'Get vaccinated, and we'll fire you': Insane career advice to Miami schoolteachers

The NPC Healthbiz Weekly is here to keep on informing you through Q2 of 2021. It's your weekly briefing on topics pertinent to healthcare marketers and executives published in cooperation with Peak Pharma Solutions. 

⇒ Issue #183 (In numerology, 183 is about being realistic.)
⇒ Worldwide Covid cases as of 04/29: 149,683,533*
⇒ Worldwide Covid fatalities as of 04/29: 3,152,702*
⇒ Confirmed Covid cases in Canada as of 04/29: 1,210,918*
⇒ Confirmed Covid fatalities in Canada as of 04/29: 24,110*
⇒ Number of vaccine doses administered to Canadians as of 04/29: 12,826,266*

April 29, 2021—Welcome back to the Thursday edition of the CurveFlattener. It's your assistant editor Kylie Rebernik seated before the keyboard today.

As we enter Week #59 of the Covid-19 lockdown here in Ontario, with the never-ending, constantly changing regulations, the age limit to book an appointment for a Covid-19 vaccine has been lowered to 18 in zones designated as hot spots. And while some rushed to book their appointment, with Mississagua's community pop-up clinic becoming fully booked in less than two hours, others are staunchly (as in "stupidly") opposed to getting the vaccine.

According to an article published by CNN, a private school in Miami has advised teachers against vaccination. Going one step further, they've declared it a fireable offence. In a letter sent to school staff by the CEO and co-founder Leila Centner, she instructed staff to skip the vaccine, citing unsupported "scientific evidence," including unverified information on "reactions" when vaccinated people interact with the unvaccinated. Opposite to this, many U.S. universities, including Duke University, Syracuse University, New York University, and the University of California, require students to get vaccinated to return in the fall.

Even though I would prefer to imagine that anti-vaxxers do not exist in Canada, that is not the case. In Kelowna, B.C., a fitness studio attempted to ban members who have received the Covid-19 vaccine. As was true of the private school in Miami, the fitness studio cited unsubstantiated claims around health, wellness, and the vaccine. However, as fate would have it, several government agencies started to look into the fitness studio by trying to ban vaccinated members. They found that they were operating without a business licence. In a statement, Lance Kayfish, risk manager for the City of Kelowna, said, "they were not in compliance with B.C. law and provincial health orders, so we [were] not able to grant them a business licence."

If you are like me, maybe you wonder about the clear and present danger posed by the unapologetic anti-vaxxers and the anti-maskers. According to Canadian psychology experts, there may be reasons this small-but-irksome group thinks the way it does. These reasons may include mixed messaging from the government. The psychologists cite the Appraisal Theory of Emotion, which, putting it simply, occurs when something bad happens, and there is no source to blame, the experience turns to anger.

The last word on this is, if you are able, I hope you get the vaccine. My first appointment is booked for May 14.

The NPC Podcast is back for another season. The National Pharmaceutical Congress organizers are proud to release our new weekly podcast series, hosted by Peter Brenders. Peter's guest this week is Josh Neiman, Chief Commercial Officer, North America and Europe of Beigene. Listen here now, or download the episode and play it at your convenience. The NPC Podcast is presented in cooperation with Impres Pharma

COVID CHRONICLE 04/29/2021

• A recent study from McGill University has found a link between gum inflammation and Covid-19 complications. Findings show that individuals with periodontitis are 8.8 times more likely to die of Covid-19. According to contributing author professor Belinda Nicolay, "looking at the conclusions of our study, we can highlight the importance of good oral health in the prevention and management of Covid-19 complications."
• In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers found that Covid-19 increases the risk of developing erectile dysfunction (ED). Although the study was limited by a small sample size (100 participants), it found that patients who had Covid-19 had an almost six-time risk of developing ED than a patient who did not have Covid-19.
• New research has found that cancer patient has a higher risk of developing a serious illness from Covid-19 but have a lower chance of testing positive. The data used for the study included 14.7 million Ontario residents. The study was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

WHAT CHRONICLE IS WORKING ON TODAY

The team at Chronicle is working hard to bring you the Summer Session presented by Skin Spectrum Summit. This eight-week program will consist of a newsletter and podcast published every Saturday starting June 12, 2021, and culminating in the final colloquium on August 17, 2021. Visit skinspectrum.ca for more information.

RIGHT NOW, WE ARE READING... 

Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince Vol II, Night of Knives. If you caught last week's CurveFlattener, you might know that my colleague Jeremy and I gifted each other the same graphic novel. This was my first time reading a graphic novel, and now I am obsessed. Naturally, I had to obtain Volume II, which was arranged through a transaction process known as "curbside pick-up." 

TOMORROW AND TOMORROW 

Please use the comments section at the CurveFlattener to let us know what you're up to today. Or feel free to check in via LinkedIn, email, or your choice of connector. By all means, pass this newsletter along to your colleagues. Enjoy your Thursday. Jeremy Visser will be back tomorrow with more pandemic updates.