U of S surgery professor questions severity of COVID-19 pandemic and safety of vaccines in online video
The College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan says it does not support the views of one of its surgery professors who appeared in a video last week questioning the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and the safety and efficacy of vaccines.
Dr. Francis Christian, a surgeon, clinical professor of surgery within the College of Medicine and editor of the Journal of Surgical Humanities, shared his views alongside other Canadian doctors in a video posted to BitChute on June 4.
In the video, Christian said he is a “pro-vaccine” physician but calls the COVID-19 vaccine “an experimental injection” because “it isn’t being made like a vaccine.”
Four COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for emergency use in Canada, including the Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines.
According to the Government of Canada website, “only vaccines that are proven to be safe, effective and of high quality are authorized for use in Canada.” It added that all of the approved vaccines have been vigorously tested during their development and carefully reviewed by Health Canada.
DEAN DISAGREES WITH VIDEO
Preston Smith, the dean of the College of Medicine at the U of S, made a blog post Friday, addressing the online video.
In an interview with CTV News, Smith said while the university supports and upholds the right of faculty to freely communicate in the areas of their scholarly work, he does not agree with the statements made by Christian.
“At this point and time, the biggest concern that I have is it could lead to further vaccine hesitancy as people have doubts created by false information,” he said.
Smith, who is also a family physician, said he believes that vaccines are not only safe but “remarkably effective.”
“The reality is that the science that was involved in developing the vaccine and testing the vaccine was all done the way it has always been done. What facilitated the speed was the resources that were thrown at it by many companies, many governments. Anybody can do things faster if they have unlimited resources and that’s how we got this vaccine so fast,” he said.
VACCINES WORK: HEALTH MINISTER
Health Minister Paul Merriman reiterated the effectiveness of vaccines in Tuesday’s COVID-19 update.
“It is now extremely clear that vaccines are slowing the spread of COVID in our province, reducing hospitalizations and saving lives. As our vaccination numbers go up, our case numbers go down,” he said.
Christian is also the director of quality improvement and patient safety in the Department of Surgery at the U of S and at the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).
The SHA said team members can share their personal or private views as long as they clearly identify that it is separate from their role within the health authority.
However, it said it does not support or endorse the opinions that cast doubt on the seriousness of the pandemic.
“This kind of communication feeds conspiracy theories and misinformation, as well as sends the false message that our health care workers at the front line are somehow faking or making up the loss of life and trauma occurring as a result of COVID. This is not only offensive, but dangerous. It publicly downplays the significant risk of harm and death created by community transmission of this virus,” the SHA said in a statement to CTV News.
CHERRY-PICKING DATA
In the video, Christian also said the public is being “conditioned by fear.”
He criticizes the way COVID-19 cases and deaths are being reported, saying the World Health Organization and news organizations are “peddling nonsense.”
“It was the media pushing this nonsense and the media has been lying ... through its teeth from the beginning,” Christian said in the video.
He then tells people to “be (their) own expert” and turn to “alternative websites” for information.
The SHA said it encourages the public to “seek valid sources of information regarding COVID-19 and vaccinations, such as through the Government of Saskatchewan COVID-19 website, or the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).”
Smith said oftentimes people who come up with these theories “cherry-pick data” and that’s what he believes happened in this video.
“The way (COVID-19) has varied in its impact on populations has been remarkably consistent in terms of cases, hospitalizations, ICUs and deaths, so I just categorically reject some of the stuff that’s been said about the data,” he said.
Smith also offered an apology to people who have been personally affected by COVID-19 and to frontline health care workers.
CTV News reached out to Christian for further comment, but did not hear back.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.