Amid a massive immunization effort, the Canadian government is finding itself on the defensive for its decision to receive COVID-19 vaccines from the global initiative known as COVAX.
Canada will receive 1.9 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine — pending regulatory approval — from the program by the end of June, according to an update released by COVAX on Wednesday on the first phase of its vaccine delivery. Federal opposition leaders decried it as an embarrassment and “the wrong decision” by the government.
In light of the controversy, here’s what you need to know about what COVAX is, who is involved and how Canada factors in.
According to the WHO website, the goal of COVAX is “to accelerate the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world.”
It was launched in April 2020, in response to the pandemic, as part of a four-pronged effort by WHO and partners to support global efforts to fight the disease. (In addition to vaccines, the other three pillars of that effort are diagnostics, treatment and health-system strengthening).
How does it work?
The program pools funds from wealthier countries that are used not only to buy vaccines for those countries but also to ensure low- and middle-income countries have access.
According to the Gavi website, higher-income, “self-financing” countries pay into the procurement platform of COVAX, to place vaccine orders for their own populations, as part of a financial mechanism known as Advance Market Committment (AMC).
“Upfront payments on these orders will help [COVAX] ensure that manufacturing is ramped up before vaccines have been approved, not after,” Gavi’s website states.
Once vaccines are approved by WHO, AMC funds will then pay for the purchase of vaccines for lower-income countries. So, the participation of wealthier countries is part of the program’s design.
COVAX has agreements with multiple vaccine-makers to buy about two billion doses this year, which will be distributed among the member nations to vaccinate up to one-fifth of each country’s population. Under the program, half of the two billion doses would go to lower-income countries.
A pharmacist gives a woman the AstraZeneca vaccine in London, England, on Thursday. Health Canada regulators have not yet approved the AstraZeneca vaccine but a decision is expected in the next couple of weeks. (Yui Mok/PA/The Associated Press)
Who’s in on it?
More than 180 countries are involved in COVAX, including Canada, Brazil, Australia, the United Kingdom, Israel, Turkey and China. The European Commission, on behalf of 27 EU member states plus Norway and Iceland, has also joined as “Team Europe.”
Among them, 92 are low- and middle-income countries that are eligible to have their participation supported by the COVAX AMC. They include India, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Turkey, Indonesia, Vietnam, North Korea and Afghanistan.
The United States and Russia are among the countries who have not joined, opting to sign their own supply deals.
What is Canada’s role?
The federal government bought into COVAX with $440 million in September, half of which secured doses for Canadians, and the other half to help buy doses for the 92 countries who need help to buy vaccines.
In announcing funding for the initiative, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada intended to draw on the COVAX supply to bolster the vaccination campaign at home.
Canada has also ordered 20 million doses directly from AstraZeneca, independently from COVAX.
What’s the controversy?
Federal opposition leaders are pointing out that Canada is the only G7 country slated to draw from COVAX’s vaccine supply in the program’s first allotment. A few other wealthy countries, including New Zealand and Singapore, are also part of the first allotment, but the vast majority are lower-income countries.
Green Party Leader Annamie Paul said Canada’s reliance on the program for additional doses harms the country’s international reputation. She also said Canada’s move to take doses from COVAX could prolong transmission of the virus elsewhere and allow more variants to arise.
“This is the wrong decision, this is the wrong time to make this decision,” she said. “We are asking for the government to either rescind this decision, or alternatively make up for whatever doses it has taken out by returning them to the COVAX facility so that our international neighbours can enjoy the same protection we do.”
During question period, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland defended the Liberal government’s decision to tap into COVAX vaccine supply. 1:06
Meanwhile, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole said Canada would not be facing this dilemma if he were prime minister.
“We would not be in this position today because last year I was asking for independence on everything from PPE to vaccine manufacturing,” he said. “We should not be drawing away from poorer countries — we should be having the capacity here.”
How has the government responded?
In an interview with Power & Politics, International Development Minister Karina Gould defended the government’s decision, saying COVAX was part of the country’s wide-ranging vaccine portfolio “from the beginning.”
“Our top priority is to ensure that Canadians have access to vaccines,” Gould said. “COVAX’s objective is to provide vaccines for 20 per cent of the populations of all member states, both self-financing and those who will receive donations.”
