Media Releases and Task Force Announcements

Media Releases and Task Force Announcements2021-11-02T18:12:39-04:00

New survey data reveals that between April and August 2022, 98% of Canadian adults had antibodies to SARS-CoV-2

Today, Statistics Canada is releasing results from the second cycle of the Canadian COVID-19 Antibody and Health Survey (CCAHS). This survey provides a nationally representative measure of the population with antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Between April and August 2022, 54% of Canadian adults – or about 16.4 million Canadians – had antibodies indicating a past infection to SARS-CoV-2.

March 27, 2023|Media Releases|

Studying the immune response of immunocompromised children: CITF awards $800,000 for new vaccination research

As the pandemic continues in Canada and around the world, certain groups of people remain more vulnerable to the disease, including immunocompromised children. While vaccination remains a safe and effective option to protect this population, the number of doses needed for optimal protection has yet to be determined.

July 26, 2022|Media Releases|

The Omicron tsunami: Analysis of data from blood testing suggests over 17 million Canadians were infected with Omicron in only 5 months

An analysis of data from 21 studies, funded by the Government of Canada through its COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF) and that relied on blood testing, provides a clearer picture of the massive scale of the Omicron wave in Canada. Before the arrival of the Omicron variant, approximately 7% of Canadians had infection-acquired antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Between December 2021 and May 2022, the proportion rose by 45% of Canadians having antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

July 6, 2022|Media Releases|

South Asian Communities in GTA disproportionately hit by COVID-19

A COVID CommUNITY – South Asian study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) Open has found that South Asian communities living in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) suffered disproportionately from COVID-19 in the first year of the pandemic. The Government of Canada, through its COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF), invested approximately $1.5 million in this study to understand vaccine confidence and hesitancy in this population that has been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

July 5, 2022|Media Releases|

COVID-19 vaccination highly effective in individuals with immune-related inflammatory diseases

Montreal, May 3, 2022 – New findings, published in The Lancet Rheumatology, suggest that people with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) respond well to vaccination and that the COVID-19 vaccines in Canada are highly effective in protecting them against hospitalization from COVID-19. The results of this study are highly pertinent for people living with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis (a type of arthritis that characteristically affects the spine), psoriasis (a skin condition), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) – the four patient populations included in the study, supported by the Government of Canada, through its COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF).

May 3, 2022|Media Releases|

Lower vaccination rates among people who use drugs could lead to serious outcomes from COVID-19

Vancouver, April 6, 2022 - As many jurisdictions in Canada begin to ease public health measures intended to limit serious cases and fatalities caused by COVID-19, new research from the BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU) and the University of British Columbia (UBC) suggests many people remain at risk of serious disease. The Government of [...]

April 6, 2022|Media Releases|

Government of Canada launches second cycle of national survey to assess the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic

Ottawa, Ontario | Public Health Agency of Canada Canada’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic is continually guided by the latest science, evidence and research. To that end, the Government of Canada is actively working with a community of national and international experts to gather evidence on the health impacts of the pandemic, as well as [...]

April 4, 2022|Media Releases|
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