Medicago participants find themselves in a Quebec COVID-19 vaccine grey zone
Isabelle Pelletier wanted to be a good citizen, protect her mother, and help Quebec gain a modicum of vaccine independence when she signed up to be a participant in the development of the Medicago COVID-19 vaccine.
Now, it seems, she finds herself in the vaccine passport grey zone, as Medicago is not one of the four approved vaccines that the passport app will accept.
"I consider myself vaccinated," she told CTV News. "There are blind spots in the vaccine passport."
Pelletier received her first shot in December 2020, before Quebec had begun its mass vaccination rollout.
"At that point, we had no idea when we would have any access to vaccine," she said.
Pelletier's mother was in treatment for breast cancer, and she wanted to be sure she could help.
"I thought I would give a better protection for my mother to accompany her on her treatments, so I joined the research in phase II," she said.
She received a second shot in 2021, and did follow-ups in person where blood samples were taken, kept a digital diary and received regular phone call check-ins where researchers asked various health questions.
The follow-ups continue today.
As half the participants received a placebo and half the vaccine, Medicago authorized participants to request which group they were in.
Pelletier received a written confirmation that she had received two vaccine doses.
She opted not to receive the passport-approved Pfizer, Moderna, Astra-Zeneca or Johnson and Johnson vaccines, as she did not want to jeopardize Medicago’s research.
"I think it's worthwhile to consider exceptions to allow people to function at a minimum level in Quebec while we're waiting for the research to be completed," she said. "If I withdraw from the research to receive two doses of a recognized vaccine I have an ethical dilemma."
By withdrawing, Pelletier feels she will be slowing down the possibility that Quebec develops a vaccine as she is in Phase 3 of the study.
"It'll mean that I'll have received four doses of vaccine within the same year, and that's never been documented," she said. "I want to also give the time to Medicago to finish Phase 3 and receive an approval from Health Canada...Ethically it poses a problem for me because, as a citizen, I'm playing a role in participating in the research."
Medicago said participants should not be disadvantaged when having to prove they were vaccinated.
"Medicago is actively working with the Quebec government to find a solution for trial participants," said Medicago medical officer Dr. Brian Ward.
Medicago said Phase 3 should be completed by the fall, and the company will then submit the data to health authorities.
Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube said Friday that Medicago needs all the support it can get and that the government is looking at making an exception for the around 300 Quebecers that are in the study.
"It`s not a lot of people if we need to make some arrangements," said Dube. "We are looking at this right now. We've been able to make a lot of arrangements in last 18 months, so I just want to assure them we're trying to find something for them."
Executive vice-president for scientific and medical affairs for Medicago Nathalie Landry said in May the vaccine appears to produce 10 times the antibodies as are seen in people who have had COVID-19.
"Based on these results, let's say we're quietly confident that we will be in a position to demonstrate good efficacy of the vaccine," said Landry at the time.
Pelletier, like many Quebecers, wants greater medical independence in the province and hopes a solution can be found.
"I think it's a worthwhile cause, and I find myself in a grey zone as far as the vaccine passport is concerned," she said.
-- This is a developing story and will be updated.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.