Health Committee on Nov. 4th, 2009

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

But don't you think--

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you, Dr. Butler-Jones.

We'll now go to Dr. Carrie....

[Dr. David Butler-Jones]

If we had known a year ago what the virus was going to be, we could have had vaccine produced months ago. It wouldn't be an issue, as with seasonal flu. The reality is that we're living in very real time, as the change of this, to experience this virus....

It's like fighting a war, and you never know what the enemy is going to do next.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you.

Dr. Carrie.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Dr. Butler-Jones, I don't have a lot of time here, but I wanted to take the opportunity, I know on behalf of the government members, to thank you and your agency for all the good work you have been doing. I don't think you were here last week, but I was actually in Washington and they gave us an accolade for how well we're doing.

I did want to give you the opportunity to address some of the misinformation that is coming from the other place. We heard about people really emphasizing what went wrong. I think this is an opportunity to say what went right.

On the contract in 2001, perhaps you'd like to emphasize how important it was to firm up the Canadian domestic supply. I think the facts speak for themselves. By that decision and moving forward to it, we are number one in the world as far as per capita vaccine availability.

Could you address this idea of a shortage? I personally read in the Ottawa Citizen this week that they had 80,000 vaccines given. By the end of the week, by Friday, they should have 100,000. In Durham region, where I come from, they had 93,000 doses Monday. They've only given 20,000. A colleague of mine from the Toronto area said they've only given 20,000 doses for some reason.

Do you have any evidence or feedback from the provinces that they've come anywhere close to all the doses being administered?

[Dr. David Butler-Jones]

There were two questions or comments there. One, in terms of the 2001 contract, Canada is the only country in the world that had such a contract at that time and at the onset of what we're doing now. It has proven itself. Could there be things that we do in the future to improve things further? Yes, obviously we will be looking at that, but I think it's a credit to successive governments that we have had the level of preparation in place in Canada that puts us in the position we are in.

In terms of the distribution of vaccine, again, the northern territories received all of their allotment because of their remoteness and the need to go community by community. In terms of the provinces themselves, again it varies depending on the province. They focused on where in their view they could get the job done most effectively, and most of them are saying that by the end of this week or early next week, the vaccine they have received to this point will be given, and there will be additional larger amounts of vaccine next week, and even more ongoing.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

So as of this date, there's no evidence that they've given all that we have distributed to the provinces?

[Dr. David Butler-Jones]

No, not all the immunizations have been given, but they anticipate over the next week or so that that should be completed, and then they'll be looking forward to the next doses.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

So we're looking to be on track with the rollout, the capacity that can be delivered at the front lines? Everything is going pretty well?

[Dr. David Butler-Jones]

Yes. They've had to adjust, again, because some were a little more focused. Some provinces were very focused on the high-risk groups and with starting there. Others were a little less focused and as a result have changed that, and all are now focusing on the highest-risk groups to ensure they have access first. In fact, the 6 million doses that are out there, plus what comes this week and next week, would be enough to actually cover all of the high-risk groups.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Thank you very much.

There has been some criticism on the order date in August, when the government made the order. There were some statements that we should have done it sooner. With the contract that was signed, did it really matter about the date when the order was put in ?

[Dr. David Butler-Jones]

No. In effect, the order was made in 2001 for up to 60 million doses for Canadians, all the first bottled vaccine. Whatever doses we required would come off that and be available to Canada before they could export bottled vaccine elsewhere in the world, and so it didn't matter. We needed to make sure that we were confident with the number. Basically it's the provinces and territories that are delivering it, so they had to be confident.

But whether we had ordered it in May, in April, a year ago, two years from now—actually, two years from now wouldn't work, because it's already being produced—the point is that getting the number did not make any difference to our access to the vaccine or when we would receive it.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

I do want to thank you for going through those important facts. It seems that no matter how often you repeat them, there is misinformation out there. Maybe it makes better headlines or maybe better politics. But I want to thank you for the good work you're doing.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you, Dr. Carrie. I'm going to have to put this to a closure now.

I want to thank you very much for coming today, Dr. Butler-Jones, Elaine Chatigny, and Ms. Shelagh Jane Woods. We really appreciate it.

I have three things that I have to bring before committee before the bells ring, which will be in about three minutes.

Would everyone else be so kind as to leave the room?

Again, thank you for your presentations today.

[Proceedings continue in camera]