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New Vaccine Findings Pose Tough Questions for Parents of Young Children

New Vaccine Findings Pose Tough Questions for Parents of Young Children

For American parents, specially those with young kids, the last few of months have been dizzying and further than disheartening.

In early February, federal regulators announced that they would appraise Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine for the youngest youngsters — only to scrap that plan 10 times afterwards, citing doubts about the vaccine’s efficiency in that age group.

Shortly just after, scientists claimed that the vaccine was only weakly protective against infection with the Omicron variant among little ones aged 5 to 11 and that it appeared to offer you small defense from reasonable Covid ailment among adolescents aged 12 to 17.

On Monday, citing these details, Florida’s surgeon general declared that healthy kids have to have not be immunized, advice that Jen Psaki, the White House push secretary, referred to as “deeply disturbing.”

By means of it all, professionals have continued to endorse vaccines, noting that although the Omicron variant may perhaps be ready to penetrate immune defenses and infect people today, the vaccines continue to stop critical sickness and loss of life — and may perhaps do so for yrs.

The Centers for Illness Manage and Avoidance located that history quantities of kids below 5 experienced been hospitalized in the course of the Omicron surge, underscoring the want for vaccines for all those youngsters. But the company has since mentioned that 90 {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of People in america can safely and securely end wearing masks in public indoor areas, even in schools with younger young children.

Who could blame dad and mom for sensation bewildered?

“The component that is confusing is like there’s no lengthier any crystal clear, proper response,” said Anne Gonzalez, a 41-calendar year-previous mother of two who manages volunteers for a huge spiritual nonprofit in St. Louis. “I’ve come to the level that all I can do is what I imagine is right for my family members.”

Luckily, the coming months should really deliver some clarity. Both equally Pfizer and Moderna program to report effects from trials of their vaccines in youthful kids. The success, if beneficial, should really guide to a new spherical of regulatory critique, probably as early as April, that may perhaps perfectly enable vaccinations for tens of millions of kids.

But these results will arrive as the Omicron variant fades in the United States, complicating parental selections about whether to vaccinate youngsters.

Much less than one particular in four youngsters aged 5 to 11 are now completely vaccinated. Much more than 50 {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of adolescents 12 to 17 are thoroughly vaccinated, but only about 12 p.c have been given a booster dose. All those percentages are even lessen in rural locations of the United States.

Kids are fewer possible to knowledge health issues, so the harmony of chance and gain was under no circumstances the identical as for adults. And by now, as considerably as 95 per cent of the place has some degree of security from the virus due to the fact of vaccines or prior infection, according to current details from the C.D.C.

Experts fear that the most current findings have made it even much more difficult to persuade some parents to immunize their children.

“We should be upset with the info — we desire it could be better,” reported Luciana Borio, a former performing chief scientist at the Meals and Drug Administration. “But in the in close proximity to phrase, it is essential for mothers and fathers to nonetheless vaccinate small children.”

The place might still see a surge in the tumble or wintertime, and the most effective safety for small children will be to have had at minimum two photographs ahead of then, she stated.

The vaccines are continuing to stop critical sickness and death, even with the Omicron variant. That trend is specifically very clear at hospitals, reported Dr. James Campbell, a doctor at the College of Maryland University of Drugs and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics committee on infectious diseases.

Among the his pediatric clients who had been sick more than enough to have to have a mechanical ventilator or die, “every one just one of them was unvaccinated,” Dr. Campbell said.

The modern research recommend that the dilemma is not so much the vaccine as the dose.

In the trials in older people in 2020, vaccine companies built most effective guesses at the ideal dose and opted for brief intervals amongst the pictures to defend folks as speedily as feasible during the original surge.

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines proved to be harmless and powerfully protecting in medical trials and were speedily licensed for use. But the trials in little ones ended up complex by the arrival of the Delta and Omicron variants, and the vaccine appeared to be less protective in small children aged 2 to 4.

At the second, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is the only a single authorized for little ones. (The vaccines produced by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are approved only for grownups.)

