Sask. premier standing by vaccine claims despite pushback from physicians, NDP

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is standing by comments he made about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, despite pushback from physicians, epidemiologists and the NDP.

On Saturday, Moe released a letter in support of the ongoing protests against COVID-19 mandates across Canada, stating vaccinations are no longer reducing transmission of COVID-19.

“The number of people that are getting COVID is roughly the same proportion as the number of people that are vaccinated here in the province,” Moe said Monday. “So ultimately, it is not stopping transmission by the data that we have in front of us.”

Jason Kindrachuk, a researcher studying emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, said a “full arsenal of public health tools” includes vaccinations, paired with other COVID-19 measures such as masking, physical distancing, ventilation, filtration, recognition of symptoms and reporting.

“Vaccines do still provide us with benefit,” Kindrachuk said. “You may still be able to get infected, but your ability for onward transmission is also impacted based on your vaccination status.”

He said while the changes in the Omicron variant lowered the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines blocking infection, the other benefits still remain.

“It doesn’t seem to have drastically impacted those other important points about vaccines that we need to keep in mind, the reduction in hospitalizations, the reduction in severe disease,” Kindrachuk said.

Speaking Monday, Saskatchewan NDP Leader Ryan Meili disputed Moe’s claims about the effectiveness of vaccines.

“He has chosen to go out and say something that simply isn’t true. It is not true that vaccines don’t prevent transmission. It’s simply not true,” Meili said.

“The medical experts are who we should be listening to when it comes to what’s happening with an infectious disease. It is so irresponsible and will cost people their lives because more people will get infected as a result of his language."

After announcing his intention to remove Saskatchewan’s proof of vaccination in the “not too-distant future” in his letter Saturday, Moe told reporters on Monday the government will be working in the days and weeks ahead on a plan to remove current public health orders.

“Those [public health measures] that may have run its course, like the proof of vaccination policy, proof of negative test policy, we’re going to look at ultimately removing that and that’s what we’re hearing from Saskatchewan people across the board,” Moe said.

The current public health orders, including proof of vaccination and indoor masking, are set to expire at the end of February. Moe said the goal is to move that date up sooner, but no decisions have been made and discussions are ongoing.

Plans could change if the COVID-19 situation in the province fluctuates.

“Should things change and the environment change, we would have to adapt to whatever that looks like,” Moe said. “Should a variant show up that has outcomes much more similar to Delta, then we would have to have a very different discussion.”

Kindrachuk said he is concerned that the government may be getting ahead of itself, with the peak of the Omicron wave still yet to come. He said he would like to see cases, health care capacity and illness in workplaces under control before officials declare and end to the wave – or the pandemic.

“Once we start to see that, we can get those under control, we can keep getting people the care they need and then we can start to do this in an iterative policy. But trying to remove those safety breaks when we’re still going uphill, I think is certainly questionable,” Kindrachuk said.

Moe noted his own case of COVID-19 and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent positive test result as examples of people who have come down with Omicron, despite being double vaccinated and boosted.

“We need to identify the facts before us saying that vaccinations are not reducing the spread of Omicron – very effective with Delta – but are not reducing the spread of Omicron, but are and continue to reduce the severe outcomes,” Moe said. “So we should still get vaccinated, and I’ve been an advocate of that from day one.”

While the premier continues to encourage Saskatchewan residents to get vaccinated, Meili is worried that Moe’s statements about the effectiveness of the COVID-19 shot could have a negative effect on vaccine uptake.

“By saying that, he’s discouraging people from getting their shots or those don’t have their boosters yet, from going and getting it. He’s discouraging people from wearing masks or continuing to keep their contacts limited,” Meili said.

Dr. Alex Wong, a Regina physician, took to twitter on Saturday following Moe’s letter, calling his statements about the vaccines “false.”

Wong said many studies show three doses of an mRNA vaccine provide 60 to 70 per cent protection against Omicron infection.

“If you don't get infected, then you don't transmit the virus. Simple,” Wong said in a tweet.

MAJORITY OF CANADIANS WANT RESTRICTIONS TO END: POLL

Moe cited a recent Angus Reid Institute poll suggesting that a majority of Canadians are in favour of the removal of COVID-19 restrictions.

The poll, released Monday, indicates a majority of people in every province wold like to see all public health restrictions end.

Saskatchewan, Quebec and Alberta saw the highest support for an end of restrictions at 62, 59 and 57 per cent respectively. The regions showing the least support for removing all public health orders was Atlantic Canada and B.C. at 52 per cent in favour of removing all restrictions currently in place.

“I think what Angus Reid is picking up on is a shifting public sentiment. And that is what we’re hearing in our constituency office. And this is what I’m hearing in the correspondence to the premier’s office as well,” Moe said.

The poll asked 128 people in Saskatchewan if: “It’s time to end restrictions and let people self-isolate if they’re at risk.”

Among those surveyed, 43 per cent strongly agreed, 19 per cent agreed, 16 per cent disagreed, 20 per cent strongly disagreed, and one per cent were not sure/can’t say. Nationally, Angus Reid polled 1,688 Canadian adults.

With files from Wayne Mantyka