COVID-19 live updates: Get immunized ASAP with any vaccine offered, Health Canada says

Article content

Updated throughout the day on Wednesday, May 5. Questions/comments: ariga@postmedia.com

Top updates

Article content

4 p.m.

Montrealers can now book appointments at a drive-thru vaccination clinic at Trudeau airport

Quebec has opened up vaccination appointments at the drive-thru vaccination clinic at Montreal’s Trudeau airport.

Appointments can be booked via the Clic Santé site. As of 4 p.m. today, the earliest slots are on Monday, May 17.

Here’s what Clic Santé provides as instructions:

3:30 p.m.

Biden says he plans to back WTO waiver for vaccines

From the Reuters news agency:

President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he plans to back a World Trade Organization waiver for vaccine intellectual property and would talk about it later in the day.

“Yes, I’m going to talk about that later today, yes,” Biden told reporters in reply to a question about whether he intended to back the waiver after he gave a speech regarding his proposed “American Rescue Plan.”

Article content

The United States and several other countries have thus far blocked negotiations at the World Trade Organization about a proposal led by India and South Africa that would waive the IP rights of pharmaceutical companies to allow developing countries to produce COVID-19 vaccines.

2:30 p.m.

Alberta first province to expand vaccination to people as young as 12

Alberta, which has reported Canada’s highest per-capita case counts in recent days, today announced that it is expanding vaccination to anyone aged 12 and over.

Article content

1:55 p.m.

Quebec summer camps say they need financial aid to open this summer

For the second consecutive year, many day camps and sleepover camps say they won’t be able to operate this summer without emergency funding from the Quebec government.

Read our full story, by Katherine Wilton.

1:20 p.m.

Canada developing travel vaccine certificate to position as ‘safe destination’: Tourism minister

Canada is working with international partners to develop a standardized vaccine certification for travel and will position itself as a safe destination once the country has reached COVID-19 herd immunity, the tourism minister said on Tuesday.

Read our full story.

12:40 p.m.

Updated: pandemic restrictions in Montreal and Quebec

We have updated our guide to pandemic restrictions in Montreal and Quebec.

Article content

You can read it here.

12:40 p.m.

Opinion: Searching for Elvis as Quebec ramps up vaccinations

“The year was 1956 and polio was still very much a menace around the world. Though the infectious disease was officially declared a threat in the United States in 1946, by then-President Harry Truman, it’s only in 1955 that the U.S. started widespread vaccination against it.

“A year later, when he was a guest on the Ed Sullivan show and just before hitting the stage, Elvis Presley got the vaccine against polio, in front of a press corps. And in six months, the vaccination rate for American teens went from abysmal to 80 per cent.”

Read Martine St-Victor’s latest column.

12:20 p.m.

New Brunswick reports blood clot death in connection with AstraZeneca vaccine

New Brunswick health officials are reporting the province’s first death of someone who developed a blood clot after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, The Canadian Press reports.

Article content

The individual in their 60s received the vaccine in mid-April and developed symptoms a week later, chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell told reporters Wednesday. She said the person was admitted to the hospital and died two days later.

Russell said the risk of complications from the vaccine remains very low, between one in 100,000 and one in 250,000 doses, adding that hundreds of thousands of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been administered across Canada, the vast majority of them without incident.

New Brunswick has reported two cases of the rare blood-clotting syndrome known as vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia, or VITT.

Health Minister Dorothy Shephard told the news conference that while the death is tragic, it’s important to remember that the risks of dying from COVID-19 are far greater than the risks associated with receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Article content

Shephard said the vaccine will continue to be provided to people 55 and older in New Brunswick.

12:05 p.m.

Get immunized ASAP with any vaccine offered, Health Canada says

From The Canadian Press:

Health Canada’s chief medical adviser says her advice has not changed to go get vaccinated as soon as you can, with whatever vaccine you can.

Dr. Supriya Sharma said the risk of a new vaccine-induced blood clotting syndrome from the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot or Johnson & Johnson is extremely low, and for many Canadians, even those who might think their risk of getting COVID-19 is low, there is a big benefit to getting vaccinated as soon as they can.

“You know, what I say is that if your life is in danger, and you need to call 911, to get help to save your life, it does not matter if that call is made on an iPhone or a Samsung or even a flip phone,” she said. “It does what it is supposed to do.”

Article content

She said if you have access to any of the vaccine options at the same time, “absolutely there may be an advantage” to going with the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna because they don’t carry any risk of blood clots.

