Health Canada’s deal for a Bird Flu Vaccine with Big Pharma Giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is so Secret, they don’t want you to know about it.

Commentary by Dan Fournier, published Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, 11:28 EST on fournier.substack.com

Introduction

Following reports from a few months ago indicating that the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) had been proactively meeting with pandemic influenza vaccine suppliers including GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Seqirus and Sanofi to discuss the possible manufacturing and acquisition of a pre-pandemic bird flu vaccine, I though it would be worthwhile to investigate the matter a bit further.

Firstly though, what is the bird flu and why all the fuss over it?

The bird flu is formally referred to as Avian Influenza and Influenza A(H5N1) is a subtype of avian influenza virus that mainly infects birds, but has been identified in other animals and has caused rare and sporadic infections in humans, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Apart from being found in birds, H5N1 has also been found in cattle, wastewater, and has reportedly crossed-over to some humans.

This has lead to the culling of millions of chickens in countries such as Australia, the United States, and Canada.

Though Canada just recently reported its first case of the bird flu in a teen, H5N1 poses little threat to the general public, officials have stated.

Nevertheless, Canada and the United States have been anticipating and preparing for vaccines that could curtail any potential outbreak among the greater population.

This past summer, Moderna secured a $176 million contract with the U.S. government for the development and testing of a pre-pandemic mRNA-based vaccine against H5N1 avian influenza.

As early as last May in Canada, though no cases had been reported yet in dairy cattle federal officials said they were not acquiring a fixed stockpile of shots, since any changes in the virus that would allow it to transmit between humans could "fundamentally influence the antigen required for a human vaccine."

But the following month Global News reported that The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) had proactively met with pandemic influenza vaccine suppliers GSK, Seqirus and Sanofi to discuss the possible manufacturing and acquisition of a pre-pandemic bird flu vaccine.

Since Canadian officials stated that they had met with GSK (GlaxoSmithKline), I figured it would be worthwhile to learn more about their deal.

Leaked Secret Meeting of Canadian Public Health Officials Preparing for a possible H5N1 Launch

Inquiring about a possible H5N1 virus contract is especially pertinent given that in that same month of May, a leaked video of Canadian health officials – including Theresa Tam who is Canada’s top health official – surfaced, worrying Canadians about another possible string of authoritarian measures and lockdowns.

A full list of participants’ names appears in the video around the one-minute mark (on the right-hand side), including the following notable figures with the first chairing the meeting:

• Theresa Tam the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada for the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)

• Sarah Viehbeck, Chief Science Officer & 'Vice-President of Data Surveillance and Foresight (PHAC/ASPC)

• Dr. Donald Shepherd, Executive Scientific Director of the Antimicrobial Resistance Task Force of the Public Health Agency of Canada

• Bonnie Henry, British Columbia Provincial Health Officer

• Dr. Luc Boileau, National Director of Public Health (Quebec)

• Dr. Yves Jalbert, Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS) (Quebec Minister for Public Health and Social Services)

• Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health of Ontario

• Linda Hoang, Medical Director of the British Columbia Center for Disease Control (BCCDC)’s Public Health Laboratory

While the video over an hour long, here are some notable short notes (from talking points) with respective time stamps:

• 0:08:05 – Sarah Viehbeck: "A number of months ago we did establish an expert panel in H5N1", cattle & milk, "agenda development", "interventions" focused on reducing risk of human spillover, risk assessment activities (including livestock).
  

• 0:12:20 – Dr. Donald Sheppard: Surveillance Activities: 1) Humans (Advanced, Bovine Exposure), Protocol Development. 2) Cows & Milk (border testing, in Canada notification at a very high level that milk testing would begin in Canada - experimental studies, sampling of commercial milk samples across the country tested at centralised labs at CFIA, tracing milk back to farms, what measures would be appropriate to implement + what measures of international communication would be necessary from an IHR equivalent perspective - the animal version. A “robust communication plan.” Federal-provincial collaboration with regards to agricultural farms.
  

