Toronto's former medical officer of health reflects on 5 years since COVID
Toronto's former medical officer of health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, was a key figure during the city's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, declared five years ago on March 11. She spoke to CBC's Here and Now about the city's response to the virus and reflected on some of the biggest challenges.
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Global News
7 hours ago
- Global News
RFK Jr. removes all 17 members of U.S. vaccine advisory panel
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday removed every member of a scientific committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to use vaccines and pledged to replace them with his own picks. Major physicians and public health groups criticized the move to oust all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Kennedy, who was one of the nation's leading anti-vaccine activists before becoming the nation's top health official, has not said who he would appoint to the panel, but said it would convene in just two weeks in Atlanta. Although it's typically not viewed as a partisan board, the Biden administration had installed the entire committee. 'Without removing the current members, the current Trump administration would not have been able to appoint a majority of new members until 2028,' Kennedy wrote in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece. 'A clean sweep is needed to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science.' Story continues below advertisement Kennedy said the committee members had too many conflicts of interest. Committee members routinely disclose any possible conflicts at the start of public meetings. Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, called Kennedy's mass ouster 'a coup.' 'It's not how democracies work. It's not good for the health of the nation,' Benjamin told The Associated Press. 0:37 RFK announces COVID vaccine removal from immunization schedule for pregnant women and children Benjamin said the move raises real concerns about whether future committee members will be viewed as impartial. He added that Kennedy is going against what he told lawmakers and the public, and the public health association plans to watch Kennedy 'like a hawk.' Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'He is breaking a promise,' Benjamin said. 'He said he wasn't going to do this.' Dr. Bruce A. Scott, president of the American Medical Association, called the committee a trusted source of science- and data-driven advice and said Kennedy's move, coupled with declining vaccination rates across the country, will help drive an increase in vaccine-preventable diseases. Story continues below advertisement 'Today's action to remove the 17 sitting members of ACIP undermines that trust and upends a transparent process that has saved countless lives,' Scott said in a statement. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a doctor who had expressed reservations about Kennedy's nomination but voted to install him as the nation's health secretary nonetheless, said he had spoken with Kennedy moments after the announcement. 'Of course, now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion,' Cassidy said in a social media post. 'I've just spoken with Secretary Kennedy, and I'll continue to talk with him to ensure this is not the case.' 9:34 RFK Jr. and Elizabeth Warren get into heated debate over vaccine question at confirmation hearing The committee had been in a state of flux since Kennedy took over. Its first meeting this year had been delayed when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services abruptly postponed its February meeting. Story continues below advertisement During Kennedy's confirmation, Cassidy had expressed concerns about preserving the committee, saying he had sought assurances that Kennedy would keep the panel's current vaccine recommendations. Kennedy did not stick to that. He recently took the unusual step of changing COVID-19 recommendations without first consulting the advisers. The webpage that featured the committee's members was deleted Monday evening, shortly after Kennedy's announcement.
Winnipeg Free Press
8 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
RFK Jr. ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory committee
WASHINGTON (AP) — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday removed every member of a scientific committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to use vaccines and pledged to replace them with his own picks. The 17-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices had been in a state of flux since Kennedy took over. Its first meeting this year had been delayed when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services abruptly postponed its February meeting. Kennedy, who was one of the nation's leading anti-vaccine activists before becoming the nation's top health official, recently took the unusual step of changing COVID-19 recommendations without first consulting the panel. Kennedy, in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, said the committee members had too many conflicts of interest. Committee members routinely disclose any possible conflicts at the start of public meetings. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
People call this hotline when they use drugs alone
An anonymous hotline has fielded over 20,000 calls from people across Canada who want support when using drugs alone, and as CBC's Jennifer La Grassa uncovers, the callers who rely on the National Overdose Response Service (NORS) are not who you might think they are.