WATCH | Minister defends Canada drawing on COVAX vaccine supply:
International Development Minister Karina Gould says Canada’s supply of vaccines from the COVAX facility is part of the country’s wide-ranging diverse portfolio. She says the government’s focus remains on vaccinating Canadians who want to get vaccinated. 1:49
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland echoed Gould’s comments during Thursday’s question period, saying COVAX was always part of Canada’s procurement strategy and “the COVAX mechanism is working precisely as designed.”
“We’ve been clear from the start: No one will be safe until everyone is,” she said. “We’re focused on getting Canadians vaccinated while making sure the rest of the world is vaccinated too.”
TORONTO – One sports business expert thinks Rogers Communications Inc.’s landmark deal to acquire rival telecom BCE Inc.’s 37.5 per cent share of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment could lead to better, but pricier, fan experiences.
Brock University sport management professor Michael Naraine says the $4.7 billion deal, which gives Rogers a 75 per cent stake in the sports conglomerate, is all about consolidating its dominance in Toronto’s professional sports market.
The NHL’s Maple Leafs, NBA’s Raptors, CFL’s Argonauts, MLS’ Toronto FC and AHL’s Marlies are under the MLSE umbrella, of which a 20 per cent stake is still owned by Larry Tanenbaum through his holding company Kilmer Sports Inc.
With Rogers also owning the MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays, Naraine says the company will have more opportunities to cross-sell tickets and sponsorships of its sports brands upon closure of the MLSE deal, which is expected in mid-2025.
He also says Rogers has shown a commitment to bolstering fan experiences with the Blue Jays such as through the recent Rogers Centre renovations and may wish to replicate that at Scotiabank Arena down the line.
Rogers and Bell closed their deal to acquire an ownership stake in MLSE in August 2012 after announcing the purchase from Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan in December 2011.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.
NEW YORK (AP) — MrBeast is accused of creating “unsafe” employment conditions, including sexual harassment, and misrepresenting contestants’ odds at winning his new Amazon reality show’s $5 million grand prize in a lawsuit filed Tuesday by five unnamed participants.
The filing alleges that the multimillion-dollar company behind YouTube’s most popular channel failed to provide minimum wages, overtime pay, uninterrupted meal breaks and rest time for competitors — whose “work on the show was the entertainment product” sold by MrBeast.
A spokesperson for MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, told The Associated Press in an email that he had no comment on the new lawsuit.
Donaldson’s “Beast Games” was touted as the “biggest reality competition.” It was supposed to put the North Carolina content creator in front of audiences beyond the YouTube platform where his record 316 million subscribers routinely watch his whimsical challenges that often carry lavish gifts of direct cash.
But its initial Las Vegas shoot began facing criticism before it even wrapped. Donaldson’s companies cast 2,000 people in an initial tryout this July where half could advance to the actual show’s filming in Toronto.
Contestants only learned upon their arrival that the Las Vegas pool surpassed 1,000 competitors, according to the lawsuit, which significantly reducing their chances of victory. The lawsuit argues the “false advertising” violated California business laws that prohibit sweepstakes operators from “misrepresenting in any manner the odds of winning any prize.”
The five anonymous competitors also said that “limited sustenance” and “insufficient medical staffing” endangered their health.
The filing alleges that production staff created a “toxic” work environment for women who faced “sexual harassment” throughout the contest. Those sections are heavily redacted in an effort to comply with “confidentiality provisions” signed by the competitors, according to a press release from their lawyers.
The lawsuit adds to the complaints — circulated by online influencers in the shoot’s immediate aftermath — that an unorganized set had left some contestants injured and lacking in regular access to food and medication. Other participants have told AP they received two light meals each day and MrBeast branded chocolate bars.
MrBeast’s team also faces new accusations they “knowingly misclassified” the contestants’ employment status to the Nevada Film Commission in order to receive a state tax credit for more than $2 million.
Among other forms of relief, the five competitors seek an order that MrBeast institute “workplace reforms” and awards “all wages owed.”
No more details have been divulged and no date has been publicized for the reality game show’s release.
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CALGARY – Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says a lack of “political oversight” undermined Calgary’s Green Line light rail transit project.
Smith says the experience has made clear that when billion-dollar decisions are being made, all funding partners need to be included.
Earlier this week, Calgary city council voted to stop construction on the $6.2-billion Green Line after the province decided to not follow through with previously committed funding.
The province pulled the funding citing concerns the project was not serving enough commuters.
City officials say stopping construction will cost the city at least $2.1 billion while delaying it pending a new design would have cost $30 million per month.
Smith says the province has hired a firm to develop new alignments for the project and expects to receive those ideas in December.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.