• 0:27:17 – Dr. Yves Jalbert: asks if the testing has been made on pasteurised or unpasteurised milk. Don Sheppard responds that it is only pasteurised milk being tested.
  

• 0:38:00 - Linda Hoang: Animal PCR testing / Avian Flu testing for surveillance purposes, work with Genome BC.
  

• 0:40:51 - Dr. Judith Fafard (INSPQ): Testing workers who are in close contact with "wild birds". In discussion with Health Animal counterparts if environmental surveillance can be done in Diary farms or Pig farms. Looking for funding.
  

• 0:42:40 - Dr. Luc Boileau (INSPQ): This problem is not seen as a preoccupying problem (worry) inside the greater [Quebec] population. Dr. Shepphard largely agrees, stating that the general population in Canada hasn’t “latched onto this story.”
  

• 0:46:55 - Michael Sherar: We are not ready for a coordinated response at the national level, especially when they get a "positive milk sample."
  

• 0:59:55 - Bonnie Henry & Kieran Moore: BH: "We need to have a communications strategy." KM: "That is the consistent feedback we get from cabinet and relevant ministers."
  

• 1:01:17 - Theresa Tam: "We should have a bit of a focus on the "raw milk people”.”
  

• 1:02:32 - Theresa Tam: TT states that cats should not be fed raw milk and that they need to work on the cats pets messaging.
  

• 1:02:50 - Bonnie Henry: "We shut down mink farms in BC" - She laughs at a lawsuit that was thrown out against them.
  

• 1:03:16 - Theresa Tam: "We will do some follow-up and try a call that's more wide across Canada..."
  

• 1:03:36 - COMMENT IN THE CHAT SECTION BY Erin Fraser: "We're looking at a Genome BC pitch to address these other ag sectors."

While there exists legitimate concerns about potential outbreaks resulting from various kinds of viruses or pathogens and that health officials should indeed monitor such threats, the discussion held in this panel did appear, at least to this author, to lack sufficient grounds for treating H5N1 as a significant threat to the general population.

Moreover, apart from the comments made from Dr. Luc Boileau, these so-called health professionals seem to want to make a much bigger issue on the matter than what appears to be really happening on the ground and in diary farms.

Furthermore, and rather notably, during their discussion the panelists didn’t even express any need (at this stage) for a potential pre-pandemic or pandemic vaccine for the bird flu (H5N1).

Accordingly, this begs the question: Why, then, is the Public Health Agency of Canada – merely days or a few weeks after this meeting – contacting GlaxoSmithKline for a pre-pandemic or pandemic bird flu vaccine?

I recently interviewed Canadian physician Dr. William Makis on my podcast and asked him about the bird flu situation for which he stated [with emphasis added]:

“I think if there was going to be another pandemic declaration, it seems that the bird flu was the most likely candidate. And specifically the H5N1 variant, was the one I felt was being prepared – certainly in the media and the groundwork was being laid.

We had at the beginning of 2024 sort of this small outbreak, you know, in a Texas dairy farm and it spread to other dairy farms.

And I believe we had three human cases in total. Nobody died, nobody had any sort of serious reaction.

I believe half the cats who were exposed at one dairy farm died and they had autopsies of the cats within a couple of days.

And I made the joke that that, you know, you know you have thousands of people dying suddenly from the Covid-19 mRNA vaccines and we can’t get an autopsy if our life depended on it. But, you know, three cats died from the bird flu and suddenly you have autopsy results top-to-bottom with eh, you know, all the detailed findings.

Because, you know, they’re trying to prepare another pandemic.

It seems to have fizzled-out.

Now, as far as I’m aware, the United States Government did place an order for – and I believe it was in the region of about 180 million dollars for H5N1 mRNA vaccines from Moderna.”

Dr. Makis’ last statement above about the U.S. Government having placed an order for H5N1 mRNA vaccines with Moderna goes to show that this issue is more about bringing profits to pharmaceutical giants than anything else.

