The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on National Nursing Week, which runs from May 10 to 16: “Today, as we mark the first day of National Nursing Week, we recognize these selfless professionals who undertake life-saving work every day. “Nurses are heroes of our health care system. They work tirelessly to deliver…
Category: Community News
Provinces look to mix COVID-19 vaccines in light of changing supply
Alberta has become the first Canadian province to cease administering first doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine. The province says it will now only be administering the shot in limited cases. Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, David Williams, said Monday that the province is currently reviewing the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine as other provinces…
Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine approved for Canadians 12 and over, Health Canada says
Health Canada is authorizing the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents aged 12 to 15, meaning that the jab is now approved for anyone over the age of 12 in Canada. Until now, the shot had only been approved for Canadians over the age of 16. “This is the first vaccine authorized in Canada for the prevention of COVID-19 in…
Watch in Mandarin: What you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine
The Star has launched a new initiative aimed at bridging the gap between public health information, and those who need it most. #VaccineTalk is a series of question and answer sessions between Star reporters and trusted public health experts and doctors in multiple languages. The #VaccineTalk in Mandarin features Star reporter Joanna Chiu as the host, interviewing…
Watch in Cantonese: What you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine
The Star has launched a new initiative aimed at bridging the gap between public health information, and those who need it most. #VaccineTalk is a series of question and answer sessions between Star reporters and trusted public health experts and doctors in multiple languages. The #VaccineTalk in Cantonese features Star reporter Joanna Chiu as the host, interviewing…
Canada may find it challenging to reach herd immunity from COVID-19, experts say
Herd immunity may not be reached in Canada but a return to life similar to that before COVID-19 is possible through immunization, experts say. Such immunity is achieved when enough people are immune to a virus, either through vaccinations or natural infections or a combination of both. Prof. Paul Tupper of Simon Fraser University’s mathematics…
Confused by NACI’s AstraZeneca recommendation? Why the first shot offered is still the best shot
Vaxx Populi: NACI described mRNA vaccines as “preferred,” but the protection all vaccines—including AstraZeneca—offer from COVID is ‘immensely higher’ than the risk of blood clots You know those incidents and issues that somehow wind up occupying a disproportionate amount of time? The condo owner who always has a multi-part query at a meeting, or a simple formula that…
Language can be a barrier to COVID-19 vaccine access. The Star is asking doctors to help
Ontario’s vaccine rollout has brought not only frustration, but anguish for many residents, as those in the hardest hit neighbourhoods were not initially prioritized for shots. And dealing with barriers due to an inequitable health-care system that prioritizes white, English-speaking residents, doesn’t make it easier to access crucial public health information about the vaccine. That’s why the…
How many COVID-19 vaccines can Ontario administer per day? We did the math
Province yet to hit daily target of 150,000 doses, but more supply is expected Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout has reached a crucial moment, with more supply arriving every week and the province saying it’s on track to administer at least one dose to 65 per cent of adults by the end of May. But three…
Vaccine etiquette: What’s safe to ask others and what’s off the table Social Sharing
The COVID-19 shot has brought hope but also a whole new set of dilemmas The advent of COVID-19 vaccines has provided hope that there will soon be a return to something closer to what we remember as being “normal.” But with the shot has come a whole new set of experiences and dilemmas. What kinds…