But if you have to wait for Pfizer or Moderna and can get AstraZeneca now, getting immunized now is a good choice, Sharma said, noting it takes at least two weeks for a vaccine’s full effect to take place.

Her advice to adults to get vaccinated with the first shot offered is the same guidance she has given from the beginning of Canada’s vaccination efforts, but is not the same as that given earlier this week by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization.

NACI said given the risk of blood clots from AstraZeneca and J&J, people who are at lower risk of contracting COVID-19, or low risk of severe illness from it, can choose to wait for one of the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.

Article content

11:45 a.m.

‘To be vaccinated is to come closer to freedom,’ Legault says

Article content

11:15 a.m.

Updated charts: Quebec cases, deaths

11:15 a.m.

Update on Quebec’s vaccination campaign

11 a.m.

Quebec‌ ‌reports‌ 915 ‌cases,‌ 5 ‌deaths‌ ‌as hospitalizations dip  ‌

Quebec‌ ‌has‌ ‌recorded‌ 915 ‌new‌ ‌cases‌ ‌of‌ ‌COVID-19.‌ ‌

That helped further push down the province’s seven-day rolling average. It’s now at 957 – the lowest it has been since late March.

In‌ ‌addition,‌ five ‌new‌ ‌deaths‌ ‌were‌ ‌reported,‌ ‌including‌ one ‌over‌ ‌the‌ ‌previous‌ ‌24‌ ‌hours.‌

Among‌ ‌the‌ ‌other‌ ‌deaths,‌ two ‌occurred‌ ‌between‌ April 28 and May 3, and two occurred before April 28.

Some‌ ‌other‌ ‌key‌ ‌statistics‌ ‌from‌ ‌Quebec’s‌ ‌latest‌ ‌COVID-19‌ ‌update,‌ ‌published‌ ‌this‌ ‌morning:‌ ‌

Article content

Since‌ ‌the‌ ‌beginning‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌pandemic,‌ ‌Quebec‌ ‌has‌ ‌reported‌ 354,390 ‌cases‌ ‌and‌ 10,964 ‌deaths‌ ‌linked‌ ‌to‌ ‌COVID-19.‌ ‌A‌ ‌total‌ ‌of‌ 334,531 ‌people‌ ‌who‌ ‌have‌ ‌contracted‌ ‌the‌ ‌disease‌ ‌have‌ ‌since‌ ‌recovered.‌ ‌

10:35 a.m.

Health Canada approves Pfizer vaccine for children 12-15

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been approved for children aged 12 to 15, Health Canada announced this morning.

The agency has determined that the vaccine is safe and effective for this age group, Dr. Supriya Sharma, Health Canada’s chief medical adviser, told a press conference.

“Data from the clinical trial showed that the vaccine’s efficacy after the second dose, in preventing COVID-19 in this younger age group was 100 per cent,” Sharma said.

Article content

“The safety profile of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in 12 to 15 year olds is similar to what we saw for older people. That is, the most commonly reported side effects were temporary and mild, like a sore arm, chills or fever.”

Health Canada placed terms and conditions on its authorization for the 12-15 age group. “These require Pfizer-BioNTech to provide additional information to Health Canada on the safety, efficacy and quality of the vaccine to ensure its benefits continue to outweigh its risks as it is given to more people,” Sharma said.

She added: “other manufacturers of the vaccines authorized in Canada are conducting or planning studies in adolescents and younger children, including children from 6 months to 11 years of age. As soon as we receive these submissions, Health Canada will expedite their review.”

Article content

In March, Pfizer and BioNTech published the results of trials in adolescents 12 to 15 years old in the United States.

Until now, Pfizer-BioNTech was only authorized in Canada for people 16 and over.

Some experts say there’s no COVID-19 exit strategy without vaccinating younger teens.

Via Twitter, Health Minister Christian Dubé said Quebec is awaiting recommendations from the Comité sur l’immunisation du Québec for the 12-15 age group.

“As soon as we receive the recommendation, we will make it public,” Dubé said.

“It’s good news. We must vaccinate as many Quebecers as possible.”

He added: “Operations are being prepared. The network will be ready.”

In Quebec, people 16 and older can be vaccinated if they have “a chronic disease or health problem that increases the risk of complications from COVID-19,” or if they have a physical disability, an intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder.

Article content

For now, mass vaccinations are only planned for people 18 and over in Quebec.

Article content

9:50 a.m.

1M Moderna vaccine doses have arrived, with another 1M due week of May 17, Anand says

Article content

9:40 a.m.

