Monday, October 13th 2014
Calgary, AB
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Good morning.
Thank you for being here today.
I am joined by teleconference by Dr. Gregory Taylor, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, and Dr. Judith Bossé, an Assistant Deputy Minister at the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Today, I am very pleased to announce that Canada's experimental Ebola vaccine - the product of Canadian innovation and hard work -- is beginning clinical trials in healthy volunteers today. This experimental vaccine was developed over the last decade by scientists at the Public Health Agency of Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory, in Winnipeg.
Canada has long been a world leader in Ebola research.
The government licensed NewLink Genetics, through its wholly owned subsidiary BioProtection Systems, to develop the vaccine and they are working with the US Defence Threat Reduction Agency to advance it.
Through this partnership, the trials are being done at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and the Clinical Trials Center of the Translational Medicine Branch in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Years of animal research has shown it to be very promising and now it is time to begin research in humans.
These trials will test the vaccine on a small group of healthy people to assess its safety, help determine proper dosage levels and identify any side effects.
Canada has generously supplied 20 vials of the experimental vaccine from the Agency's National Microbiology Laboratory for use in the trial.
Results are expected in December from Phase One.
Though this is the first step, we hope the trials are successful and the vaccine is found to be safe and effective in humans, so in the near future it can be used to prevent the spread of this devastating disease.
We have all been watching the ongoing Ebola outbreak in West Africa with great concern and our Government has taken a number of steps to help fight the spread of the disease in West Africa.
Canada remains at the forefront in helping battle this outbreak.
In August, I announced the donation of 800-1000 doses of this experimental vaccine to the World Health Organization to help in the Ebola outbreak response.
The Public Health Agency continues to work with the WHO on ethical and logistical issues for vaccine donation and deployment in Africa, however we hope to have it shipped in the near future.
Our Government has committed over $35 million in various forms of aid, from improving treatment and prevention to support for basics, such as nutrition.
And just last week began shipping personal protective equipment that is crucial to stopping the spread of the disease.
We have two of the Public Health Agency's mobile laboratories in the Region. One mobile lab team is providing rapid diagnostic support to help local healthcare workers to quickly diagnose Ebola.
The second mobile lab team is working with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to monitor the effectiveness of infection prevention procedures such as handwashing stations, face masks and disposal sites to prevent the further spread of Ebola.
On-site laboratory support that produces results in only a few hours is fundamental in responding effectively to an outbreak of Ebola, as it allows for faster isolation of Ebola cases and patient care.
Canada continues to look for ways to assist in this outbreak and to protect Canadians. The US CDC's announcement yesterday that a health care worker in Texas was infected in the US following close contact with the case who came from Liberia may have increased public concern.
I want to reassure Canadians that the government has taken a number of steps to ensure Canadians are protected here at home.
This past week as an added precaution, the Government of Canada further strengthened border measures to help prevent the unlikely importation of Ebola into the country. Effective last Friday, all travellers identified as having arrived in Canada from an affected West African country will now be referred to a Public Health Agency of Canada Quarantine Officer for a mandatory health assessment.
Quarantine Officers have the necessary training and equipment to conduct a health assessment, including checking for fever, and determine whether additional public health measures are required.
Through this screening, we are also making sure the travelers know what to do if they get sick to protect themselves and others.
Our hospitals in Canada have infection control systems and procedures in place that are designed to limit the spread of infection, protect health care workers, and provide the best care possible for the patient.
The Public Health Agency continues to give Ebola-specific guidance to provincial and territorial health authorities to further strengthen the infection control practices in hospitals.
I want to reiterate that the Public Health Agency of Canada continues to advise that the risk to Canadians remains very low.
We are hopeful that Canada's experimental vaccine can become a useful tool in reducing the spread of this deadly disease.
I will now pass it over to Dr. Taylor to say a few words.
Thank you.
