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We at The Line respect debate, and we're willing to be critical of government actions on COVID. What we are not willing to do is be a platform to spread Facebook-fueled conspiracy fear mongering about vaccines here. Comments of this nature will be deleted.

We acknowledge the risks of the vaccine very clearly and openly in this piece. The risks warrant discussion. Not misinformation.

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Apr 16, 2021Liked by Line Editor

This old boomer really loves what you have to say. You and millions of young people are a credit to our excellent education system. Hint hint UCP!

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Apr 16, 2021Liked by Line Editor

I am more outraged with Trudeau's sneering comments about Conservative Canadians. I thought we were all in this together. Right. BTW, I am 56 and healthy. I went thru the range of emotions and read every article that came my way about AZ. I felt that my age group was ... somewhat disposable. Not a good time to be middle aged and healthy, said no one ever. Yesterday I decided to get over my first world entitlement, trust the experts and get the shot. I called a pharmacy a block away and got my shot within the hour.

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Apr 16, 2021Liked by Line Editor

Thank-you for expressing my rage perfectly.

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Apr 16, 2021Liked by Line Editor

Subscribed based on this piece alone.

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Apr 16, 2021Liked by Line Editor

Regarding the Saskatchewan Health Authority tweet, they seem to have altered the original blood clot risk image from Thrombosis Canada. The 14 per cent risk factor is for covid-19 *hospitalizations*, not *infections* which is a materially different number. I absolutely agree that health agencies have botched risk communication, but they should try to fix this by overstating the risk of clots from infections. Health Agencies can't fix misinformation with more misinformation.

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*Shouldn't try to fix this, is what I meant to type.

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Apr 16, 2021Liked by Line Editor

I am screaming. I love this piece. This. This is the articulation of my fury when I hear people who have no medical degrees or training discuss vaccines. Thank you Jen Gerson.

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good one, jen

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Apr 16, 2021Liked by Line Editor

Hooray Jen Gerson!

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Thank you, Jen. Exceptional piece of writing. Best subscription I have.

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Apr 16, 2021Liked by Line Editor

And..... cue the whiny anti-vaxx brigade so part of western privilege culture.... here we go.

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Apr 16, 2021Liked by Line Editor

Excellent, Jen.

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Brilliant! This is exactly how I feel. It's difficult telling vaccine hesitant friends and family that their decisions to not get vaccinated are essentially selfishness but that's really what it boils down to.

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Thinking about this article yesterday. I'm a nurse vaccinator in Montreal, where the guidelines have recently been updated to include young people in certain work conditions. While it was a pleasure to be giving the "jab" to these deserving 20-somethings, I have to mention anecdotally that they too are vaccine shopping. We are doing both AZ and Pfizer in our clinc and oh yeah, they've got opinions. Prepare for your criticisms of middle-agers to be just as relevant as we shimmy down the age group ladder.

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Anyone who is critical of government or media messaging should perhaps be careful to be accurate in their own messaging. To say, as the article does, “now it's not approved for those under the age of 55. “ is not accurate. The following is quoted from a CBC April 14th article:

“Health Canada is standing by the approval of the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines for all adult ages despite some international hesitancy to use the shots because of rare but severe blood clots.

The Canadian regulator updated guidance to citizens and the medical community Wednesday saying AstraZeneca vaccine recipients should be warned about the 1-in-250,000 risk of blood clots but immunization should continue as most of Canada struggles to control a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases.

“Where the risk of COVID is moderate or high, as it is in many parts of the country, the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine far outweigh the risks, in all age groups,” said Supriya Sharma, Health Canada’s chief medical adviser.”

The above appears to parallel the theme of the article, not contradict it.

Rather than simply throwing darts at governments, officials and vaccine hesitant individuals, (many of which are deserved) there are alternatives. Considering that Aztrazeneca is approved, the easiest solution to get more jabs in arms is to open bookings up to younger age groups.

In Alberta at the moment only those over 54 are eligible. There is a very good chance that the plus 54 demographic is hesitant because they see that Phase 2D for Pfizer and Moderna is only two or three weeks away.

The present reality is that Astrazeneca is approved for use by all adults in Canada and that it is provincial governments that are deciding who can get it. Instead of targeting those who are on the threshold of getting a different drug, why not target a broader demographic?

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It's not Health Canada that makes this determination, but rather the NACI, which still does not recommend AstraZeneca for anyone under the age of 55. See: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/immunization/national-advisory-committee-on-immunization-naci/rapid-response-recommended-use-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-younger-adults.html

The disparity you've pointed out is a classic example of the confusion and mixed messaging we've been seeing at every stage of this roll out.

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You are linking to a document that refers to recommendations. This article uses the words “not approved”. If you are going to use a term different from the source you are using, then it would be very helpful to explain why. In this case you are suggesting that a provincial government does not have the power to say, “It is not recommended by the NACI for use in under 55 at this time, but Health Canada has determined that it safe of use at all ages and, as a consequence, we are allowing citizens over 18 in the province to make an informed decision on their own.” I hope that you can point me to a link which shows that in terms of provincial decision making, a recommendation from NACI acts as an approval – without their recommendation the province is not allowed to have it administered.

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That's correct. Sources at the provincial level inform me that the provinces, and the doctors therein, are waiting on NACI to lower the age recommendation below 55. (And, in fact, many are calling on NACI to do this very thing in order to bring our the NACI recommendations in line with Health Canada's risk assessment. They are expecting to hear from NACI as early as today.)

See more details in this Globe piece: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-health-canada-stands-by-approval-of-astrazeneca-johnson-johnson-covid/

Could the provinces override NACI's ruling? I'm not sure whether or not they can, to be honest, but my understanding is that very few doctors would go along with that.

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Thank you for the candor of your last statement. I find it interesting that once again you use what is generally perceived as an absolute term, ruling, as a synonym for recommendation, which implies a degree of choice. As I see it, you are saying that premiers and doctors are interpreting it as a ruling and are acting accordingly, although you are unsure to what degree seeing it as a ruling is mandatory.

You have chosen to come down hard on the +54 demographic. Certainly your choice and it seems that you have a lot of support for that view here. An approach which is just a little less divisive might be, “If you middle aged folks don’t want it, get out of the way and let me have it.” There may be hurdles in pursuing that approach, but Health Canada approval is not one of them.

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As of today (April 21), the AstraZeneca vaccine targeted against SARS-CoV-2 is available for people 40 years of age and older in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario. People who are 45 years of age and over are eligible to receive it in Quebec. It seems fairly clear that you over-reacted based on a misunderstanding of NACI’s role.

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I agree. Open the floodgates!

My three children are all in their twenties. They've been making sacrifices that I can only begin to comprehend. Relationally. Job and career. Schooling.

I try to put myself in their shoes, reflecting on how I felt when I was twenty-something. At that stage in my life the last thing I would have wanted was to put my life on hold for 14 months––I would've been ready to give up.

Open the vaccine age gate and watch the young adults step up!

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I'm not exactly responding to Jen's thesis. At this point, my "shopping" is delayed due to the now demonstrably paternalistic stance of NACI and the provincial governments about the risks associated with the AZ jab. To be clear, I will take the first jab available to me. I just wish the [insert your home province here] government would give me the opportunity to sign up for the AZ jab that languishes in storage in my province!

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