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Ramp up Canadian vaccine manufacturing, says COVID-19 task force health adviser – CTV News

Published

4 years ago

January 30, 2021

OTTAWA —
A leading Canadian health expert on the federal government’s COVID-19 Task Force says the pandemic should be viewed as a wake-up call for Canada to create its own domestic vaccine manufacturing capacity.

Dr. Alan Bernstein says that with new variants of the novel coronavirus emerging, Canadians might need multiple vaccines for several years.

“The government’s made hints of doing it. But I think the sooner we get on with it, the better,” Bernstein, who is also the head of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), said in an interview Friday.

“We need domestic vaccine production capacity in the country for the next pandemic, and also for this pandemic. If there are variants arising, we may be designing second, third-generation vaccines and vaccinating the population for the next two or three years.”

On Friday, Moderna announced that production delays would cut into its upcoming deliveries of vaccine doses to Canada. That followed Pfizer and BioNTech having cancelled an entire shipment of its COVID-19 vaccine to Canada this week, after reducing its previous shipment by 20 per cent, due to a temporary slowdown while its production facility in Belgium is being upgraded.

Bernstein said “hiccups” are to be expected with vaccine shipments, but that shouldn’t prevent the government from pressuring pharmaceutical companies to ensure timely deliveries.

“It’s one thing to do a trial where you’re making enough vaccine to vaccinate 60,000 people. It’s a totally different matter when you’re scaling up to vaccinate not just 35 million Canadians, but about a billion people in western Europe and North America, never mind the rest of the world,” said Bernstein.

If Pfizer and Moderna make good on delivering their combined promise of six million doses by the end of March, that is going to put immense pressure on the federal government and the provinces to finish carrying out timely vaccinations of as many as three million people in the next eight weeks, said Bernstein.

“That’s a lot of people to vaccinate in a very short period of time. So the provinces have their work to do as well as Ottawa in holding those companies’ feet to the fire.”

Bernstein says the fact that Canadians are anxious about vaccine delays suggests that the much-feared “vaccine hesitancy” — a reluctance by people to be injected with new, unproven drugs — may not be as prevalent as health experts once feared.

Bernstein also says that even though it is counterintuitive, Canadians and citizens of other developed countries must accept the fact that five to 10 per cent of their vaccine supplies should be going to less-developed countries,

Otherwise, he said, global trade and travel will suffer, and that will be to the detriment of rich countries too.

“We’re kidding ourselves if we think that by vaccinating every Canadian, we’re safe. We’re not, because there’ll be mutants arising and people move around, despite the ban on transportation that the prime minister announced,” said Bernstein, who is also the founding president of the Canadian Institutes of Health and Research and member of the scientific advisory committee of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

That means an otherwise healthy 20-year-old Canadian might also have to understand that it is not in their interest to be vaccinated before an older person in a poorer country, he suggested.

“We’re a trading nation. And so if we can’t trade our goods with other countries, and vice versa, because we don’t want people coming in, or even objects coming in from other countries, that 20 year old is going to suffer because he’s going to lose, or she will lose, their jobs.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2021.

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Progressive Conservatives hold onto seat in eastern Ontario byelection

Published

5 mins ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

The Progressive Conservatives have won a provincial byelection in eastern Ontario, retaining a seat previously held by a popular cabinet minister.

The Bay of Quinte provincial byelection today was held just one month after Todd Smith resigned the seat.

Voters have chosen to send Progressive Conservative candidate Tyler Allsopp to represent them in the legislature.

He has captured about 38 per cent of the vote, with most polls reporting, compared to about 33 per cent for Liberal candidate Sean Kelly.

Both candidates are municipal councillors in Belleville.

Smith won four successive elections in the region for the Tories, securing nearly 50 per cent of the vote in the last two elections, but some experts and polls suggested it may be a closer race this time around.

