Evidence of meeting #21 for Health in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was covid-19.
A recording is available from Parliament.
1:50 p.m.
Professor of Pediatrics and Community Health and Epidemiology, As an Individual
Thank you.
I think it's important to understand if there is a conflict of interest. In this case, I have no material benefit to gain from an endowment that's held at Dalhousie University.
I'll turn to Roger Scott-Douglas to explain the process for the management of conflicts of interest.
1:50 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
That's fine. I'll control the questioning here, if I can.
Dr. Nickerson, South Africa and India have put forward a proposal at the WTO to exempt member countries from enforcing patents, trade secrets and pharmaceutical monopolies under the organization's agreement on trade-related intellectual property rights, know as TRIPS. Of course, the aim of that is to ensure that vaccines and other technologies needed to control COVID-19 are available universally across the globe.
What position is the Government of Canada taking on that position? In your view, what should Canada's position be?
1:50 p.m.
Humanitarian Affairs Advisor, Doctors Without Borders
Thank you for the question.
I believe Canada's official position on this is that it does not yet have an official position, which is to say that Canada is sort of officially saying that it's not rejecting the proposal.
To cut right to the chase, countries should be supporting this proposal. Patents and other intellectual property rights have historically been barriers to access to medicines, particularly for people in low and middle-income countries. The TRIPS waiver proposal that's in front of the WTO at the moment is a needed and important mechanism for removing intellectual property rights as being a barrier to accessing COVID-19 technologies. Canada should support it.
1:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon
We're going to try to squeeze in a quick round of one minute per party. If questioners could try to keep their questions to 30 seconds or less to allow 30 seconds or so for the answer, that would be great.
We'll go now to Monsieur d'Entremont. Please go ahead for one minute.
1:50 p.m.
Conservative
Chris d'Entremont Conservative West Nova, NS
I have a couple of quick points for Dr. Langley and maybe Mr. Scott-Douglas on getting the minutes of the task force. There are other ways for political parties to get information from different committees. The information might end up being a little blacked out, making it hard to understand what happened at the task force and how decisions were made. Knowing that, I'm wondering if you could provide us a copy of the minutes of the task force meetings.
1:50 p.m.
Secretary of the COVID-19 Vaccine Task, As an Individual
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, for the question.
I think that active efforts are being looked at now on how we can realize as much transparency as possible while protecting the confidential business information that legal agreements have been entered into to protect. That's under active consideration.
1:55 p.m.
Conservative
Chris d'Entremont Conservative West Nova, NS
Can we make sure that they are provided to this committee as soon as they are available? I don't want to do a motion. I'd like to do a motion just to make sure they come here, but I'm going to use your best judgment to actually have that provided to us.
1:55 p.m.
Secretary of the COVID-19 Vaccine Task, As an Individual
Mr. Chair, every effort will be made to get information to the committee in a timely fashion, recognizing that we'll need to redact the confidential information, of course.
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon
Thank you, Monsieur d'Entremont.
We go now to Mr. Van Bynen. Please go ahead for one minute.
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
Tony Van Bynen Liberal Newmarket—Aurora, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
We've heard a lot about the need for pan-Canadian initiatives, firstly for data sharing and now Dr. Morris has suggested that we have a national committee of experts on infectious diseases.
How would Dr. Morris propose that we implement this? You had mentioned earlier that there was an Atlantic example. Perhaps there are some lessons that we could learn from that. How should we go about implementing this pan-Canada presence?
1:55 p.m.
Professor of Infectious Diseases, As an Individual
I think there are a few options available. Some of those would require legislation. The Public Health Agency of Canada was born out of the SARS Commission and a recognition that we did need a strong federal response to infectious diseases and pandemics. Over time, PHAC has seen its budget and its overall strength diminished by effective reductions in budgets, etc. I think that's one aspect of it.
The second thing I would say is that NACI has proved itself to be an efficient structure and organization for immunization practices. It has effectively advised provinces that have then contextualized the advice from NACI. I don't see why a similar approach—whether it's therapy for infectious diseases or overall strategies to tackle infectious diseases—can't be structured in a similar manner.
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon
Thank you, Mr. Van Bynen.
We go now to Mr. Thériault.
Please go ahead for one minute.
1:55 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC
Dr. Morris, on the subject of immunity, Dr. Bernstein told us at the last meeting that mixing vaccines—giving the Pfizer or BioNTech vaccine in the first dose and the AstraZeneca vaccine in the second dose—could boost immunity.
What do you think?
1:55 p.m.
Professor of Infectious Diseases, As an Individual
Although I have a personal view on it, I think that Dr. Langley has more expertise than I do to answer that.
1:55 p.m.
Professor of Pediatrics and Community Health and Epidemiology, As an Individual
Thank you, Dr. Morris, and thank you, Mr. Chair.
These questions are very important to answer. I don't think we have the answer to those right now, and they should be studied. It is very important to know the effect of the second dose on maturing the immune response in a safe and effective way. That, overall, has been the concern about changing whether there is, or when you give, a second dose.
These are important public health questions the member has raised, and I think we should address them.
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon
Thank you, Mr. Thériault.
We go now to Mr. Davies.
Mr. Davies, go ahead for one minute.
1:55 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Thank you.
Dr. Langley, you and your colleagues got help and are registered as principal investigators on the phase three trial of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by CanSino Biologics. We know that's the partnership with the NRC that collapsed this summer.
Did you recuse yourself from the vaccine task force's deliberations on the CanSino vaccine?
1:55 p.m.
Professor of Pediatrics and Community Health and Epidemiology, As an Individual
I would have declared my interest, and I don't remember.
Roger.
1:55 p.m.
NDP
1:55 p.m.
Secretary of the COVID-19 Vaccine Task, As an Individual
The very first time CanSino was discussed, it was reviewed in a list of the international candidates, and then Dr. Langley indicated that she had—
1:55 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
I'm sorry, I have limited time. I'm asking about your recusing yourself. Excuse me, sir, but you're not answering the question.
1:55 p.m.
Secretary of the COVID-19 Vaccine Task, As an Individual
—and she indicated she would recuse herself from any discussion.