Two weeks after the World Health Organization designated Omicron a variant of concern, it has dominated headlines, sparking renewed fears about the spread of COVID-19 and forcing countries to strengthen their vaccination campaigns with booster shots. This is a 10 December 2021 article by Nicole Bogart, CTVNews.ca, @nlynnbogart.

Canadians need to get booster shots, limit contacts to prevent uncontrollable spike in cases, top doctor says. This is a 13 December 2021 article by John Paul Tasker, CBC News.

Welcome to my Tuesday, December 14 blog. This week we share: (1) Ontario’s nursing crisis – next steps in #RepealBill124 campaign; (2) Repeal Bill 124 – RNAO asks for pledge of support from MPPs; (3) Omicron variant becoming dominant in Canada and driving new wave; and (4) what we know about the science of Omicron. Scroll down for policy updates and action alerts, as well as several RNAO webinars this week.

The following is a Nov. 30, 2021 article from Mike Blanchfield and Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press. If we don’t want to see more variants such as Omicron, Canada and other rich countries need to address vaccine inequity in the world. In May 2021 RNAO issued an action alert calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to ensure global access.

The Ontario government’s move to expand eligibility for the COVID-19 booster dose comes at a critical time in the fight against the virus. RNAO continues to ask the government to make vaccination for healthcare workers mandatory. With another winter approaching, the government must urgently address the crisis in nursing human resources, starting with the repeal of Bill 124. The emergence of the Omicron variant is the result of global vaccine inequity.

Welcome to my Tuesday, December 7 blog. This week we share: (1) RNAO welcomes expansion of boosters and says Omicron is the #VaccineInjusticeVariant; (2) Canada needs to support global vaccine equity if we don’t want another Omicron; and (3) RNAO’s continuing media profile – the November 2021 report. Scroll down for policy updates and action alerts, as well as several RNAO webinars this week!

Welcome to my Sunday, November 28 blog. This week we share: (1) a note to Premier Doug Ford calling to repeal Bill 124; (2) the nursing staffing crisis that is killing people in the UK; (3) what we know about the new Omicron variant; and (4) seeking nominations for the best in nursing – the 2022 Nursing Now Ontario Awards. Scroll down for policy updates and action alerts, as well as several RNAO webinars this week.

The rate of vaccination in the poorest countries remains dismal, and rich countries such as Canada continue to fail in their promises to help. The following is an October 22 CBC Radio article. The original article can be found here. It was written by Mehek Mazhar. Interview with Brittany Lambert produced by Katie Geleff.

Health Canada approved on November 19 the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in children 5 to 11 years of age. The following is a November 5 article by Alexander Wong, an associate professor of infectious diseases at the University of Saskatchewan.