NDP candidate Amanda Robertson is trailing Allsopp and Kelly in third, with Green Party of Ontario candidate Lori Borthwick in a distant fourth.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

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Veteran linebacker Wynton McManis returns to Argos defence to face Ticats

Published

6 mins ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Wynton McManis will get a second shot at the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The veteran linebacker returns Friday night when the Toronto Argonauts (7-6) host Hamilton (4-9). McManis missed six games with a groin injury.

“Man, that’s tough as hell,” said McManis, a trademark toothpick in his mouth. “Just seeing your brothers going out there and competing and laying it all on the line and feeling you have something to offer or want to offer something to be able to help, it’s hard.

“But we’re here now, they held it down … and I’m ready to go.”

The six-foot-one, 225-pound McManis registered 33 tackles, two special-teams tackles, a sack, interception and touchdown over Toronto’s first seven regular-season games. McManis, a Memphis, Tenn., native, has been a CFL all-star the last two seasons and helped Toronto win the ’22 Grey Cup.

Toronto comes off a solid 33-17 road win over B.C. last week. Its defence had seven sacks, including three from Ralph Holley, who’s tied for the league lead with seven overall.

“It brings a lot,” Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwiddie said of McManis’s return. “A lot of energy, a lot of focus, communication, it’s great for our lockerroom.

“He was with us in B.C. last week and shows veteran leadership even from the sidelines. We’re very excited to have him back … he’ll have a different energy.”

Especially facing Hamilton after being forced to miss the annual Labour Day showdown, which Hamilton won 31-28 on Sept. 2. McManis will also celebrate his 30th birthday Friday.

“Yeah, that’s fun,” McManis said with a grin. “It’s perfect.”

Hamilton can sweep the three-game series with a victory. But more importantly, the Ticats would pull to within four points of third-place Toronto with both teams having four regular-season contests remaining.

Conversely, a Toronto win would push Hamilton eight points back and deal its thin playoff hopes a severe blow.

“It’s an important game because it’s the next one,” McManis said. “But we understand what comes with it, we understand the importance of winning to reach our goals.

“It’s a playoff game for us.”

Hamilton has clinched the season series with Toronto but hasn’t recorded the sweep since 2019. The Argos also have much to play for as they’re currently just three points behind Ottawa (8-4-1), which hosts first-place Montreal (10-2-1) on Saturday.

Hamilton leads the CFL in net offensive yards (395.1 per game) and passing (321 per game). Veteran quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell has thrown for 3,682 and 23 TDs — both league highs — but also surrendered 13 interceptions (tied for most).

Mitchell is 14-2 all-time versus Toronto. Hamilton receiver Tim White has 11 catches for 246 yards and two TDs versus the Argos this season while Steven Dunbar Jr. had eight receptions for 151 yards and a touchdown in last week’s 31-27 win over Ottawa.

Running back Greg Bell, who ran for 99 yards and a TD versus Ottawa, is out with an Achilles injury. However, veteran James Butler, twice a 1,000-yard rusher, returns to the lineup.

“James Butler is a great running back in this league,” McManis said. “He and I have had some great battles throughout the years and this season so it will be a fun one.”

Toronto will be minus Janarion Grant (chest), who has a league-best four return TDs this season (three punt, one kickoff).

“We’re going to lose a little bit . . . Janarion has been pretty special and I think he’s up there with the best returners in CFL history,” Dinwiddie said. “We’ve got to find a way to play good football on offence and defence to where special teams doesn’t have to carry us.”

Hamilton head coach Scott Milanovich said his team heads into Friday’s contest in a good place.

“I think winning certainly helps the mood, the energy, the belief, the faith in what we’re doing,” he told Hamilton reporters this week. “They’re believing, they’re practising hard and they’re starting to see the fruits of those labours.”

Milanovich said Hamilton’s keys to success on Friday remain unchanged.

“It’s about protecting the football, penalties and explosive plays, protecting the quarterback and hitting their quarterback,” he said. “It’s never going to change.

