Canada’s politicians know they are looking bad. Very bad!
Our country is now reportedly 57th in the world when it comes to percentages of population vaccinated against Covid.
It’s embarrassing … given all the announcements they made about how many millions of vaccines/doses Canada had ordered …more than any other country in the world. But apparently no one arranged early delivery dates for Canada: maybe that’s why they are refusing to make public any of the contracts they signed.
What the government hasn’t been able to hide is how almost every day, Canada has been moving lower and lower on the world’s vaccination scale.
57th now!!
With only two companies’ vaccines having received approval until now from Health Canada: Pfizer and Moderna.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government clearly bungled the vaccine deliveries and for weeks have desperately been calling, appealing, begging pharmaceutical companies and other countries to come to our aid.
Friday Health Canada came to the government’s rescue: announcing approval for the UK’s Astra-Zeneca’s dual-dose Covid vaccine after months of study/evaluation.
Within minutes, Trudeau, Health Minister Patti Hajdu and Procurement Minister Anita Anand were LIVE on television to announce 22 million doses of Astra-Zeneca’s vaccine will be on their way to Canada … starting near the end of March.
Just when seniors in BC 70 to 80 are scheduled to start getting vaccinated in BC.
I will NOT take it … if it’s Astra Zeneca.
It is not that I am a vaccine opponent: to the contrary, I have waited with great anticipation to get my Covid jab.
But, Health Canada said Friday the efficacy rate of the Astra Zeneca vaccine OVERALL is only 62.1 per cent … well below Pfizer and Moderna’s efficacy ratings above 90 per cent.
And according to Health Canada, only 9.7 per cent of the 8,800 people tested with the Astra Zeneca vaccine were over 65 years old. Health Canada officials said they have no data on what the specific efficacy rate was for seniors.
However, what is undeniable, that’s a very small group of seniors testing …and a comparatively lower efficacy rate than Pfizer and Moderna.
Astra Zeneca officials have since contended followups with millions of Scots who took their vaccine showed a much higher efficacy rate … over 90%.
Nevertheless, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday his province will only administer the AZ vaccine to those under 65.
In fact, according to media reports, several European countries already limit the AZ vaccines to people UNDER 65 and some even UNDER 55.
But In BC, Premier John Horgan waffled when asked: refusing to rule it out for seniors.
As a senior, with a number of health conditions, I will make my own decision: I will REFUSE the AZ vaccine.
The BC government should not push it on seniors … just to boost its dismal vaccination numbers.
I will wait as long as it takes to get a vaccine with the best efficacy for my age/health group.
It’s time for the BC government to act, not just deliver rhetoric about how they value seniors, and ensure those over 65 get the vaccine they need and deserve.
For younger or healthy adults, who statistically suffer fewer serious illness and hospitalizations from Covid than seniors, the AZ vaccine could allow authorities to speed up the numbers of those getting inoculated.
Perhaps ideal for front-line workers: truckers; teachers; grocery clerks; transit workers; hotel workers etc.
The good news: no one in the test groups who took that AZ vaccine, and still developed Covid, died or needed to be hospitalized. So it does offer protection, but many seniors trust Pfizer and Moderna.
The BC government should not try to FORCE the AZ vaccine on seniors, especially those with pre-conditions.
If Horgan/Henry try to push the AZ vaccine on those who don’t want it, the rate of those who refuse to get vaccinated will shoot up, increase the mistrust … and delay BC’s recovery, healthwise and economically, even longer.
Harv Oberfeld.
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