In the Pfizer trials, adolescents aged 12 to 17 have been offered 30 micrograms, the similar dose offered to older people. But children aged 5 to 11 received 10 micrograms, and individuals 6 months to 5 years aged gained just three micrograms.

These doses might have been far too lower to rouse an ample and lasting response. But federal officials who have found the data told The New York Moments that better doses manufactured way too several fevers in youngsters.

What to do when you simply cannot administer a dose high plenty of to protect kids versus the Omicron variant because of aspect consequences? That is the difficulty that researchers and federal officers are now wrestling with.

Pfizer and BioNTech are now testing a 3rd dose in kids below 12 to determine regardless of whether it can provide the stage of security that two doses could not. The F.D.A. is continue to analyzing the Moderna vaccine for use in young children 6 to 11. Very last 7 days, the agency turned down an software for authorization of the Indian-produced vaccine Covaxin for young children.

There are other Covid vaccines, like individuals produced by Novavax and Sanofi, that may possibly turn out to get the job done effectively in children. Federal health officers really should take into consideration all of these selections and take a look at whether or not a different dose or a extended interval concerning doses would strengthen the immune response, experts claimed.

“It would seem to me that vaccines for little ones are having for a longer period than they should, presented the relevance of guarding that populace,” Dr. Borio said. “The sooner we re-energize our research for safe and sound and effective vaccines for children, the far better off we’ll be.”

The disappointing findings, alongside with the receding Omicron surge, have significantly complex coverage choices for area overall health officials.

Countering Florida’s suggestions, Louisiana and California will demand schoolchildren to be immunized by tumble 2022, and the District of Columbia established a deadline of March 1 for pupils 12 and more mature to be absolutely vaccinated.

Other states might undertake very similar insurance policies but are probably to do so only if the F.D.A. grants the vaccine comprehensive approval for use in schoolchildren, claimed Hemi Tewarson, executive director at the Countrywide Academy for Point out Wellbeing Coverage, a nonpartisan firm.

“For a good deal of them, that’s heading to be crucial for demanding vaccines as a mandate,” she claimed.

A college vaccine mandate would relieve the fears of lots of households with small children who have professional medical vulnerabilities.

Nearly each and every member of Heather Keever’s family members, including her son, Wesley, 14, has heart illness, significant blood tension and kidney illness. But because they are not technically immunocompromised, they have not qualified for lodging at do the job or at college, said Ms. Keever, 42, a guide in suburban Chicago.

“They fail to remember that there is some of us who just basically simply cannot get the mask off,” at least until eventually the fees tumble a great deal more, she explained. “I felt like I didn’t make any difference and I was not crucial and I was arguably disposable. And I nonetheless do.”

Some scientists, too, have said they would carry on to wear masks until the quantities dip because of the hazard of an infection.

Because the youngest youngsters have not nonetheless been vaccinated, “I’d be very hesitant to check with a baby beneath 5 to take away masks indoors,” mentioned Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at Yale College who studies long Covid, the cluster of signs and symptoms that can persist very long after the acute an infection is settled.

Presented the muddled outcomes on the performance of vaccines and the combined messages on the gains of masks, family members are weighing dangers on their very own — and coming to really various conclusions.

Jennifer Steinberg, a administration guide in Wilmington, Del., has two daughters who break up their time with her and their immunocompromised father.

“Yes, good, it shields in opposition to intense ailment,” Ms. Steinberg said of the vaccine. “But if your children are nevertheless likely to get contaminated, this is a large disruption to family members life. I’m in all probability likely to keep masked for the foreseeable future.”

Katie Sunderland of Arlington, Va., has extensive been prepared to give up masks. If her young children, 7 and 5, do come to be contaminated, “that’s a trade-off I’m Ok with if they are capable to unmask and see faces,” she mentioned.

