Health committee  At this point in time, I think that you take whatever is offered to you, because the risk of catching the infection is now, while the transmission in the community is high. If you wait until June or July, when your turn comes for the mRNA vaccine for instance, you're still at ris

Health committee  In terms of the extended interval, the most vulnerable in long-term care facilities, for example, are probably the group we wouldn't be extending. The reason NACI didn't put that out explicitly was that when we spoke to our counterparts, the provinces and territories all said tha

Health committee  I think what you really have to look at is the risk-benefit, as we were saying. What we are aiming for is to get as many Canadians vaccinated with the first dose, with an overall effectiveness of approximately 80%, which then can help control the pandemic and decrease the impact

Health committee  I think you would have to ask Health Canada for the exact reasons.

Health committee  You are correct.

Health committee  If you look at the two mRNA vaccines, the efficacy is actually close to 95% for those aged 65 and over. For Johnson & Johnson, NACI hasn't reviewed all the data, so our recommendation is not out yet, but we do have data on those aged 65 and over that is statistically signific

Health committee  Thank you very much. Mr. Chair and members of the Standing Committee on Health, thank you for inviting me to speak to you again, this time regarding the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. The recommendations of the National Advisory Committee on Immuni

Health committee  I can try to take this answer. I'm not part of PHAC, and I'm not part of the modelling exercise. I don't have any insider knowledge of the model. I think that what we're trying to understand at this point in time is the actual efficacy of the vaccines and effectiveness of the vac

Health committee  Well, I'm not answering that question. I'm just telling you...you asked me—

Health committee  Not at all. We are not part of the rollout. It's the Canadian immunization committee with the provinces and territories.

Health committee  No.

Health committee  I'll defer that to someone else because this is really out of NACI's mandate. I'm sorry.

Health committee  What I've said is that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, based on the studies that have been emerging after the statement, seem to be efficacious against the B.1.1.7. We don't have much data about the South African strain variant yet. Against the U.K. variant, it seems to be fine.

Health committee  That's an excellent question, and my crystal ball is as good as yours. Depending on the rate of vaccine deliveries, I have a feeling that we'll get there around the fall. We hope that about 85% of our population will be vaccinated by then. Afterwards, it will be necessary to se

Health committee  It does. Herd immunity is based on the reproductive number, which was approximately three to four with the original virus. It's 50% more, at four to six, with those new variants. Therefore, you would need close to 85% of your population either immunized or protected through natur