QUESTION PERIOD — Health
COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
May 4, 2021
Leader, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society has recently stated its deep concern with the four-month delay in the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Its president told the health committee of the other place on Monday that health care workers and hospital support staff who provide direct care to patients need full protection from this virus.
Dr. Marc Ruel pointed out that during an outbreak three weeks ago, the Heart Institute here in Ottawa, founded by our late colleague Senator Keon, had more staff at home with COVID than they had patients with COVID at the hospital.
The four-month delay is dictated by our inadequate vaccine supply. As a result, we cannot ensure our front-line health workers are vaccinated as manufacturers recommend, leader. How do you justify telling them the delay is an appropriate decision as you stated last week?
All Canadians and this government amongst them deplore having those front-line workers expose themselves to risk for the health and safety of Canadians and then falling victim themselves to this insidious disease.
My short answer, senator — and thank you for your question — is that the explanation is that the National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended the safe delay of the second dose, on balance, to ensure a larger number of Canadians receive the vaccine. That has been the advice that was given and, clearly, advice that the provinces also received and have acted upon in terms of their own jurisdiction to make those decisions.
