Evidence of meeting #38 for Health in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was doses.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:45 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC
Would booster vaccines necessarily be suitable for variants?
Based on the current vaccination schedule, can you tell us when the booster vaccine stage should begin?
12:45 p.m.
Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada
I think that question is still being analyzed in terms of a response, but right now with the variants that are circulating globally, even if there's a reduced response to the vaccine, we do expect that the current vaccines will stimulate coverage for most of the variants that are circulating. On the question of boosters, people have come up with certain opinions or perspectives, but I actually don't think we know the answer and we must monitor both the virus and the duration of the vaccine immunity, which is being done at the moment on an ongoing basis.
12:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon
Thank you, Mr. Thériault.
We'll go now to Mr. Davies.
Mr. Davies, you have two and a half minutes.
12:45 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Thank you.
Dr. Tunis, is there currently any effectiveness data available demonstrating that protection from a single dose of an approved mRNA vaccine four months from the date of vaccination?
May 21st, 2021 / 12:45 p.m.
Executive Secretary, National Advisory Committee on Immunization
Effectiveness has been monitored in United Kingdom and also here in Canada. There are not currently published estimates looking at a 16-week or four-month effectiveness interval.
12:45 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Thank you.
Mr. Stewart, I guess this question is for you.
In April, the U.S. FDA stopped AstraZeneca from using the Emergent BioSolutions plant in Baltimore, and halted production of the Janssen vaccine as it began an investigation into multiple areas of concern, including contamination and quality-control issues.
On April 25, Health Canada claimed to have verified that the 1.5 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine imported into Canada from that facility met the quality specifications, but the FDA's inspection report noted that, “There is no assurance that other batches have not been subject to cross-contamination”.
How was Health Canada able to verify the quality of those doses when the FDA is unable to provide assurances that vaccine batches produced at the plant were not subject to cross-contamination?
12:45 p.m.
President, Public Health Agency of Canada
Mr. Chair, my colleague Dr. Lucas is actually responsible for that function.
12:45 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Health
Mr. Chair, indeed Health Canada had reviewed the lot and the information associated with the AstraZeneca doses that were imported from the United States. The timing of the production of those doses preceded the contamination. That was as noted in the statement on April 25.
By contrast, the Janssen doses, which arrived on April 28, are being held in quarantine as we work with Emergent, Janssen and the U.S. FDA to assess any potential risk of cross-contamination.
12:50 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Thank you.
On that same day, Health Canada issued a statement regarding those contamination issues and they claimed that, “Janssen vaccines anticipated to come into the country next week do not come from this facility."
However, five days later, on April 30, Health Canada was forced to retract that statement after learning that a drug substance produced at the Emergent site was used in the manufacturing of the initial Janssen vaccines received on April 28 and intended for use in Canada.
Why did Health Canada make an unverified statement of fact on the source of Canada's Janssen vaccines on April 25?
12:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Health
Mr. Chair, at that time, we were working with information provided by the company, Janssen. Subsequent to that statement, we received information on the specific site of manufacture of the drug substance in the Janssen vaccines and issued our statement.
As a consequence of the concerns accruing from the U.S. FDA report, we placed the drugs under quarantine upon their arrival in Canada on April 28.
12:50 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Thanks.
Mr. Ossowski, we also know that hundreds of private flights from international destinations are landing at airports across Canada despite federal rules directing commercial and business air travellers to the four cities with quarantine hotel systems in place.
Why are wealthy individuals being allowed to ignore Canada's COVID-19 restrictions and quarantine requirements for international air passengers if they arrive by private jet?
12:50 p.m.
President, Canada Border Services Agency
I'm happy to respond. We looked into that information, that reporting, and it's just factually incorrect. Half of the private flights that were cited in that were actually cargo flights that are bringing essential goods into Canada, including vaccines on some of those flights.
There are very few instances where some smaller aircraft are not going to the major airports. They are all being met by border service officers. They're all being given their vaccine kits. They're all going through the same protocols as everybody else.
Unfortunately, it just was incomplete reporting.
12:50 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
That's half the flights that would be private jets. You said half are cargo.
What about the other half? They're still being exempt from hotel quarantine rules. Why is that?
12:50 p.m.
President, Canada Border Services Agency
To be more complete, there are a number of people who are trying to use taxi services, if you will, flying into the United States and then they come back into Canada empty. Those flights and flight crew are exempt from the quarantine requirements.
12:50 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Do you have any idea how many individuals are using their private planes to land at these airports and avoiding the hotel quarantine rules?
12:50 p.m.
President, Canada Border Services Agency
I'd have to get that information for you, sir.
12:50 p.m.
NDP
12:50 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I wonder if you could ask the witness to provide that information to the committee at his convenience.
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon
That's great.
Thank you, Mr. Davies. I got distracted, so you went way over on the time there.