What Chief Science Advisor of Canada said

Raison d’être: What Chief Science Advisor of Canada said about COVID-19 vaccines.

On March 31, 2021, just before COVID-19 vaccination of general public commenced, the Chief Science Advisor of Canada in the “Scientific Considerations for Using COVID-19 Vaccination Certificates” report has expressed several concerns and recommendations related to the uncertanties associated with using new COVID-19 vaccines that were approved under Emergercy Act and did not go through all normally conducted testing stages. Some of these are listed below:

  • Scientific uncertainties: Given the short time since the COVID-19 vaccines have become available, it is not surprising that many scientific uncertainties persist and are the subject of intense ongoing studies.

  • Ethical and Social Considerations: It should also be noted that while the anticipation of more freedom may be an incentive for some to get vaccinated, vaccine acceptance could decrease in others if there was a sense of coercion tied to using vaccination certificates.

  • Legal Considerations: The processes by which vaccine certificates are issued and controlled need to be fraud proof

  • Conclusion: [All levels of government could work to develop a framework that] Maximizes consistent post-vaccine monitoring

Another report was issued by the Chief Science Advisor Office on July 16, 2021, just as the vaccination rates started to pick up (but still being low - less than 10%): “COVID-19 vaccine-associated myocarditis/pericarditis”, which – in the light of the COVID-19 vaccine side effects that were just uncovered – further emphasized the following:

  • Priority actions moving forward: The emerging issue of vaccine associated heart disease requires attention on two important levels: addressing data and knowledge gaps on the one hand, and promoting awareness and clinical care on the other.

It could have been expected that there would be more reports produced from the Chief Science Advisor Office after July 2021 - to follow up on their recommendations of “addressing data and knowledge gaps” and “promoting awareness”, especially as most data (such as ‘Cases following vaccination’ statistics) have become availalable only after July 2021, and yet there were none produced still, as of February 2022.

This portal is created to address this gap – to provide Canadians with the up to date information related to Vaccine safety and efficacy – as directly observed form official public Government of Canada data, most of which has become available after July 2021 – inline with the considerations by Chief Science Advisor of Canada listed above and the Scientific Integrity Policy principles that they have developed.