Health Committee on April 16th, 2021

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Thank you. I'll move to my next question.

This would also be for Mr. Stewart.

The same data that I referenced earlier from Ontario, which was just released, actually, while we were in this meeting, showed that the R0 on the variants is considerably higher than for the original strain; data is showing that our vaccination rate is failing to keep up with variant spread. According to your department's projections, how many Canadians would have to be vaccinated every week to get ahead of the reproductive rate of variants by the end of May?

[Iain Stewart]

That's a complex question. I look forward to reading the report. We'll assess it and we'll try to make sense of what they're saying.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

You don't have any information on that or projections right now?

[Iain Stewart]

I believe you just said it has just been released. I have not read it, no.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Does the federal government have any advice on comparing the R0 factors with variants against what the vaccination rate would be in order to “bend the curve”?

[Iain Stewart]

Mr. Chair, the measures that are used to bend the curve are usually public health measures. With vaccination, they're not normally applied in that way.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Why?

[Iain Stewart]

I'd have to read the report to see why you're phrasing it this way.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

What do you mean when you say vaccinations aren't used to bend the curve?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Maybe we can turn to Dr. Tam to speak about—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

No. I direct the questions, Minister.

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Actually, the most appropriate person is Dr. Tam.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

No.

Mr. Stewart, you just said in regard to R0, that you're not using vaccination rates in terms of.... Of course vaccinations bend the curve. Why would you say something like that?

[Iain Stewart]

What I said was that public health measures are what we're using to address the spread of COVID to date. You're referring to a report I haven't read yet. It places me in a difficult place to try to respond to your question.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

No, no. Let's talk about this for a second.

Is Health Canada not using vaccination rates in terms of projecting bending the curve?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Ms. Rempel Garner.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

I have a point of order, Chair. I believe you skipped my round in the last round.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

No, I didn't. You traded off your first round to the NDP and your second round to the Bloc Québécois.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

No, I did not. The NDP gave their spot to the Bloc Québécois, so there was another CPC round. I was just assuming you were giving me my spot in the second round.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

I did. This is your second round. It was five minutes. Your time is up, but we'll start the third round of questions with you, Ms. Rempel Garner, for another five minutes, please.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Thank you, Chair. I appreciate that.

I'd like to go back to Mr. Stewart.

Mr. Stewart, I need to understand this. How are vaccination rates being calculated by Health Canada in terms of using that information to “bend the curve”? I'm just curious. Why did you say we're using public health measures? Are vaccinations not part of that? Are you referring to lockdowns?

[Iain Stewart]

Public health measures are protections, like you're saying, such as restricting mobility and so on. That has been what we've been using in this country to, as you say, “bend the curve”. That's what I was trying to say. That's been the approach we've been taking.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Why aren't we using vaccination rates?

[Iain Stewart]

We are vaccinating people, and as has been talked about in this committee, it's a major endeavour and initiative.

My colleague, Dr. Theresa Tam, is probably a better person to ask this particular question, Mr. Chair.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

No, no, no. I'm sticking with you. Thank you, Mr. Stewart.

Earlier, I think it was last week, the Prime Minister said something to the effect that vaccinations on their own are not enough to keep us safe. Then Dr. Tam said that vaccines aren't a panacea. Are you concerned at all, Mr. Stewart, that what you just said might actually cause questions in the Canadian public about vaccines? Can you just put on the record right now that vaccinations will bend the curve in Canada?