“The last couple of weeks we’ve started to get that and hopefully we can keep it going.”

Toronto’s Chad Kelly is averaging 344 passing yards in his four starts this season and has won four of five career games versus Hamilton. Since 2021, the Argos are 10-4 against the Ticats, including 6-0 at BMO Field.

“Really, we just don’t want to lose this game,” Dinwiddie said. “We’ve got to stack up some wins to get ourselves locked into the playoffs and maybe try and get a home playoff game.

“Now, there will be a little added rivalry and I think the game will be physical. I know they’re feeling confident, they’ve beat us twice and we can’t take them lightly.”

Added McManis: “It’s like a self-esteem, self-respect type of thing at this point in the season. Who do you want to be? You should understand that. We go into each game each week wanting to win and put our best foot forward and put the best version of the Toronto Argonauts on the field.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

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Ashleigh Buhai leads on LPGA Tour and Nelly Korda shows no sign of Solheim fatigue

Published

25 mins ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

MAINEVILLE, Ohio (AP) — Nelly Korda had a tough time getting out of bed Thursday morning. Any Solheim Cup fatigue had no bearing on her standard of golf, a bogey-free 67 in the Kroger Queen City Championship that left her two shots behind Ashleigh Buhai.

Korda and Leona Maguire, who also had a 5-under 67, are among 11 players who competed in the Solheim Cup last week and got right back to work at the TPC River’s Bend. Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., also had a 67 on the day to be tied for fourth.

Buhai, a former Women’s British Open champion from South Africa, isn’t part of the Solheim Cup and had a few weeks to rest from an injury-plagued season. She ran off eight birdies for her 7-under 65, giving her a one-shot lead over Jeeno Thitikul and Yan Liu.

“Just shows that rest is just as important,” Buhai said. “I know if I give myself five days to warm up, with my coach coming in, we did good work, and, yeah, it was nice to actually just see it pay off today.”

Korda at least had the afternoon for nap time after her early start. She went 3-1 in her matches last week in the Solheim Cup as the Americans defeated Europe for the first time in seven years.

“I’m looking forward to the stay-in-bed-all-day vibe today. It was definitely tough kind of waking up this morning, but I do love competing and I love being out here,” Korda said. “Everyone that played last week is going to be tired. I’m just trying to take it one step at a time, know that my energy levels aren’t the greatest, but I’m still motivated.”

She found additional motivation not so much from her five birdies but keeping a clean card.

“There is just no greater feeling than minimized your mistakes, or making no mistakes,” Korda said. “Whenever you get to play a bogey-free round I feel like it motivates you, and hopefully I can take that energy into the next three days.”

Maguire only played two matches last week, having played all five matches her previous two appearances. She wasn’t pleased about being sat out, especially after she easily disposed of Ally Ewing (4 and 3) in singles.

But maybe there was one upside.

“Last couple of Solheims I’ve played five matches, been exhausted after the Solheim,” she said. “So nice to be a little bit fresher time around.”

Korda and Maguire were part of a large group at 67 that included Lydia Ko, who last played three weeks ago and had every reason to be floating on air. Along with winning Olympic gold just over a month ago, she captured the Women’s British Open at St. Andrews.

Ko said her big summer — winning the gold medal got her into the LPGA Hall of Fame — still hasn’t sunk in. She arrived in the Cincinnati area having to learn a new course. The tournament was held at Kenwood Country Club the last two years, which is going through some improvements.

“It’s a new golf course, so all of us are just trying to get used to this TPC course and just putting ourselves in position,” Ko said. “And sometimes I think when you do see low scores, you try and chase it too much, but I just tried to stick to my own kind of routine and my strategy.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp had a 69, while Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., shot 71.

Rose Zhang went 4-0 in her matches at the Solheim Cup — needing only 58 holes — and finished with three straight bogeys for a 73. Esther Henseleit had a 74, and the other seven Solheim Cup players were at par or better.

___

AP golf:

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