And this is why this author believes it is worth investigating in order to get more open transparency regarding the secret talks currently taking place between the Public Health Agency of Canada and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

Stonewalling my Access To Information Request: Dirty Delay Tactics employed

I’ve been a journalist for a little over two years now and have made many Access To Information Requests with various government agencies.

In that time, I have encountered a fair amount of dirty delay tactics and other tricks used by various agencies to either withhold, obfuscate, or discourage obtaining official records which, by law, ought to be available to the tax-paying Canadian public.

But this particular one takes the cake in terms of dirty shenanigans used – in this case by Health Canada (and the Public Health Agency of Canada).

So consider this section to be as much of a personal rant as an illustration of the disingenuousness or skullduggery which takes place when secrecy in government supersedes transparency and openness.

Over five months ago on June 4, 2024, I mailed an ATI Request to Health Canada inquiring about a possible deal for the purchase of a bird flu vaccine with Big Pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK):

It was addressed to Celine Henrie, the Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator for Health Canada.

As shown in the image above the text of my request asks for:

“Discussions, reports, and written correspondence between Health Canada and GSK(GlaxoSmithKline) about acquiring and manufacturing a “pre pandemic bird flu vaccine” or a “bird flu vaccine” since January 1, 2023 to June 4, 2024.”

Though I anticipated some resistance to obtaining such records, I never thought that five months later they would still be employing stalling tactics in order to prevent the release of the information.

Dirty Trick #1 – The Switcheroo

A month later on July 4, 2024 I received a “Final response” for my ATI Request which was given the number A-2024-000294 which stated that “no records exist” related to my request as per a response letter from them shown hereunder [with emphasis added in red]:

As shown from their response letter above, they say “It is possible that the Public Health Agency of Canada may hold relevant records to your request. We suggest that you send your request to them if you have not already done so.”

Apparently, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is not the same entity as Health Canada for ATI requests. So, they directed me to send my request to the PHAC instead.

I replied to them that to avoid this very issue in the first place, I had specifically checked on their List of access to information and privacy coordinators by institution page to see which of the two (Health Canada or PHAC) my request should have been mailed to; from their website, I spliced both entries for these agencies together as shown hereunder for comparison:

As you can see, it is the same ATI Privacy Coordinator for these two agencies (Celine Henrie).

And also for the PHAC entry it says specifically “(see Health Canada).”

Hence that is why I had sent my original request to Health Canada.

When I called them out on this, and after a bit retaliation (a few additional email exchanges) on their deceptive tactic, they finally agreed to re-issue my original ATI Request and forward (re-submit) it to the PHAC for which I then received an acknowledgement:

One would think that they would put an actual date on their letters, but they don’t which is really careless and unprofessional. Anyway, the letter above was sent to me on July 24, 2024 and my ATI Request was assigned the number PHAC-A-2024-000043.

So, this tactic caused the initial delay of a month and 20 days and was likely meant to simply discourage me from pursuing my request.

Dirty Trick #2 – PHAC allows GSK to indefinitely abuse their extension privileges

On August 7, 2024, they notified me by letter (hereunder) me that the Third Party (TP), GSK, requested an extension for the release of the related documents.

Firstly, it should be observed that as they have requested the delay to release the documents, it proves that there exists discussions or even a contract for the acquisition of bird flu vaccine.

According to ATI procedures (specifically section 27 of Access to Information Act – shown hereunder) the TP (Third Party) has the right to review the contents of the PHAC’s release package for legal reasons and the like. That is perhaps reasonable and acceptable.

And that is precisely what GSK requested, as per section 28 of the Act:

I am not privy to what reason that GSK has given to not disclose the release package of my request; but, it certainly remains suspicious.