“I’m not confident that carrying a mask would noticeably minimize the threat of acquiring Covid in any case — specifically not the form of masks I see most youngsters wearing,” Ms. Sunderland, 37, explained. “It does not make sense to me to impede my kids’ advancement for that incredibly, incredibly, quite minimal risk.”

But many other mothers and fathers are continue to not sure of what to do. Ms. Gonzalez has a niece and nephew who have congenital heart defects and issues with lung ability, and she will carry on to have on masks to safeguard them, she reported.

But if her son’s university drops the mask requirement, “we don’t know what we’re likely do but.”

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Pfizer and BioNTech seeking emergency use authorization from FDA for Covid-19 vaccine for children younger than 5

Pfizer and BioNTech explained they have initiated a rolling submission of knowledge to the US Foodstuff and Drug Administration immediately after a ask for from the agency. They expect to complete the EUA submission in the coming days and say they will also post medical trial information to the European Medications Agency and other businesses about the world.

Safety and usefulness are essential, explained Dr. Paul Offit, a member of the committee and director of the Vaccine Instruction Centre at Children’s Clinic of Philadelphia.

“The self-assurance of the American general public is dependent on that, that you you might be recommending a little something that you would give to your own little ones,” Offit instructed CNN. “It all relies upon on the knowledge. The facts will tell us just how very good these are. There should be a strong basic safety profile and a sturdy efficacy profile and immunogenicity profile. And if that is genuine, velocity doesn’t really issue, as prolonged as they have those people data.”

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is now authorized for use in men and women as youthful as 5 and would be the initially Covid-19 vaccine offered for the youngest young children.

The go arrives “in response to the urgent general public wellness want in this populace,” the organizations claimed in a news launch.

Since the start out of the pandemic, at the very least 11.4 million little ones have tested constructive for Covid-19, the American Academy of Pediatrics described Monday, with in excess of 3.5 million situations reported in January alone. Small children made up 22.8{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the whole documented weekly circumstances for the week ending January 27.

“Pediatricians have viewed firsthand the concern, strain and hardship that so many family members of young youngsters have endured as they await a vaccine,” Dr. Moira Szilagyi, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, claimed in a assertion. “We urge a clear and facts-driven method to consider this vaccine for this age group and look ahead to offering its protection to our youngest little ones.”

The corporations are continuing to take a look at a 3-dose edition of the vaccine in the youngest children.

In December, Pfizer prolonged its vaccine trial in young kids just after two child-sized doses of the vaccine did not generate the expected immunity in 2- to 5-yr-olds, even though it did so for the infants up to age 2.

The organizations explained details on a third dose given at minimum eight months following the second dose is anticipated in the coming months, which will also be submitted to the Fda.

Pfizer's child-sized vaccine fails to produce expected immunity in younger kids; company adds third dose to trials

“As hospitalizations of small children underneath 5 due to COVID-19 have soared, our mutual purpose with the Fda is to get ready for long run variant surges and supply moms and dads with an possibility to aid defend their small children from this virus,” Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla mentioned. “Ultimately, we consider that 3 doses of the vaccine will be required for small children 6 months by 4 several years of age to reach high concentrations of security from recent and opportunity upcoming variants.

“If two doses are authorized, mother and father will have the prospect to get started a COVID-19 vaccination sequence for their little ones when awaiting likely authorization of a third dose.”

For people today 12 and more mature, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine dose is 30 micrograms of vaccine, and for little ones ages 5 to 11, it was stepped down to 10 micrograms. The dose for the youngest small children is even lessen: 3 micrograms.

CNN reported previously Tuesday that Pfizer was inspired to seek authorization for the two-dose vaccine by federal regulators, who hope the EUA can be granted by late February. Waiting around on data for a few doses could extend the hold out until March.

“If the intention of the vaccine is to get baseline immunity in the young ones — to reduce seriously undesirable results and you are seriously not using the vaccine as a resource to avert an infection in the 1st position — two doses could do that,” Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a previous Food and drug administration commissioner and existing Pfizer board member, stated on CBS on Sunday. “I feel that may possibly be why federal overall health officials are rethinking this.”

