CCBI Resources for Covid-19 – January 22, 2021

Dear Friends of CCBI,

There was certainly a setback to our hopes for a steady rollout of vaccines when we heard the news that Pfizer is re-fitting its factory to increase development, therefore expected shipments to Canada would be delayed. Many areas are in lockdown, and so the response to this news was fairly muted, perhaps even resigned. We know it’s going to be a long winter and don’t need another setback. Since there are no other shipments on the horizon, our political leaders, who have to be SEEN doing something, cannot, in fact, do anything at all. General rollout to those of us who are not priorities is, barring further untoward incidents, forecast to happen by the end of March. The good news is that most long-term care residents and workers have been vaccinated, as have some frontline workers, which is a great step forward in general. At the same time, the number of outbreaks in long-term care homes is still disproportionately high, while some of them are now showing some of the virus variants, complicating treatment and survival even further.

An article in The Star opens with mixed news: “The federal Liberal government says it is willing to strike separate deals with provinces that want to meet national standards for long-term care although there is still no consensus on what those standards should be….” Lest you think this is an ancient article, it is dated January 12, 2021! So there we have it: despite several reports on this topic over the years, despite the horrific circumstances we learned about last summer when long-term care residents were struck down by the hundreds, partly because of the virus and partly because of the inability of the homes to protect them, Canada still has no national standards? The Justice Minister has publicly proclaimed his eagerness to rush Bill C-7 through Parliament proposing extended circumstances to allow MAiD procedures, but where is the eagerness of any Minister (and surely this question of conditions in long-term care is not only about health, but also about justice, care of seniors, ownership responsibility, etc.) to come up with a Bill to improve long-term care? Reports are not enough – the situation needs legislation, but meantime the waffling and back-and-forth between federal and provincial governments continue, as this article points out. Not good enough.

I was invited to speak on a podcast for Priests for Life (Canada), hosted by Fr Tom Lynch and Fr John Lemire, to discuss the ethics of vaccines. At one point we were talking about the many stories that fly around the internet stating some unsubstantiated facts about the contents of vaccines, about their safety, about their side effects, about their rapid development, and even that they cause infertility (I hadn’t heard that one), and so on and so forth. It’s clear that questions about content and safety are legitimate ethical and scientific concerns, but, as we’ve said before, these discussions need to be based on scientific facts that can be shown to have reference points, which most informed websites do state. They must also have reference to official Church teaching. The rationale behind some statements is concerning, especially when doubt and fear are sown without evidence but have the effect of making some people hesitate to receive a vaccine at all, even the ethical ones. It is true that the time frame for development was rapid, but we read about their undergoing the necessary stages of testing, after which some vaccines were not approved. At least this is open and transparent. An article below points out what it calls vaccine ‘myths,’ and the doctors reporting them explain what’s going on and why these myths can take hold.

Another serious ethical question has re-appeared because of the dangerous climb in COVID-19 cases over the last few months and the numbers of ICU beds and ventilators available for those who might need them. We know that in Ontario, matters are at the tipping-point, and unless the numbers recede, choices will need to be made about who will receive treatment, and who will not. We are talking about life and death here, in the starkest of ways, and therefore this type of decision is fraught with danger, not the least being that there may not be time in some situations to consult with anyone else. Ideally there will be some consultation, and some people will decide to forgo use of ventilators because of their already compromised position or perhaps altruistically. Some patients may not be in any condition to consent, and doctors will have to decide. We need to get those numbers down! Our best hope is to keep our ICUs as available as possible by minimizing virus spread and following public health instructions for the sake of the common good. Please read about some propose triage protocols in the The Globe article below.

I’m adding articles I wrote on this topic at the beginning of the pandemic, and while clearly not the last word, I think they are still relevant. I DO hope and pray that triage will not be necessary, for the sake of the patients, of course, but also their families, the doctors and healthcare staff involved, and the moral good of our country as a whole.

Our Lady, Health of the Sick, pray for us!

That we should be at the service of fraternity, let us pray to the Lord!

(Pope Francis’ intention for January)

Moira and Bambi

MSN
Ontario to delay 2nd vaccine dose until up to 42 days due to Pfizer shipment delivery pause msn.com

Toronto Star
Ottawa willing to strike separate deals with provinces to address problems in long-term care, senior official says thestar.com

The Globe and Mail
Vaccine myths running rampant online among all age groups, Ontario doctors say theglobeandmail.com

How doctors in Quebec, Ontario will decide who gets care if coronavirus hospitalizations continue to surge theglobeandmail.com