OTTAWA —
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says a deal has been struck with Novavax to produce its COVID-19 vaccine in Canada, but the pharmaceutical company isn’t expected to be ready to roll out doses domestically until the fall at the earliest.
The federal government has signed a “memorandum of understanding” with Novavax to pursue options to produce its COVID-19 vaccine at a new Montreal facility that is under construction.
While the prime minister is calling this a “major step forward,” it could be months before this potential first made-in-Canada vaccine candidate is approved, let alone shipped to delivery sites nationwide.
This is in part because the new National Research Council biomanufacturing facility where the production will happen isn’t set to be completed until July.
Then, it could take “a couple” of months before the facility is Health Canada certified for production and vials begin to be filled, according to Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Francois-Philippe Champagne.
“We expect by the end of the year to be in a position to be producing vaccines,” said Champagne.
Once the new facility is up and running, it’s designed to produce around two million doses a month and, should the Novavax vaccine be deemed safe and effective, Trudeau says “tens of millions” of doses will be made domestically.
The federal government has a deal with the Maryland-based company to purchase up to 76 million doses of its vaccine candidate.
“We need as much domestic capacity for vaccine production as possible,” Trudeau said Tuesday, after acknowledging months prior that Canada did not have adequate domestic capabilities.
The National Research Council’s new Biologics Manufacturing Centre at the Royalmount site in Montréal was given $126 million in August 2020, and according to the government, the construction remains “on schedule.”
While the facility will be able to make various types of vaccines, it will not have the capabilities when it opens to produce MRNA vaccines, however, which are the kind of vaccines Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are supplying.
Novavax submitted its vaccine candidate to Health Canada for approval late last week. It is the fifth company to do so, following AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, which are still under review but are set to be the next options granted the green light.
CANADA STILL RELYING ON EUROPE
This news comes as the federal government has been facing numerous questions over the lack of capacity to produce COVID-19 vaccines domestically, and reliance on other countries to deliver the currently approved vaccines.
All of Canada’s vaccine doses are currently coming from Europe. With both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna sending smaller deliveries of their COVID-19 vaccines to Canada this week, exacerbating the ongoing dose shortage nationwide, the move to become more self-reliant on vaccine manufacturing provides an eventual new avenue for domestic vaccine supply.
But it remains to be seen how much, or if at all, this new deal will assist the federal government in its goal of starting mass vaccinations in the spring and having all Canadians who want to be vaccinated by the end of September, given the current timeline with Novavax production likely only getting underway around that time.
Trudeau said that with the doses already set to be shipped, Canada will hit its target of vaccinating three million prioritized people by March, and is confident it will have enough doses coming in from already approved manufacturers in the months following to put needles in arms of the entire population.
While the Novavax doses may not contribute to the initial campaign, Trudeau said he wants Canada to be prepared for other iterations of this pandemic or future pandemics.
“As we see new variants rising, as we see a virus that will continue to be present in many places around the world, we don’t know what the future looks like for a year from now, two years from now, three years from now. What we’re very clear on is Canada will be developing domestic manufacturing so regardless of what could happen in the future, we will have domestic production on top of all our partnerships and contracts signed with companies around the world.”
The new focus on domestic capacity also comes amid concerns about a growing sentiment of vaccine nationalism, with vaccine-producing countries looking to keep their doses at home for their own citizens.
The European Union has issued new export controls on COVID-19 vaccines and while Trudeau said Tuesday he’s only received oral promises from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that Canada’s shipments won’t be halted as a result, that was enough to assure him.
The prime minister was also asked if Canada’s goal is to be self-sufficient when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines. Trudeau said he’ll keep encouraging international vaccine producers to set up facilities in Canada.
“I think it’s going to be important that Canada be self-sufficient, but we’re also a trading nation that understands that good solid trading relationships with countries around the world are also a way of keeping Canadians properly supported and flourishing,” he said.
Federal opposition parties said that while Canada becoming more self-reliant is welcome news, they questioned what took so long for the federal government to make a deal like this.
“Why did the Liberal government take so long to act?… How does today’s announcement help us now?” asked Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole.
“Canadians need access to these vaccines as soon as possible. If we are six months behind most other developed countries, we are going to be six months slower reopening our economy, so securing that supply as quickly as possible has to be key,” O’Toole said.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is calling for more transparency around the Novavax deal and asserted that Canada shouldn’t “be at the mercy of these massive pharmaceutical companies,” suggesting public ownership of vaccine facilities would be the best approach.
OTHER FACILITIES COMING
Trudeau also announced on Tuesday that a second company, Precision NanoSystems, is “on track” to manufacture vaccines domestically, but in 2023 at the earliest.
On Tuesday, the prime minister announced $25.1 million for the Vancouver-based biotechnology company, which is in the process of building a $50.2 million biomanufacturing centre “to produce vaccines and therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of diseases such as infectious diseases, rare diseases, cancer and other areas of unmet need,” according to the government.
The government says the project proposal was reviewed by the COVID-19 joint biomanufacturing subcommittee. Its target date for completion is March 2023, and at that point it would have the capacity to produce up to 240 million doses of its self-amplifying ribonucleic acid (RNA) COVID 19 vaccine every year.
The Liberals had previously put $18.2 million towards trials for its vaccine candidate.
The prime minister also provided an update on the pre-existing investments made with Canadian bio manufacturers, including $46 million towards the vaccine development facility at the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization. Known as VIDO-Intervac, it’s now projecting they will be able to produce up to 40 million doses annually once it is completed by the end of 2021.
Similarly, the federal government has put $173 million into Quebec-based Medicago’s plant-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate and the production of it, but the company’s initial plans are to mass produce its doses in North Carolina while work is underway to build a new Quebec facility that is planning to be ready in late 2023.
The move to revive more Canadian vaccine manufacturing was sparked amid the pandemic, after the industry dwindled considerably over the preceding decades. As The Canadian Press has reported, the existing vaccine producers Sanofi in Toronto and GlaxoSmithKline in Quebec are collaborating on a COVID-19 vaccine, but it’s not expected to be made in Canada.
Asked whether he regrets not having built Canadian facilities earlier to be in a better immunization position as Canada falls behind other nations, Trudeau said there “is always more” that can be done, or that he might have wished to have done faster in hindsight. He said that the capacity is being built now so that Canada will be on better footing in the future.
As The Canadian Press has reported, over the pandemic Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and the National Research Council have been in talks with international front-running vaccine manufacturers, seeking to have them scale up production in Canada. This included unsuccessful talks with CanSino Biologic over producing its vaccine candidate. That partnership was halted after China refused to export doses to Canada for a clinical trial.
On Tuesday, the prime minister noted that while COVID-19 cases have been declining nationwide for three weeks, the country is still far from returning to some sense of normalcy, restating that vaccinations will be central to that eventual resumption of pre-pandemic life.
To date, the federal government has spent more than $1 billion on vaccine procurement agreements, locking in a supply of up to 429 million doses of seven promising vaccines, which would mean Canada would have at least 10 doses for every Canadian — if all came through.
In an effort to promote immunization take-up once the country has enough doses to start mass vaccination, Trudeau announced Tuesday that the federal government is launching a $64 million public education and awareness campaign and enhancements to record-keeping of vaccine appointments to ensure Canadians know when and where to get their shots.
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.
