SoVote

Mar/31/22 10:28:56 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague began his speech by misinforming the public, when he implied that the vaccine is not effective because booster doses are required. I would suspect that my colleague has been vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, influenza, hepatitis B, pneumococcus, meningitis, measles, rubella and mumps. All of these vaccines require booster doses. Does my colleague understand what a booster dose is, and does he intend to stop pushing misinformation to Quebeckers and Canadians?

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Context: House Hansard - 50 - Mar/31/22

Hon. Ed Fast

Mar/31/22 10:29:27 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I did not even mention boosters in my speech. What I did say was that I support vaccines. I am triple vaccinated. I have no problem being vaccinated, but I do respect those in Canada, unlike our NDP, Liberal and Bloc colleagues, who differ in their opinions on that. However, I believe vaccines can dramatically reduce mortality and serious illness, and I encourage Canadians to get vaccinated, but it is time to lift the vaccine mandates. We have had them for a long time. A lot of Canadians feel they have lost their freedom as a result, so on top of all of that, we now have the problem of inflationary pressures created by the Liberal government. It is time to get inflation under control. It is time to get spending under control.

135 words

Context: House Hansard - 50 - Mar/31/22

Mr. Bryan May (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence, Lib.)

Mar/31/22 6:36:51 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada has been supporting Canadians. Our goal has been to minimize serious illness and overall deaths with minimal disruption to society. With the recent emergence of the BA.2 variant, we are seeing rising cases and differing levels of severity in regions across the country. This reminds us that COVID-19 is still circulating. The Public Health Agency of Canada provides guidance and advice on recommended public health measures. This is done at both individual and community levels. The agency's guidance has been informed by scientific evidence, expert opinion and established public health practices. It aims to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health and safety of people living in Canada. Across the country, there is variability in how jurisdictions are assessing risks and adjusting approaches. However, we continue to recommend using individual public health measures, such as wearing a mask in indoor public settings, as the COVID-19 situation evolves. We expect recommendations for these measures, of course, to change. Vaccines and therapeutics continue to be important cornerstones of our pandemic response. We are fortunate that vaccination coverage rates in Canada are high, but there are still more opportunities to enhance our protection. Vaccine-related requirements and restrictions have helped keep Canadians safe. They have supported safe working conditions and spaces for federal public service workers and travellers on federally regulated transport. They have also been a tool to support vaccine uptake to help prevent serious illness and to help prevent our health care system from becoming overwhelmed. With vaccines widely available and higher levels of immunity due to prior infection, Canada is in a much stronger position now than we were at the beginning of the pandemic. Our best advantage going forward will be maintaining a state of readiness. This includes all of us keeping our COVID-19 vaccinations up to date and getting a booster dose when eligible. Canadians should also continue to make informed personal choices to protect themselves, their families and their communities based, of course, on their local situations and personal circumstances. Using individual public health measures in a layered approach and, along with vaccines and therapeutics, results in fewer hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19. Provincial and territorial governments and regional local public health authorities will continue to make decisions about when it is necessary to maintain, ease or reinstate public health measures. In doing so, they will consider indicators of readiness, the most recent evidence, the current situation and other factors. As Canada moves forward with its ongoing pandemic response, a risk- and evidence-based approach will continue to be used across jurisdictions.

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Context: House Hansard - 50 - Mar/31/22

Mr. Bryan May

Mar/31/22 6:41:22 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, on that ominous note, the Public Health Agency of Canada and its provincial and territorial partners are working together and planning for an approach that is sustainable as we address the ongoing presence of the BA.2 variant. Canada's response has been and will continue to be based on scientific evidence and expert opinion. We will continue to take into account the evolving scientific evidence related to the virus and its characteristics as well as the epidemiology. We will also consider emerging variants of concern, the value and impact of public health interventions and the impact of vaccination and vaccine effectiveness as we move forward. Thanks to the people living in Canada who have adhered to public health measures and have gotten vaccinated, our outlook for the future continues to improve.

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