What is more concerning is that PHAC is allowing GSK to indefinitely delay any approval of the disclosure even though section 9 of the act should be prohibiting it:

As can be seen from the text of section 9 of the Act above, the “head of a government institution” – in this case the PHAC may “extend the time limit” under certain, three, conditions. The first one (a) likely doesn’t apply since the release package is probably not bulky enough to require a large number of pages to go over and redact. Thus, it is likely under (b) that they are delaying since they have “consultations” with GSK which necessary to comply with the request.

Here, however, is where the PHAC is being totally dishonest and not following the spirit of the Act: section 9 (1)(b) refers to a “reasonable” time limit in which consultations [with the Third Party] should be made.

The initial allowable delay for the Third Party (GSK) is 20 days (as per section 28).

Having passed that delay, GSK asked for an extension which was then communicated to me by PHAC on August 7, 2024 (see letter above).

On September 16, I received a notice from PHAC saying that “we are expecting their [GSK’s] response by next week,” which would put it at September 23, 2024.

PHAC had also stated that “a detailed review of the records must be undertaken by Health Canada” and then re-sent to the Third Party who would be allowed to contest [the release package] in a court of law should they not be in agreement.

After a few more back-and-forth emails, more than a month later on October 18, the PHAC employee wrote to me further stating that “All documents have been sent for approval to my Deputy Director for the Notification of release to GSK,” and that “GSK will then be having to decide if they agree with the package to be released or not.”

I wrote to them a few weeks later on November 8 for an update.

And on November 12, the Team Leader for the Corporate Services Branch (of Health Canada and PHAC), Mrs. Marie-Eve Talbot, provided zero indication that my ATI Request would ever get completed and released:

“Dear Mr. Fournier,

Thank you for your message and for your continued interest in the progress of your request. My name is Marie-Ève Talbot, and I am the Team Leader of Chantal Bergeron. Please rest assured that we are diligently working on your request and are committed to ensuring all necessary steps are completed thoroughly. As soon as there are significant updates, such as final approvals or next steps, we will promptly inform you.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to process your request.”

In a prior email they had previously indicated to me that delays could last months or even years if there is litigation on the matter in Court. But never have they told me that any court proceeding has undertaken regarding the release package for my ATI request.

So at this point in time, I totally give up since they are obviously not respecting section 9(1)(b) of the Access to Information Act but instead permitting GSK to indefinitely contest the release of the package with no consequences whatsoever.

Should Mrs. Talbot and the rest of the ATI crew ever decided to actually do their job and release the package, I will promptly release it as an addendum to this post.

So what exactly is Health Canada / PHAC hiding?

The deplorable delay tactics employed by Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, as shown in the preceding section, really goes to show that they are indeed very afraid of the disclosures that would result in the release package for my ATI request.

Either it indicates expenditures for a contract between them and GSK for a bird flu vaccine could be in the tens of millions of dollars – or even in the hundreds of millions, or, it could indicate other nefarious actions that they had planned with regards to their public health preparations surrounding a bird flu pandemic – whether fabricated or legitimate.

Without transparency and forthcoming information surrounding these discussions, your guess is as good as mine.

What are your thoughts on Health Canada & the PHAC’s dirty tactics and their secret deal with GSK? Please leave them below in the Comments section below for this post.

Call for my Subscribers to submit their own ATI Request

Any member of the Canadian public can submit an Access to Information (ATI) request to any government agency.

These request can be done either Online or via Regular Mail using a printable PDF form. The fee is usually $5 and if you submit your request via regular mail, you can simply insert a $5 note along with your filled-in form in your envelope. The mail-in option is simpler and requires less personal information to be revealed and submitted.

For this particular request about the secret deal between Health Canada / PHAC and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), it should be addressed to Mrs. Celine Henrie who is the Information and Privacy Coordinator for the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Public Health Agency of Canada

Celine Henrie

Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator

1600 Scott Street

Holland Cross, Tower B

7th Floor, Suite 700, Room 741

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9

Telephone: 613-954-9165

Facsimile: - -

ATIP-AIPRP@HC-SC.GC.CA

Maybe if enough Canadians make this request, the agency will take it more seriously.

I thank you for considering doing so.

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