CNN’s Katherine Dillinger, John Bonifield, Jen Christensen and Brenda Goodman contributed to this report.

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Covid May Raise the Risk of Diabetes in Children, Study Says

Children who have recovered from Covid-19 seem to be at appreciably improved risk of developing Form 1 or Kind 2 diabetic issues, scientists at the Facilities for Disorder Manage and Prevention documented on Friday.

A heightened risk of diabetic issues has now been seen among grown ups who recovered from Covid, in accordance to some scientific tests. Researchers in Europe have described an boost in the variety of youngsters being diagnosed with Sort 1 diabetic issues due to the fact the pandemic commenced.

But the C.D.C. review is among the initial to look at huge coverage declare databases in the United States to estimate the prevalence of new diabetes diagnoses in children underneath age 18 who experienced Covid or were being acknowledged to be contaminated with the coronavirus.

The analyze employed two claim databases from U.S. health and fitness strategies to look at diabetes diagnoses created in youngsters underneath 18 more than the program of a 12 months or more, starting up in March 1, 2020, comparing all those who experienced Covid with those people who did not.

The researchers observed improves in diabetes in both knowledge sets, though the relative premiums have been fairly diverse: they found a 2.6-fold raise in new diabetic issues instances between children in a single, and a scaled-down 30 p.c improve in a further.

“Even a 30 p.c increase is a major boost in hazard,” mentioned Sharon Saydah, a researcher at the C.D.C. and lead creator of the analyze. The differences likely end result from distinct methods of classifying children as owning Covid, she additional.

Dr. Saydah claimed it was not however crystal clear no matter if write-up-Covid diabetes would be a persistent affliction in these children, or a transient ailment that resolves. Most of the young children ended up only adopted about four and a 50 percent months.

The acquiring underscores the worth of vaccinating all eligible small children from Covid, she extra, and using steps like masking and distancing, primarily to guard the youngest, who cannot nevertheless be vaccinated.

“It’s genuinely important for clinicians, pediatricians and dad and mom to be mindful of the signs and indications of diabetes, so they can get their young children identified,” Dr. Saydah mentioned. Greater thirst, recurrent urination, accidental weight reduction and tiredness are between the telltale signs.

She pointed out that weight gain and sedentary behavior, which have elevated all through the pandemic, are also possibility components for diabetes.

Many of the young children in the examine ended up only diagnosed soon after getting an episode of diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening complication that takes place when the entire body does not have ample insulin to enable blood sugar into cells to use for energy.

Dr. Saydah and her colleagues did not distinguish between kinds of diabetic issues, which include each Type 1 and Variety 2 in their analysis. The will increase ended up witnessed the two between all those who had been sick with Covid, and individuals who were being asymptomatic but analyzed positive.

A further study, also introduced on Friday by the C.D.C., located that two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine secured hospitalized children concerning the ages of 12 and 18 from critical multisystem inflammatory syndrome, or MIS-C, which can establish two to 6 weeks immediately after an infection with the virus.

The examine looked at 24 hospitals in 20 states concerning July and Dec. 9, 2021, through the period of time when the Delta variant was dominant. It concluded that vaccination experienced an efficacy fee of 91 p.c from MIS-C, and pointed out that among the 38 hospitalized clients aged 12 to 18 who required life assist, all were unvaccinated.

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CDC warns about rising flu cases in children, young adults

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory Wednesday that cases of influenza have been rising among young adults in recent weeks.

While flu cases are still low nationally, more than 90 percent are among children and young adults ages 5 to 24, according to the CDC.

Most cases are of the H3N2 lineage — a strain that health experts say is particularly troublesome, as it tends to mutate faster than other variants of influenza. The last time H3N2 was the dominant strain was during the 2017-18 flu season, when the U.S. had 710,000 flu-related hospitalizations and 52,000 flu-related deaths, the most since the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic. 

A CDC map shows influenza rates.CDC

The CDC has been investigating a flu outbreak at the University of Michigan, where hundreds of students have tested positive. Flu outbreaks have been reported at other college campuses in the past month.

