturing to begin in June 2021 at the earliest.
The researchers need higher-grade ingredients to prepare the virus for an essential phase of the animal testing process and to proceed to human clinical trials, but have been unable to get those ingredients manufactured by suppliers without delays.
A vaccine must go through three phases of human clinical testing to be approved.
The first involves one to 100 volunteers and the second phase involves 20 to 500. The third and final phase traditionally takes years, as up to 30,000 volunteers are vaccinated and the researchers wait to see how the vaccine works in volunteers who happen to get infected.
Concerns are already being raised by some scientists about demand for the vaccine outweighing the capacity to manufacture it around the world.
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Matthew Garand/CBC
VIDO-InterVac is in the process of building a pilot manufacturing facility, but it is not scheduled to be ready until the end of 2021.
The facility received an initial $3.6 million from the federal government in 2018. Even before the pandemic, VIDO-InterVac leaders were trying to get more funding, but an additional $12 million that allowed the facility to start construction didn’t come until March. The facility also received $23 million to develop the vaccine.
Gerdts said his team could now be as far along the approval process as front-runners like Oxford University/AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines, neither of which are Canadian, if the funding had come earlier.
Earlier this month the federal government made a deal to purchase millions of doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, saying it is still considering similar deals with other developers.
Gerdts said not having the manufacturing facility has created delays for his team.
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Bonnie Allen/CBC
“It is the unfortunate reality and it is disappointing because we have kind of predicted this to happen,” said Gerdts.
“We need to have a manufacturing facility and when this thing hits you need to be able to quickly respond, and all in-house so that you don’t have to go outside and hire others.”
He said that manufacturers elsewhere are understandably busy now.
“So you can’t just simply expect that a manufacturing facility stops all what they are doing now to produce your vaccine.”
Andrew Casey from BIOTECanada, an association that supports the vaccine industry, said Canada’s capacity to manufacture an eventual vaccine will depend on what type of vaccine it is, and how closely it resembles ones that have been gone before.
The ease of manufacturing, and the time and cost of doing so, could also play a role in which Canadian vaccine, if any, is finally made available to the public, he said.
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Emergency fast-tracking seems less likely: Gerdts” data-reactid=”173″>Emergency fast-tracking seems less likely: Gerdts
A June start-date for manufacturing would only be possible if Health Canada granted an emergency authorization to allow some manufacturing for at-risk groups — like seniors and healthcare workers — before Phase 3 of human clinical testing was complete.
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Gerdts said he originally thought that was a strong possibility, but that it seems less likely now. Russia’s decision to start using a vaccine without completing Phase 3 was not well received by many scientists. ” data-reactid=”175″>Gerdts said he originally thought that was a strong possibility, but that it seems less likely now. Russia’s decision to start using a vaccine without completing Phase 3 was not well received by many scientists.
“We haven’t really seen any of the governments saying under an emergency authorization we want this to be used earlier,” Gerdts said.
“I think there is a concern in the public that some of these vaccines are maybe not safe enough, because they were developed too quickly.”
Gerdts said he is not concerned about others getting to make a vaccine first, because the world needs multiple vaccines with different abilities. But losing momentum, he fears, could lead the government to invest in other vaccines that are progressing faster, potentially from international companies outside Canada.
Gerdts said the team plans to continue pushing forward with its vaccine with as much urgency as it had at the start of the pandemic.
“I think the scientist in me says I have a better vaccine than many of these vaccines that are out there right now and that’s really — our results show that,” said Gerdts, who has tested some other vaccines.
He said he expects some vaccines to start coming out early next year, but they may not be as effective as people want.
“Then there will be a second round of vaccines coming forward which will be better than the first round,” he said.
“Ours will be one of those.”
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="LISTEN | CBC’s Alicia Bridges discusses VIDO-InterVac’s hunt for a vaccine on Frontburner” data-reactid=”184″>LISTEN | CBC’s Alicia Bridges discusses VIDO-InterVac’s hunt for a vaccine on Frontburner
Skinstitut Holiday Gift Kits take the stress out of gifting
Toronto, October 31, 2024 – Beauty gifts are at the top of holiday wish lists this year, and Laser Clinics Canada, a leader in advanced beauty treatments and skincare, is taking the pressure out of seasonal shopping. Today, Laser Clincs Canada announces the arrival of its 2024 Holiday Gift Kits, courtesy of Skinstitut, the exclusive skincare line of Laser Clinics Group.
In time for the busy shopping season, the limited-edition Holiday Gifts Kits are available in Laser Clinics locations in the GTA and Ottawa. Clinics are conveniently located in popular shopping centers, including Hillcrest Mall, Square One, CF Sherway Gardens, Scarborough Town Centre, Rideau Centre, Union Station and CF Markville. These limited-edition Kits are available on a first come, first served basis.
