A group of Canadian scientists, clinicians and other professionals is renewing its demand for governments to halt the use of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, citing what it says are unresolved questions about their safety, effectiveness and regulation.Call to Halt-19 announced Thursday it has re-issued an open letter first released in March 2025 and subsequently sent to approximately 1,200 federal, provincial and territorial politicians and public health officials.The group said it decided to renew its campaign after receiving little acknowledgement from officials and reviewing scientific research published since the original letter."While federal and provincial government officials and a number of academics continue to maintain that the mRNA vaccines are highly safe and effective, our observations from the scientific literature lead us to a very different conclusion," said Dr. Steven Pelech, a University of British Columbia professor of medicine and signatory to the letter."We therefore feel it is incumbent to continue speaking up about these genetic vaccines."The group's claims are disputed by Canadian public health authorities, which have continued to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for eligible Canadians and maintain that authorized vaccines are monitored for safety.Call to Halt-19 said its original letter has 86 signatories and has attracted about 7,400 supporters.It calls for an immediate halt to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, an independent public inquiry into the regulatory processes behind their approval and continued use, and additional research into potential health risks.Among the issues raised by the group are alleged DNA contamination, differences between vaccine batches and changes in IgG4 antibody levels. The group argues those issues warrant further investigation.A new cover letter accompanying the 2026 release raises additional concerns about how long some vaccine-related components may persist in the body, possible toxicity associated with lipid nanoparticles and what the group describes as a biologically plausible connection between vaccination and cancer..Those assertions do not establish that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines cause cancer, and the group is calling for additional investigation of its concerns.Dr. Bernard Massie, a scientist with expertise in vaccine development and another signatory, said the group believes the precautionary principle should be applied."The scientific evidence pointing to serious issues with these mRNA vaccines continues to grow," said Massie."When credible evidence of potential harm continues to accumulate, the Precautionary Principle calls for action, not delay. We believe these products should be halted pending an independent, transparent, scientific review."The group said supporters have also raised concerns about informed consent, recognition and assistance for people who attribute injuries to vaccination, and greater transparency from health authorities.Call to Halt-19 said it hopes the renewed campaign will prompt discussions with politicians and public health officials and encourage Canadians to examine the arguments and scientific citations contained in its letters.
