Health Committee on May 21st, 2021

[Iain Stewart]

I can't possibly be more clear than to say that I did not know there was an allegation of a sexual nature. There was a potential issue. There was no allegation. You're using words that I knew about an allegation. There was an issue. I was aware that there was an issue, but its exact nature was not specified. We did not have an allegation.

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

You didn't think that, like—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Ms. Rempel Garner.

We go now to Ms. Sidhu for six minutes.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to all of the witnesses for being here today and for all of the hard work you are doing on the front line.

My first question is for Dr. Lucas.

Dr. Lucas, while PCR tests are the gold standard, rapid tests are important tools in our arsenal and so far the federal government has provided millions of rapid tests to provinces and territories. How many rapid tests have been procured for the provinces and territories? How many have been procured for Ontario?

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

Mr. Chair, as I noted in my opening remarks, the federal government has procured and shipped approximately 27 million rapid tests to the provinces and territories. There are approximately 11 million for Ontario.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

What role can rapid tests play in certain high-mobility settings? How can provinces and territories use them effectively?

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

Rapid tests have been demonstrated to be useful in regular serial screening of people, as well as helping in settings where there are outbreaks for rapid screening followed by confirmatory PCR testing.

The government in Nova Scotia has used them effectively in settings in downtown Halifax, for example, for patrons of restaurants and bars in terms of rapid screening. It has used them through the wave that the province has been experiencing over the past several weeks.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Thank you.

The next question is for Dr. Tam.

Dr. Tam, you talked about community-based approaches. I'm from Brampton in the Peel region, and about 60% of the adult population have received a first dose. It's now being made available to anyone over the age of 12. The vaccine has been made available through alternative clinics, such as those targeting specific culture groups for people working high-risk workplaces.

Can you speak to the importance of these alternative clinics in the efforts to reach all the population?

[Dr. Theresa Tam]

Yes, it is really important to use every method available. At this point in time, when vaccines are essentially now being provided to all eligible groups in many areas of Canada, I think having more targeted approaches means really listening to the community and what their needs are. That is very important.

Some of it will necessarily come from providing more information to individuals, but a lot of it is about trust. Having community leaders, having language support and having the clinics open during all hours are really important for access purposes. I do think that all of these efforts combined are really important.

As I mentioned in my opening remarks, some of the key target groups will be younger adults, as well as workplaces and engaging the private sector to see what more can be done to encourage vaccine uptake. With some of the examples we have, I think that best practices can be transferred across Canada.

Our vaccine community innovation challenge has been really very, very popular in these projects supporting diverse communities like the ones you just talked about. I'm really optimistic, and I think, with everybody's support, including community groups, we will get there.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Thank you.

The next question is for Mr. Matthews. The government said back in December that every Canadian who wanted a vaccine would be fully vaccinated by September. How many doses have been administered so far, and how many people have been vaccinated? Do you believe that we are on track to meet this goal?

[Bill Matthews, Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services]

I can speak to procurement of vaccines, but questions about rollouts and being on track, I think, are probably a better directed to my colleague Iain Stewart.

[Iain Stewart]

Regarding the vaccine rollout, we definitely are on track. In fact, we just clocked 20 million doses administered, I think, in real time during this proceeding today. There's always a bit of a difference between what we've distributed to the country, which is about 23 million doses, and what the provinces and territories have been able to organize, line up and deliver. They just hit 20 million doses for Canadians.

That takes us to about 48% of Canadians who have now received their first dose, so the vaccine rollout is a huge effort. The provinces and territories are, of course, doing much of the delivery work, but it takes a large collaborative team, and we're very pleased with the progress being made.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Thank you.

To Dr. Lucas, how does Canada compare with the United States and comparable countries in the G7 and G20 in terms of vaccination rates?

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

Canada's rate of administration on a per capita basis is certainly significant at this point. In terms of first doses administered, we're at about the same level of the population having received it as the United States.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Ms. Sidhu.

We will now go to Mr. Thériault.

Mr. Thériault, you have the floor for six minutes.

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

My first question is for Dr. Lucas.

This week, we learned that, like Europe, Health Canada is allowing Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to be stored in the refrigerator at normal temperature for 31 days, whereas so far the recommendations have been to keep it at minus 60 to minus 80 degrees Celsius. That's very good news in itself.

First, I'd like to know what's changed. How is it possible to do that now?

Then, can you tell us how that will accelerate vaccine rollout?

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

As the honourable member noted, indeed this week Health Canada authorized the submission by Pfizer to extend the period in which the vaccine could be stored, subsequent to thawing it in a refrigerator between about 2°C and 8°C, to 31 days. It had been previously authorized five days in refrigerators. Pfizer has gained experience through its initial work with ultra-cold storage and then for a period of time at -20°C and now is able to store it for up to 31 days in refrigerators.

This will enable a broader utilization of the Pfizer vaccine. I'll make a few comments and then turn to Iain Stewart for any further comments, given the Public Health Agency's responsibility for vaccine rollout, but it will enable broader use of the Pfizer vaccine in settings such as pharmacies or in the territories, as well as in settings such as family physicians' practice clinics.

Mr. Chair, I would turn to Iain Stewart for any further comments.

[Iain Stewart]

Thanks for that, Steve.

I'm sorry?

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Please respond quickly, as I have a related question to ask.

[Iain Stewart]

Okay. I would just say that it's actually very empowering and enabling for the distribution of the Pfizer vaccine in a much more distributed way, so we're very excited about it, Mr. Chair.

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Much has been made of the diversity of Canada's vaccine portfolio.

First, since we now have access to environments that we didn't have access to before with mRNA vaccines, don't the other vaccines become secondary and can they just be left behind? Second, who does that affect?

In terms of the vaccines that we have reserved, can we effectively tell the providers that we don't need them, without it necessarily costing us a fortune?

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

Mr. Chair, I may turn this question to Iain Stewart and Dr. Tam for a response. Health Canada has approved five vaccines, as I noted in my opening statement.

I'll turn to Iain and Theresa on the rollout and advice.

[Iain Stewart]

Thank you for that, Steve.

Mr. Chair and honourable member, the portfolio approach that we've taken has proven robust. A number of the vaccines that we were hoping would be part of our immunization campaign have had challenges—sometimes in production and sometimes in their approval—and so the net result is that we've ended up with a couple of vaccines that are playing a very foundational role.

As you would know, both Pfizer and Moderna have been a major part of what we've done, as well as AstraZeneca to a lower level. Having that diversity of options, in fact, has been very beneficial for the country and therefore I think the portfolio's been quite advantageous.

With respect to the difference among them or the quality—

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Excuse me. It was advantageous when we had a shortage. Now that we can get vaccines with no adverse effects like AstraZeneca's and perhaps Johnson & Johnson's, because they have issues associated with them, why continue down that road? Unless we assume we will have a shortage of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Since we know we can now roll out the vaccines, I imagine we have no interest in exposing people to thrombosis. We've already had four cases in Quebec.

[Iain Stewart]

Thank you.

Mr. Chair, and honourable member, your question itself reflects the progress that we've made as a country in our national immunization campaign. Getting sufficient doses in order to address the public has been the key priority and we are now reaching a point...and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization's advice reflects the point that you're making.

I'll turn to Theresa.

Dr. Tam, maybe you'd like to talk to the topic.