Experts are concerned that college students and other young people who may have been exposed to flu could spread it around the country as they travel home for the holidays.

“This is the time of the year when many people are going to be gathering together for the holidays for either Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s, and there’s just the potential to amplify it,” said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Toronto.

He said people, especially those most at risk for severe disease, should get vaccinated, because the virus doesn’t stay within a particular age group for long.

“It’s coming. It’s not quite clear how large a flu season we’re going to have, but we are going to have a flu season,” he said.

Full coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic

The flu season typically runs from October to as late as May, with activity tending to peak from December to February, according to the CDC.

Influenza experts had previously said they were concerned that the country could be at risk for a severe flu season this year after seasonal flu cases reached an all-time low last year, when large parts of the country were shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Experts urge people to get both Covid and flu vaccinations, saying an increase in flu infections this winter could put more burden on the country’s health care system, which is already dealing with a surge in coronavirus cases.

Download the NBC News app for full coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic

As part of the health advisory, the CDC recommended that people with flulike symptoms be tested for both influenza and Covid.

Follow NBC HEALTH on Twitter & Facebook.

Berkeley Lovelace Jr. is a health and medical news reporter for NBC News.

Kaitlin Sullivan contributed.

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What to know about type 2 diabetes in children

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs due to problems with insulin function or insulin production. Type 2 diabetes causes a person’s blood sugars to rise. While the condition is more common in adults, it can also affect children.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. Around 90–95{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of people with diabetes have type 2.

Over 30 million people in the United States have type 2 diabetes, and the number of children with type 2 diabetes is rising.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2002–2015, the rate of new cases of diabetes in people younger than 20 years old increased in the U.S. by 4.8{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} each year.

This article looks at what type 2 diabetes is, symptoms, diagnosis, causes, risk factors, treatment, complications, prevention, and outlook for children with the condition.

When a person eats food, their body breaks it down into sugar, which it releases into the bloodstream. When a person’s blood sugar levels rise, the pancreas releases insulin.

Insulin works like a key that allows the blood sugar to enter the body’s cells, allowing them to use it to create energy.

If a person has type 2 diabetes, either the insulin their pancreas makes doesn’t work correctly, or their pancreas can’t make enough insulin. These problems can cause a person’s blood sugar levels to rise uncontrollably.

If a person has too much blood sugar in their bloodstream for a long period of time, it can cause serious health issues such as heart disease, loss of vision, and kidney disease.

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes are similar to symptoms of other types of diabetes. Symptoms can often take time to develop and may continue for a long time before detection.

This means that a child could have type 2 diabetes without knowing.

The symptoms of type 2 diabetes are generally the same for children and adults. Common symptoms include:

  • frequent urination
  • feeling thirsty
  • feeling hungry even if the person is eating well
  • extreme fatigue
  • blurred vision
  • cuts and bruises that can be slow to heal
  • tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands or feet

To diagnose type 2 diabetes, a doctor will first ask about the child’s symptoms and lifestyle. They may also do a physical examination before taking a blood sample.

This blood sample allows the doctor to check the child’s blood sugar levels. If the blood sugar levels are over a certain amount, the doctor will be able to diagnose them with type 2 diabetes.

A doctor can also use a urine test to check for sugar in the child’s urine.

The pancreas makes insulin, which is a hormone. Insulin helps glucose, which is a form of sugar, make its way into cells so that the cells can use it for energy.

There are two causes of type 2 diabetes: either a child’s pancreas does not make enough insulin, or the body does not respond correctly to the available insulin.

Anyone can develop type 2 diabetes, but there are a number of risk factors that can increase a child’s chances of developing the condition.

There are a number of risk factors that can increase a child’s chance of developing type 2 diabetes.

Having overweight

A child who has excess weight or obesity is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than a child without these.

Obesity can have an adverse effect on the body’s ability to metabolize (process) sugars, even in children.

