The National Citizens Inquiry (NCI) on COVID-19 issued four recommendations on Thursday regarding vaccination for the virus in an online press conference..NCI Commissioner Ken Drysdale said the recommendations were released prior to the full report due to recent developments. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, wore a mask at a press conference on Tuesday, telling Canadians to prepare to wear them again..The Food and Drug Administration in the United States gave the green light to new COVID 19 vaccines the same day..“What's striking is that this new vaccine seemed to have gained approval primarily on the strength of prior authorizations granted for COVID-19 vaccines. In tandem, the CDC (Centres for Disease Control) swiftly followed suit, endorsing the use of these new vaccines for individuals as young as six months of age,” Drysdale explained..“Furthermore, Health Canada has also recently greenlit a new COVID-19 vaccine produced by Moderna. And it seems that this approval followed a similar path as those in the United States.”.Moderna has announced construction of a new mRNA facility in Montreal, and expects to produce 100 million doses in 2024..Drysdale said that Division Eight of Canada's food and drug regulations require rigorous evidence of safety and efficacy and a risk-benefit analysis..He called for a “thorough investigation” of how this was set aside for COVID-19 vaccines where an “interim order” became a “permanent regulation.”.“The necessity to objectively establish the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines appears to have been set aside. The significance of this cannot be overstated,” Drysdale said..“The timing of the interim order, just ahead of the vaccine authorization application, also raises questions about whether pharmaceutical companies knew in advance what the authorization requirements would be."."Additionally, testimony highlighted potential conflict of interest and biases within the teams responsible for conducting and reporting the trial data submitted to Health Canada, raising concerns about the transparency and objectivity of the testing process.”.Drysdale announced four recommendations by the NCI:.Rescind the newly-implemented revisions to the food and drug regulations related to COVID-19 vaccine authorization, as they permanently exempt these vaccines from the requirements to objectively prove safety and efficacy.Immediately halt the current use of COVID-19 vaccines in Canada that were authorized under the revised provisions of the interim order and the newly revised food and drug regulations.Conduct a full judicial investigation into the authorization process of COVID-19 vaccinations in Canada with the possibility of addressing any criminal liability that might be found.Make all documentation concerning the authorization process and information provided to regulatory agencies by the manufacturers publicly available..Ches Crosbie, former Progressive Conservative Party leader in Newfoundland, also offered comments..“If you're like me, you will be shocked to learn that Health Canada has never decided that the COVID vaccines are safe and effective,” Crosbie said..“The safe and effective slogan that you have heard repeated over and over by politicians and health officials is nothing but a marketing pitch."."The statement on the Health Canada website that the COVID vaccines are proven safe and effective is a lie. Politicians lied, officials lied and the regulator Canadians trusted to protect them has been corrupted."."Like me, many of you have been duped into taking undue risks with your health and safety.”.During a question time for reporters, commissioners were asked how the report, already expected to be in excess of 1,000 pages, would be disseminated and leveraged for impact..Michelle Leduc Catlin of the NCI said the question of whether the report would have any “teeth” had often been asked..“This is an unprecedented organization and unprecedented process, we are building a new muscle in democracy here. But, there is no legal binding way for us to implement this. So this is really going to be like everything else that's happened with the NCI, something that is up to the citizens of Canada,” she said..“So I put it back to all of you, what are you going to do with this? We need to get this word out. And it's going to be up to each and every one of us to share this report to ensure that the media pays attention that the government pays attention.”.The NCI had approximately 300 witnesses as it criss-crossed the country earlier this year. Non-binding subpoenas were sent to 63 members of government regulators and authorities, but none testified.
