Lessons learned

I find it interesting in this “Globalized World” we live in where trade, goods, people seamlessly move about the globe virtually unhindered that we still go through “ceremony and red tape” in time of crisis?

Why didn’t our global leaders of the G7 decide amongst themselves what the criterion was for evaluating any vaccine and when one country completed its review and approved it, it would be adopted by the remaining group?

Do people actually think that somehow Health Canada has to be sure that the UK isn’t out to kill or maim their own citizens? Or that the USA may be doing the same? France? Germany? This could have been expedited for all countries if there was even a small portion of “trust” afforded between disciplined countries?

Astra Zeneca’s vaccine, as Pfizer’s, was approved by other countries before we approved it. Why?

Because Health Canada was, and is, waiting for more data? Do they think the data could be acceptable to the UK, but not to Canadians? Or is this more about appearance, then it is about meat?

The appearance of doing one’s job appears to be superseding the “emergency that is upon us” and displaced by “ceremony and red tape” for what would appear to be nothing more than a photo op! You may say, what’s a 10-day delay? Well, you may no longer be here and, that 10 days was important to you!

Would I take the vaccine previously approved by the UK/ USA/France/Germany even if Health Canada had not finished their review? You bet, because I tend to believe that no one is “out” to kill or maim their own population!

“Lessons learned”, this will have to be one of them, if it’s not, then we have learned nothing from this pandemic!

Dennis Bremner

Lethbridge