Provincial Education Minister Dominic Cardy has stepped into the fray over a recent recommendation from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization. The controversial recommendation suggests Canadians at less risk of contracting COVID may want to wait for a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine to avoid risks of rare blood clots associated with the AstraZeneca and the Johnson and Johnson vaccines. Concern about mixed messaging is being raised in a number of quarters.
During a prepared statement at yesterday’s COVID briefing – Cardy appeared to go off script and lumped the N-A-C-I recommendation in with statements by the anti-vaccination lobby.
During the question and answer session with reporters = Cardy didn’t back down on his stance when pressed by a reporter. And when Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr Jennifer Russell was asked for comment – she appeared uncomfortable – choosing her words carefully. Russell would only say transparency and public confidence are very important. She says New Brunswick has done a good job of providing the public with the information needed to protect themselves against COVID-19 and “I’ll just leave it at that.” Watch the full comments in the video below.