Children who have obesity have excess levels of insulin in their bloodstream, and are able to metabolize sugar at a rate of approximately 40{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} less than children who do not have obesity, according to research from 2013. This causes their blood sugar levels to rise.

Obesity can also cause a child to develop insulin resistance. This is when a child’s muscles, fat, and liver do not respond well to insulin. It means they may not take up glucose from the blood well.

Insulin resistance can cause a child’s pancreas to make more insulin. If the pancreas can make enough insulin to overcome insulin resistance, the child’s blood sugar levels may remain typical and they may not develop type 2 diabetes. But if their blood sugar levels do rise, they may develop the condition.

Being physically inactive

If a child is physically inactive, they may have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Regular exercise can help prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes.

Physical activity is also important for children who have type 2 diabetes. If a child has type 2 diabetes, regular, structured exercise can offer a number of benefits, including:

  • improved blood glucose control
  • reduced cardiovascular risk factors
  • reaching or maintaining a moderate weight
  • improved general well-being

Insulin resistance

The progression of insulin resistance can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes.

A number of factors can increase a person’s chance of developing insulin resistance, including:

​​Certain medicines can also contribute to insulin resistance, including glucocorticoids, some antipsychotics, and some medicines for HIV.

Insulin resistance is a component of metabolic syndrome. The development of it may lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Having a close relative with type 2 diabetes

More than 75{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of children with type 2 diabetes have a close relative who also has the condition.

This is not always down to genetics. It may also be due to the child sharing certain habits and lifestyle choices with the family member that can increase their risk of developing the condition.

Genetic factors

According to the CDC, people with certain ancestry are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The CDC states that children with the following ancestry are at a higher risk of developing the condition:

  • African American
  • Latino American
  • American Indian
  • Alaska Native
  • Asian American
  • Pacific Islander

The CDC also adds that some Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans are also at higher risk.

If a child has type 2 diabetes, they may receive the same treatment as an adult. This will start with certain lifestyle recommendations and may also include medications.

Treatment for type 2 diabetes aims to keep a child’s blood sugar levels within the typical range to avoid complications arising.

A child with type 2 diabetes should learn how to monitor their blood sugar levels. This is so they can adjust their diet or take certain medication if their blood sugar levels become too low or too high.

A doctor will recommend that the child has a moderate, balanced diet and gets regular exercise. This is to ensure they are not getting too much sugar from their diet, and can also help with weight loss.

A doctor may also prescribe insulin medication to help the child manage their blood sugar levels. If the child does take insulin medication, they should still eat a moderate, balanced diet.

Insulin is a common treatment method for people with type 1 diabetes and some people with type 2 diabetes.

A child should take insulin around the same time as they eat meals to allow them to easily process the glucose that enters their system.

The most common form of insulin therapy is through an injection. Other options include insulin pens and pumps, and Victoza.

Another treatment option for children with type 2 diabetes is Metformin, which is the only oral diabetes medication that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved for children. A child takes this medication in the form of pills. However, it is important to note that the FDA has recalled the extended-release versions of Metformin.

They should take the pills with meals in order to control their blood sugar levels. These pills work best when a person takes them alongside moderate, balanced meals and regular exercise.

Type 2 diabetes can affect different organs in the body and has a number of possible complications.

If a person with type 2 diabetes does not effectively manage their blood sugar levels, they can increase their risk of developing the following complications.

  • Heart problems and stroke: A person with type 2 diabetes is more likely to develop heart disease. They are also more likely to have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which can increase their risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
  • Nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy): People with type 2 diabetes can have high blood sugar levels and high levels of fats in their blood, which can damage nerves. Type 2 diabetes can cause damage to a range of different nerves. Symptoms can include pain and numbness in the feet or hands, and problems with the function of internal organs such as the heart and bladder.
  • Kidney disease: High blood sugar levels associated with type 2 diabetes can damage the kidneys. This can cause the kidneys to lose their ability to filter out waste products, leading to kidney disease.
  • Diabetic eye disease: Over time, type 2 diabetes can damage the eyes. This can cause a person to develop poor vision or even blindness. A person with type 2 diabetes should have regular eye tests to monitor how their diabetes might be affecting their vision.
  • Skin conditions: Diabetes can also cause a person to develop a number of skin conditions. These include bacterial infections, fungal infections, and itching.
  • Hearing loss: Over time, high blood sugar levels can cause damage to the nerves in a person’s ears, leading to hearing loss.

