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Q-229
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Wednesday, June 18, 2025 |
With regard to information arising from an access to information request from the Public Health Agency of
Canada –
A-2023-000165, which stated that the Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam
and “quite a few” pandemic managers at the Department of Health, the Public Health Agency of
Canada, the Department of Industry, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development and the Department of National Defence were required to
sign a secret oath promising never to divulge information that “may result in
embarrassment”: (a) which specific individual or individuals initiated the requirement for staff to sign a confidentiality agreement;
(b) which divisions of which departments did the individual or individuals in (a) work in;
(c) who was asked to sign this confidentiality agreement and what positions did they hold in their respective departments;
(d) which divisions of which departments did the individuals in (c) work in;
(e) what were the details of the confidentiality agreement;
(f) why did the government feel such a confidentiality agreement was necessary;
(g) did the government conceal or attempt to conceal any information from the public and media that could result in embarrassment; (h) if the answer to (g) is affirmative, what was the specific information that the government concealed or attempted to conceal from the public and media that could result in embarrassment;
(i) what specific criteria do Department of Health officials use to determine whether it's more important to not embarrass the government versus the requirement to be open and transparent with Canadians;
(j) are the staff who signed this confidentiality agreement still under a legal obligation to meet the demands as outlined in the confidentiality agreement;
(k) under what other circumstances are these types of confidentiality agreements required of bureaucratic staff;
(l) how did this confidentiality agreement differ from the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector;
(m) who specifically wrote the confidentiality agreement and which division and which department do they work in; and
(n) who approved the requirements of the confidentiality agreement?
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Answered |
Monday, September 15, 2025 |
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Q-225
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Wednesday, June 18, 2025 |
With regard to Health Canada’s review of the manufacturing data, quality control and safety of lipid nanoparticles in the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, including all versions of Moderna’s SpikeVax, Pfizer-BioNTech’s Comirnaty and the boosters, and Onpattro (Patisaran): (a) was the purity of the starting materials for the lipids, such as residual halogenated solvents and elements, including metals, assessed for mutagenic risk in accordance with established norms and guidelines, and, if so, what were the results, and, if not, why not; (b) was the total amount of observed impurities assessed for mutagenic risk, and, if so, what were the results, and, if not, why not; (c) were any individual element impurities considered mutagenic; (d) if the answer to (c) is affirmative, was this assessed with respect to multiple doses and with respect to the nature of transfection of the lipid nanoparticles; (e) was any assessment of the lipid nanoparticle as a nanoparticle performed; (f) if the answer to (e) is affirmative, did this include an assessment of the polyethylene glycol moiety; (g) was an assessment of the risk of complement activation-related pseudoallergy due to the polyethylene glycol moiety performed, and, if so, what were the results, and, if not, why not; and (h) were any complement-related assays requested from the manufacturer, and, if not, why not? |
Answered |
Monday, September 15, 2025 |
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Q-224
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Wednesday, June 18, 2025 |
With regard to the Public Health Agency of Canada and the government’s future health approach: (a) which agency, entities or ministries are involved in (i) the pandemic prevention, preparedness and response protocols, (ii) the One Health approach; (b) what is the One Health approach and where or how did it originate; (c) which bills are currently tabled or have been passed which would operationalize (i) Canada’s pandemic prevention, preparedness and response protocols, (ii) the One Health approach in Canada, (iii) any other World Health Organization or United Nations international health or pandemic treaties or agreements; (d) have staff already been hired or will staff be hired and trained to integrate the One Health approach into Canadian policy and legislation; (e) if the answer to (d) is affirmative, (i) where and under which department or agency will these employees work, (ii) where are these positions posted, (iii) what are the hiring criteria for these staff, (iv) who selects the staff, (v) how many positions exist or will be created; (f) what is the budget allocation to integrate the One Health approach; (g) are there training programs for nongovernmental professionals in One Health and, if so, where are they located; and (h) if the answer to (g) is affirmative, (i) how are the training programs funded, (ii) what are their goals, (iii) who instructs these courses, (iv) what are the requirements to instruct these courses, (v) how did the instructors obtain these requirements? |
Answered |
Monday, September 15, 2025 |
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Q-223
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Wednesday, June 18, 2025 |
With regard to COVID-19 mRNA vaccine safety and efficacy:
(a) has Health Canada reviewed the peer-reviewed, published scientific article by Hulscher N, Alexander P E., Amerling R, Gessling H, Hodkinson R, Makis W et al. titled “A Systematic Review Of Autopsy Findings In Deaths After COVID-19 Vaccination”, Science, Public Health Policy and the Law. 2024 Nov 17; v5.2019-2024;
(b) what is Health Canada’s assessment of the study referred to in (a);
(c) which department or agency makes the final determination about causality when a family member makes a vaccine injury death claim through the Vaccine Injury Support Program;
(d) how many death claims relating to the COVID-19 vaccines have been made to the Vaccine Injury Support Program to date;
(e) how many death claims relating to the COVID-19 vaccines have been accepted as being causally related;
(f) how many death claims relating to the COVID-19 vaccines have been paid through the Vaccine Injury Support Program and what is that total amount paid out;
(g) is an autopsy required in the case of a vaccine injury death claim;
(h) if the answer to (f) is affirmative, what specialized immunohistochemistry is required to prove causation in the event of an mRNA vaccine injury death; (i) has Health Canada considered mandating autopsies with appropriate immunohistochemistry staining for sudden deaths; and (j) for the years 2019 to 2024, what is the excess all-cause mortality, broken down by year and reason for mortality? |
Answered |
Monday, September 15, 2025 |