“These kits combine our best-selling products, bundled to address the most relevant skin concerns we’re seeing among our clients,” says Christina Ho, Senior Brand & LAM Manager at Laser Clinics Canada. “With several price points available, the kits offer excellent value and suit a variety of gift-giving needs, from those new to cosmeceuticals to those looking to level up their skincare routine. What’s more, these kits are priced with a savings of up to 33 per cent so gift givers can save during the holiday season.
There are two kits to select from, each designed to address key skin concerns and each with a unique theme — Brightening Basics and Hydration Heroes.
Brightening Basics is a mix of everyday essentials for glowing skin for all skin types. The bundle comes in a sleek pink, reusable case and includes three full-sized products: 200ml gentle cleanser, 50ml Moisture Defence (normal skin) and 30ml1% Hyaluronic Complex Serum. The Brightening Basics kit is available at $129, a saving of 33 per cent.
Hydration Heroes is a mix of hydration essentials and active heroes that cater to a wide variety of clients. A perfect stocking stuffer, this bundle includes four deluxe products: Moisture 15 15 ml Defence for normal skin, 10 ml 1% Hyaluronic Complex Serum, 10 ml Retinol Serum and 50 ml Expert Squalane Cleansing Oil. The kit retails at $59.
In addition to the 2024 Holiday Gifts Kits, gift givers can easily add a Laser Clinic Canada gift card to the mix. Offering flexibility, recipients can choose from a wide range of treatments offered by Laser Clinics Canada, or they can expand their collection of exclusive Skinstitut products.
Brightening Basics 2024 Holiday Gift Kit by Skinstitut, available exclusively at Laser Clincs Canada clinics and online at skinstitut.ca.
Hydration Heroes 2024 Holiday Gift Kit by Skinstitut – available exclusively at Laser Clincs Canada clinics and online at skinstitut.ca.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
The Canadian Paediatric Society says doctors should regularly screen children for reading difficulties and dyslexia, calling low literacy a “serious public health concern” that can increase the risk of other problems including anxiety, low self-esteem and behavioural issues, with lifelong consequences.
New guidance issued Wednesday says family doctors, nurses, pediatricians and other medical professionals who care for school-aged kids are in a unique position to help struggling readers access educational and specialty supports, noting that identifying problems early couldhelp kids sooner — when it’s more effective — as well as reveal other possible learning or developmental issues.
The 10 recommendations include regular screening for kids aged four to seven, especially if they belong to groups at higher risk of low literacy, including newcomers to Canada, racialized Canadians and Indigenous Peoples. The society says this can be done in a two-to-three-minute office-based assessment.
Other tips encourage doctors to look for conditions often seen among poor readers such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; to advocate for early literacy training for pediatric and family medicine residents; to liaise with schools on behalf of families seeking help; and to push provincial and territorial education ministries to integrate evidence-based phonics instruction into curriculums, starting in kindergarten.
Dr. Scott McLeod, one of the authors and chair of the society’s mental health and developmental disabilities committee, said a key goal is to catch kids who may be falling through the cracks and to better connect families to resources, including quicker targeted help from schools.
“Collaboration in this area is so key because we need to move away from the silos of: everything educational must exist within the educational portfolio,” McLeod said in an interview from Calgary, where he is a developmental pediatrician at Alberta Children’s Hospital.
“Reading, yes, it’s education, but it’s also health because we know that literacy impacts health. So I think that a statement like this opens the window to say: Yes, parents can come to their health-care provider to get advice, get recommendations, hopefully start a collaboration with school teachers.”
McLeod noted that pediatricians already look for signs of low literacy in young children by way of a commonly used tool known as the Rourke Baby Record, which offers a checklist of key topics, such as nutrition and developmental benchmarks, to cover in a well-child appointment.
But he said questions about reading could be “a standing item” in checkups and he hoped the society’s statement to medical professionals who care for children “enhances their confidence in being a strong advocate for the child” while spurring partnerships with others involved in a child’s life such as teachers and psychologists.
The guidance said pediatricians also play a key role in detecting and monitoring conditions that often coexist with difficulty reading such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, but McLeod noted that getting such specific diagnoses typically involves a referral to a specialist, during which time a child continues to struggle.
He also acknowledged that some schools can be slow to act without a specific diagnosis from a specialist, and even then a child may end up on a wait list for school interventions.
“Evidence-based reading instruction shouldn’t have to wait for some of that access to specialized assessments to occur,” he said.
“My hope is that (by) having an existing statement or document written by the Canadian Paediatric Society … we’re able to skip a few steps or have some of the early interventions present,” he said.
McLeod added that obtaining specific assessments from medical specialists is “definitely beneficial and advantageous” to know where a child is at, “but having that sort of clear, thorough assessment shouldn’t be a barrier to intervention starting.”
McLeod said the society was partly spurred to act by 2022’s “Right to Read Inquiry Report” from the Ontario Human Rights Commission, which made 157 recommendations to address inequities related to reading instruction in that province.
He called the new guidelines “a big reminder” to pediatric providers, family doctors, school teachers and psychologists of the importance of literacy.
“Early identification of reading difficulty can truly change the trajectory of a child’s life.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.