Alberta confirms blood clot disorder death linked to AstraZeneca vaccine

An Alberta woman in her 50s has died from a rare blood clot disorder after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, The Canadian Press is reporting.

It is the second reported death from vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia or VITT linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine in Canada. A 54-year-old Quebec woman died last month.

Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, said in a statement late Tuesday that the fatality is the province’s second VITT case out of more than 253,000 doses of AstraZeneca that have been administered in Alberta to date.

Two weeks ago, Alberta announced a man in his 60s had been diagnosed with VITT and was recovering.

Article content

Hinshaw said while any death is tragic, “it is important to remember that the risks of dying or suffering other severe outcomes from COVID-19 remain far greater than the risk following AstraZeneca vaccine.”

She noted the global risk of developing VITT has been estimated at about one case in 100,000 to 250,000 doses of vaccine. In comparison, Albertans between the ages of 50 and 59 who are diagnosed with COVID-19 are 350 times more likely to die from that infection than to experience VITT after an AstraZeneca shot.

The latest death linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine comes days after the country’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization appeared to contradict Health Canada’s long-standing recommendation that the best vaccine is the first one available.

Article content

9:40 a.m.

Vaccination appointments now open for people 40+

Article content

9:30 a.m.

Six provinces now have higher case growth than Quebec

Here’s the rate of case growth per 100,000 people over the past seven days, via the federal government’s latest epidemiology update.

Once Canada’s pandemic epicentre, Quebec is now adding cases at a rate lower than six other provinces, including Nova Scotia.

9:20 a.m.

Will Quebec and Canada ever reach herd immunity?

If Quebec and Canada can get to an “85-ish per cent” vaccination rate, there’s a chance we can attain a type of herd immunity that would relegate COVID-19 to the ranks of an annoying common cold, immunologists forecast.

Throwing a large wrench into this prognostication, however, is the emergence of variants that are more transmissible, more adept at evading the body’s immune response, or less likely to be suppressed by vaccines designed to quell the original version of the disease.

Article content

Read our full story, by René Bruemmer.

9:20 a.m.

Mixing COVID-19 vaccines could be making the best ‘of a bad situation’

In the midst of a variant-driven third wave, Canada’s beleaguered vaccine advisory panel is considering whether to endorse mixing vaccine doses.

With supplies of AstraZeneca mostly exhausted, and future delivery dates uncertain, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization is weighing up options for swapping second, booster doses.

Read our full story.

9:15 a.m.

A record 237,000 vaccination appointments were booked yesterday, Dubé says

Article content

9:15 a.m.

Bill to ensure safe election during pandemic stalls as odds of election increase

Legislation aimed at ensuring a federal election could be safely held during the pandemic is stalled in the House of Commons, even as Justin Trudeau’s Liberals are fast-approaching the average expiry date for minority governments in Canada.

Read our full story.

9:15 a.m.

Quebecers smoked more cannabis, tobacco during lockdown, survey suggests

Users of cannabis and tobacco say they increased their consumption during the lockdown in Quebec, a survey by the province’s Institut national de santé publique du Québec reports.

Read our full story.

9:15 a.m.

McGill hires Dr. Joanne Liu as professor specializing in pandemics

Dr. Joanne Liu, a pediatric emergency room physician and former international president of Doctors Without Borders, is joining the McGill University’s School of Population and Global Health as a professor “focusing on pandemic and health emergencies.”

Article content

Read our full story.

9:15 a.m.

Everything you need to know about getting COVID-19 vaccinations in Quebec

Local health authorities have set up mass vaccination sites across Montreal.

You can book appointments via the Clic Santé website or by phone at 1-877-644-4545.

Here are the nuts and bolts of getting vaccinated, by Katherine Wilton. Her guide includes the age groups targeted, how to book appointments, and addresses of vaccination centres.

Wondering if the vaccines are safe? Once vaccinated, can you disregard public health measures? Is vaccination mandatory? Read our FAQ, by Jason Magder.

Article content

9:15 a.m.

Here’s where Montrealers can get tested today

Montrealers can be screened at test centres across the island.

You can check screening clinic wait times here.

8:30 a.m.

Sign up for our free nightly coronavirus newsletter

Stay informed with our daily email newsletter focused on local coronavirus coverage and other essential news, delivered directly to your email inbox by 7 p.m. on weekdays.

You can sign up here.

ariga@postmedia.com

Read my previous live blogs here.