It was another day of less than optimal vaccine news yesterday – first a warning that there was going to be more fluctuation in future shipments including what appears to be another reduction in the next Moderna shipment (of which we’re still not sure the allocation yet), followed by news that we are in line for a shipment from the COVAX facility, which comes with its own particular special challenges.

Why? Because part of COVAX is to provide vaccines to the developing world, and it appears that Canada is accepting vaccines that would be going to them. Except that’s not the deal we signed – while we are funding vaccines for the developing world through COVAX (and will be sending our excess doses once our own population is vaccinated), part of the procurement diversification strategy was the stream under COVAX that we get some doses while also funding for the developing world. But of course, that wasn’t clearly explained – and the minister did have to do the media rounds to do that later in the day, by which it was too late, and you had everyone tut-tutting that we’re taking doses from those who need it more than we do. Which, incidentally, is happening at the same time that the government is being yelled at for not procuring more doses faster (as though yelling will make Pfizer’s retooling go faster or Moderna’s supply chain issues resolve themselves), and lo, we have doses that we paid for, but we’re going to look like jerks if we take them. Damned if we do, damned if we don’t. Good thing this government can communicate effectively. Oh, wait…

pic.twitter.com/EaQeNyRk4z

— Effin' Birds (@EffinBirds) August 6, 2019

Good reads:

• With only 141 tickets having been issued over the past ten months, PHAC says that 99 percent of people are obeying quarantine orders.
• Here is a great explanation of the vaccine manufacturing process, and why it can’t simply be outsourced to “dozens of companies” domestically.
• The government has designated the Proud Boys, as well as several other far-right extremist groups, to be terrorists, which is a change from a few years ago.
• The new Chief of Defence Staff says there will be an investigation into his predecessor after allegations of inappropriate behaviour with female subordinates.
• A Federal Court judge has denied CSIS the ability to gather information abroad, citing that it exceeds their legal mandate.
• A joint investigation by privacy commissioners around the country concluded that Clearview AI was engaged in illegal mass surveillance.
• The assisted dying bill has passed the Senate’s legal and constitutional affairs committee unscathed, but will see amendments at third reading.
• The Mi’kmaq in Nova Scotia are challenging the laws that prevent them from selling the lobsters they catch as part of their “moderate livelihood” fishery.
• Kevin Carmichael sees an uptick in new GST numbers being issued, which means new businesses are on the rise, and could indicate impending economic recovery.
• Adnan Khan posits that labelling the Proud Boys as terrorists gives them the legitimacy they crave, while other, more violent groups, have not been listed.
• Susan Delacourt looks at why Canada ranked number five on The Economist’s annual democracy index, and warns that we can’t become complacent.
• Colby Cosh boggles at the demands to refer the assisted dying law directly to the Supreme Court of Canada, which makes one wonder why we have Parliament at all.

Odds and ends:

For the CBA’s National Magazine, I look at the new tort of online harassment in Ontario, and get reaction from the legal community as to this development.

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