The federal government has replaced the country’s chief pandemic manager for the fourth time in 28 months, announcing the appointment of a new president of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) on Feb. 10. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in a statement that Heather Jeffrey, who is currently serving as associate deputy minister of health, will…

Over 25 percent of young Canadian children eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines did not get vaccinated because of parental concerns, says a recent report by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). “Monitoring parental attitudes is essential to predict expected vaccine uptake and to guide education and awareness efforts to promote vaccination,” said the report,…

The federal public health agency spent over $2.5 million on contracts related to advertising, public relations, and other types of promotions for the ArriveCan app, according to newly released figures. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) awarded contracts totaling $2.54 million for various promotional projects related to the app between 2020 and 2022, according to an Inquiry…

The federal government paid over $6.7 million last year for COVID-19 quarantine rooms in a Calgary-area hotel used by only 15 travellers, according to an Inquiry of Ministry recently tabled in the House of Commons. The Westin Calgary Airport hotel—which the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) designated as a quarantine facility under Section 7 of the Quarantine Act…

Communication on COVID-19 between top public health officials in Canada and the U.S. has been limited, based on access to information records, but the few pieces of information released by the Canadian government show its chief public health officer leaning on her counterparts for advice. The Epoch Times filed an Access to Information (ATIP) request…

Communication on COVID-19 between top public health officials in Canada and the U.S. has been limited, based on access to information records, but the few pieces of information released by the Canadian government show its chief public health officer leaning on her counterparts for advice. The Epoch Times filed an Access to Information (ATIP) request…

The federal health minister said he would seek more COVID-19 vaccination data sharing from provinces, but his department says it’s not interested in obtaining personal-level details on the vaccination status of Canadians. “While the Public Health Agency of Canada [PHAC] is interested in vaccine uptake and coverage in Canada, the information the agency receives from provinces and territories is…

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), which led the country’s COVID-19 response, approved $120,000 in funding for specially designed commemorative coins to be given to pandemic health-care workers, according to a report. Titled the “COVID coin” initiative and approved by PHAC’s president, Harpreet S. Kochhar, in June 2022, the coins are meant to be given to…

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) said on Dec. 29 it was unaware of a Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) program to collect vast swaths of online data from Canadians to understand vaccine hesitancy and then target the individuals with tailored messaging to try changing their minds. “I am not aware of any interactions…

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has announced a contract with a social media intelligence collection firm based in the U.K. to obtain data on vaccine hesitant individuals in order to be able to deliver targeted messaging to break through their hesitancy, contract details indicate. “In preparation for increased vaccination education, promotion, and outreach,…