Canada is getting a new ministry tasked with tackling the thorny issues of mental health and addictions across the country. But experts are warning the gesture will be hollow if the government doesn’t make concrete policy changes to back it up. “(The ministry) needs to have real resources — financial resources, as well as human resources —…
Category: Community News
When intensive care unit beds are full, who gets admitted in a pandemic?
OPINION: If demand for critical care exceeds what’s available, triage plans are needed that protect human life and human rights There are reports that triage planning is being discussed in Alberta. Here’s what the Canadian Critical Care Society has proposed be the fundamental principles of triage protocol. This story was originally published January 18, 2021….
Pay Ontario PSWs equally & make the temporary wage enhancement permanent!
The pandemic has made it clear that PSWs were underpaid and are key workers in keeping the health system functioning. The $3/hour temporary wage enhancement for Ontario’s personal support workers (PSWs) is due to end on October 31. #PSWWageEquality The Ontario Community Support Association is asking the provincial government to make the wage enhancement for…
Moderna says its Covid vaccine generates strong immune response in 6- to 11-year-olds
Moderna said Monday a smaller dosage of its Covid-19 vaccine is safe and generates a strong immune response in a study of children ages 6 to 11. Two 50-microgram doses of the vaccine, half the dosage given to adults, produced antibody levels that were 1.5 times higher than those seen in young adults, the company said…
Unions are furious Canada ending CRB payments
Canada’s federal government revealed its new pandemic recovery programs on Thursday, set to replace the expiring Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) expiring on Oct. 23. But labour unions are ringing alarm bells, claiming the new primarily employer-directed programs fail to adequately protect the three-quarters of a million workers who rely on CRB. The Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program, the…
Parents more hesitant to vaccinate their kids against COVID-19. Here’s why
Jennifer Hubert jumped at the opportunity to get her COVID-19 vaccine, but she’s not looking forward to having to make the decision about whether to vaccinate her three-year-old son Jackson. She recognizes the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, but said she also understands her son is at a much lower risk for serious illness than older adults….
Should COVID-19 vaccinations be mandatory for all hospital workers? Ontario hasn’t decided yet
The question of mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for hospital workers won’t be settled until next month, despite calls from opposition parties for Premier Doug Ford to stop “dithering.” In the wake of a request from Ford for hospital executives and others in health care to weigh in on mandatory vaccinations by last Tuesday, Health Minister Christine Elliott…
Canada will face a new frontier of hesitancy when it’s time to vaccinate kids
The news that Pfizer has submitted a request for Health Canada to approve its COVID-19 vaccine for children is being heralded by some as the final stage in this ghastly pandemic. Finally, our two-week effort to crush the curve might be coming to an end, about 85 weeks later. At present, Canada boasts some of the highest…
How parents can hold on to the lockdown effect of better communication with their kids
In the early days of the pandemic, Andrea Galleguillos tried to keep her anxieties at bay by staying busy with a list of kid-friendly activities. She was on the floor in her home attempting origami with her three children when she broke down. “And of course nothing works. It was a disaster. I started to cry,”…
Why ‘waning immunity’ from COVID-19 vaccines isn’t as bad as it sounds
Long-term immune protection against severe COVID-19 remains strong, data suggests Canadians concerned over waning immunity from COVID-19 vaccines, breakthrough infections and the need for booster shots in the general public could benefit from a dose of some important context, experts say. Antibodies, your first line of defence against COVID-19 infection, do decline — and may even be doing so as you’re…