Top Results For: theresa tam

Canada's chief public health officer, dr. theresa tam, is hinting federal vaccine mandates could soon be a thing of the past. That has many wondering what will happen next here in B.C. Catherine Urquhart has more on what changes could be coming.

Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam outlined new guidance released by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) Friday on COVID-19 vaccine booster shots. In the guidance, the NACI recommends adults aged 80 and older, and seniors in long-term care, be offered a booster dose at least six months after receiving their second dose. Certain other high-risk populations may also be offered a booster dose, according to the guidance.

Canada’s chief public health officer Theresa Tam said on Wednesday that the qualifications for being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 were not changing in Canada at this point. “I think that we will be revisiting this question again after our booster programs have rolled out significantly in the domestic context,” she told reporters.

Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Friday that with strong protection from vaccines and declining hospitalizations due to COVID-19, the country needs to focus on ”easing societal disruptions” from public health measures. However, she said they should continue to conduct personal risk assessments and protect themselves accordingly.

Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said on Tuesday that Health Canada is “very closely” watching emerging data around the safety and efficacy of mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines. “The best evidence will be taken into account as available,” she stated.

Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said on Tuesday that the latest evidence does not show the Omicron COVID-19 variant is contagious for less time than other variants of the virus, but said the number of infections from Omicron is stressing workforces and is a reason to adjust risk tolerance for ending isolation periods earlier.

As Canada's COVID-19 cases start rising again, Health Canada has approved Spikevax, Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, to be used as a booster shot. Abigail Bimman reports on when Canadian children might finally get vaccinated, and on chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam's advice about keeping the virus out as more people head indoors.

Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam warned Friday that even if public health measures like masking are remove, Canadians should be ready for these measures to be reinstated if COVID-19 case counts rise or a new variant is identified. She added that masks “remain one of the foundational layers of protection” against the virus.

Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said on Friday that the Omicron COVID-19 wave could peak at 170,000 cases a day in January, though the projections are likely estimates of the “true number of daily cases” that may be occurring as testing restrictions have limited the number of reported cases.

Federal chief medical officer of health, Dr. Theresa Tam offered some positive news on Canada's COVID-19 outlook saying the country is well past its third peak on Friday. Tam said average case counts are now less than half of what they were during the peak of the third wave with under 3,400 cases reported daily over the last seven days. Tam also said "the latest seven day average for the people with COVID-19 being treated in hospitals each day has dropped 34 per cent since peak activity."

Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Friday that Canadians should continue to wear a mask or face covering despite provinces across the country relaxing mask mandates, adding that a resurgence in COVID-19 cases is inevitable as provinces lift restrictions. She said immunity from COVID-19 vaccines and from prior infection would help keep hospitalizations down, but added, “that is not a guarantee” in all jurisdictions.

Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said on Friday that we could see a “resurgence” of COVID-19 in the fall if coronavirus variants take root in the country and vaccine coverage rates aren’t high enough.

Following new guidance from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Friday there is “no widespread evidence of waning protection” from COVID-19 vaccines in the general population and that the majority of Canadians don’t need a booster dose.

On Friday, Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam reacted to a report from the CBC that Brig.-Gen. Simon Bernard was removed from his role in the country’s vaccine task force following a complaint that he used a racist slur in the workplace, saying there is “no place for racism” in a workplace. Tam did not specifically address the allegations against Bernard.

Canada's chief medical officer of health Dr. Theresa Tam said Friday that Canadian health officials are still evaluating the need for a PCR test for fully vaccinated travellers.

Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said on Friday that 75 per cent of adults need to get at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for a summer with fewer public health measures. In this scenario, she said hospitals will not be overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases if strict restrictions are lifted in the summer.

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Friday that the COVID-19 Omicron wave appears to have peaked in Canada. "Although daily reported cases remain at record high levels and continue to underestimate the true number of infections, multiple indicators suggest infections have peaked at the national level," Tam said.

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said on Wednesday that more than 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered in Canada according to the latest official figures. “Vaccination is fundamental to ending the pandemic, and we encourage all Canadians to get vaccinated,” she added.

Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam during a COVID-19 pandemic update on Tuesday said when comparing the first peak of the epidemic in Canada, young people are now comprising a "majority of cases over many weeks."

Canada's chief health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said on Tuesday that based on the latest unofficial numbers, the country has already surpassed its initial targets of over 75 per cent of Canadians 12 years or older receiving at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and over 20 per cent fully vaccinated.