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National Post
34 minutes ago
- National Post
Ontario hospital says it will ‘immediately cease' use of dogs in heart research
By Investigative Journalism Bureau Article content After decades of secretly inducing heart attacks in dogs as part of cardiac research, St. Joseph's Hospital ended the practice on Monday in the aftermath of an Investigative Journalism Bureau (IJB) investigation. Article content In a public statement, the Lawson Research Institute at St. Joseph's announced it will 'immediately cease research studies involving dogs' following consultation with the province. Article content Article content 'We acknowledge that this will have a significant impact on the ground-breaking research that has resulted in major strides in cardiac care and treatment, and on the dedicated teams involved in this work,' the statement reads, adding 'the government of Ontario is an important partner in every aspect of our work.' Article content The story details clandestine experiments that force the animals into heart attacks lasting as long as three hours, according to internal study protocol documents reviewed by journalists and experts. Article content Article content 'I was deeply disturbed by last week's reports of inhumane medical research taking place on dogs at St. Joseph's Health Care London and immediately reached out to raise my concerns,' reads a post on X Monday afternoon from Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Article content 'I'm pleased that St. Joseph's has agreed to immediately stop this research. Our government will always act to ensure that any medical research is carried out in an ethical and humane manner.' Article content Article content In an interview, Ford called the research 'inhumane.' Article content Article content 'That's stepping over the line,' said Ford, who has a family dog at home and another six among his immediate family. Article content 'It can't happen here in Ontario and it won't happen. If I find any other universities or hospitals or research facilities doing that, I'm going to put an end to it immediately…We have to outlaw that in Ontario.' Article content Based on interviews with two whistleblowers as well as internal documents, images and video, the story details the surreptitious movement of dogs from a U.S. breeder into the hospital's receiving doors in covered cages and up to what some staff call the 'secret sixth floor.' Article content After the procedures, the dogs' hearts are analyzed using the same MRI and PET scanning machines used on human patients one floor below. Article content The puppies are eventually euthanized and their hearts removed for further study. After the dogs are killed, the whistleblowers say the carcasses are placed in garbage bags and placed inside barrels for removal.
CBC
44 minutes ago
- CBC
Albertans can sign up for fall COVID-19 shot but cost still unknown
Social Sharing Albertans can now sign up to get the next COVID-19 vaccination in the fall but the province won't yet say how much the shot will cost. As of Monday, residents can pre-order the COVID-19 shot by registering online on the Alberta vaccine booking system site. Most Albertans who want the shot will be charged for the vaccination, whereas it was previously free. The government says it will still cover people living in care homes, those receiving home care, people on social programs such as the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) and immunocompromised individuals. The ministry of Primary and Preventative Health Services is not yet saying how much it will cost everyone else. "The fall immunization plan is being finalized, and details — including the updated vaccination schedule, exact locations, and administrative fee for COVID-19 vaccines — will be available soon," ministry spokesperson Maddison McKee said in a statement Monday. The province previously estimated it would cost about $110 per dose. Vaccinations will begin in October at public health or large immunization clinics, a change from throughout the pandemic when they were available at pharmacies. Some have criticized the province's policy, including former chief medical officer of health Dr. James Talbot. "It's a terrible policy, and it's going to cost lives and it's going to put the healthcare system under stress," said Talbot, who is now an adjunct professor at the University of Alberta's school of public health. "A lot of Albertans aren't going to be able to get coverage this year. And we'll end up paying for them going to the hospital or worse, and we'll end up paying for years afterwards for their long COVID." Wasted doses a 'complete red herring' The government of Alberta announced the policy changes earlier this summer, saying more than a million vaccines — or 54 per cent of Alberta's order — were wasted in the 2023-24 respiratory virus season, meaning about $135 million worth of doses were wasted. Talbot vehemently disagrees with the province's estimates. "It's a complete red herring, they've provided no evidence for this," Talbot said in an interview with CBC News Monday. He said the province was responsible for setting the rules on when vaccines are opened and used. "So blaming pharmacies or blaming Albertans for a situation that they themselves created makes absolutely no sense." The Alberta Federation of Labour said it opposes the new policies, insisting the government should continue covering people working in crowded and high-risk areas, like health care and education. "From our perspective, this is a provincial government thumbing its nose at workplace health and safety," president Gil McGowan said Monday. "And also the health of people working in places like health-care facilities and education facilities." Pharmacies not included Brittany Zelmer, president of the Alberta Pharmacists' Association, said it's concerning that vaccinations will only be offered at public health centres and not at pharmacies. "We really do touch every corner of the province and have the ability to be accessible not only with our hours but also in our location," Zelmer said. "So I think this decision does place barriers in receiving the vaccine."
CBC
44 minutes ago
- CBC
More potent cannabis means higher risk of psychosis, study suggests
A new article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal says that the THC potency in cannabis is five times higher than it was 20 years ago, which the authors say can mean a higher risk of cannabis-induced psychosis.