A person can reduce their risk of all of these complications by carefully managing their blood sugar levels.

Taking all medications as their doctor prescribes and attending all doctors visits are both necessary for a person to successfully manage their blood sugar levels and help reduce the risk of complications from diabetes.

Exercising regularly and eating a moderate, nutritious diet can also help someone manage their blood sugar levels.

There are a number of measures a person can take to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. These include:

  • reaching or maintaining a moderate weight
  • eating a moderate, balanced diet
  • being physically active and exercising regularly
  • avoiding drinking sugary drinks
  • avoiding overeating

According to the CDC, children that have type 2 diabetes often receive a diagnosis in their early teens. This can be because hormones that are present during puberty can make it more difficult for the body to use insulin.

This is why it is important that parents and caregivers work to ensure children are eating a healthful diet and maintaining a moderate weight to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common in children.

After diagnosis, a child should manage their blood sugar levels using a combination of exercise, diet, and possibly medications.

If a person manages their diabetes well, they can reduce their risks of developing complications and increase their quality of life.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that causes a person’s blood sugar levels to become too high. This condition more commonly affects adults but is becoming more common in children.

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include frequent urination, feeling thirsty, feeling hungry, and fatigue.

Complications of type 2 diabetes include heart disease, heart attacks, stroke, kidney disease, and a number of skin conditions.

A person can reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by reaching or maintaining a moderate weight, exercising regularly, and eating a healthful diet.

If a child has type 2 diabetes, they should try to manage their blood sugar levels as best they can, either on their own or with caregivers’ help. This includes being physically active and eating a healthful diet. A doctor may also treat their diabetes with injections, oral medications, or both.

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Today’s coronavirus news: Ontario reporting 304 cases of COVID-19, 4 deaths; White House details plans to vaccinate 28M children age 5-11

The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Wednesday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available.

3:40 p.m.: It seems Manitoba politicians may not have needed to apologize for recently appearing maskless in pictures at an art gallery event.

Chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin says while he doesn’t know details of what happened, people are allowed to remove their masks briefly to take photos.

Manitoba requires mask use in all indoor public places under its COVID-19 public health orders.

The orders spell out some exemptions, such as temporarily removing a mask to eat or drink, to give a speech or to receive a service that requires the mask to be off.

Last weekend, three Manitoba cabinet ministers and a Winnipeg city councillor were seen in pictures on social media without masks and standing alongside other people at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

They later said they were sorry.

“For the most part, that mask should be on. There are brief periods where it’s reasonable for it to come off,” Roussin said Wednesday.

“If it was simply to remove a mask for the purposes of getting a photograph, and then you put it back on, then … that’s in keeping with advice we’ve provided.”

Health Minister Audrey Gordon and Winnipeg Coun. Markus Chambers have both said they removed their masks while sitting down to eat and stood up briefly to pose for the pictures. Families Minister Rochelle Squires and Sport, Culture and Heritage Minister Cathy Cox were also photographed maskless while standing.

Health officials reported 51 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday and one additional death. Almost half of the new cases came in the southern health region, an area that makes up 15 per cent of the province’s population and has low vaccination rates.

The province also said it is preparing to distribute Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to kids ages five to 11 as early as the end of November, if federal regulators approve the lower age eligibility that Pfizer applied for this week. Children of that age would be given smaller doses, with smaller needles, than what has been supplied to date.

“We have spoken with Pfizer as recently as yesterday,” said Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead of Manitoba’s vaccination effort.

“They haven’t provided us with any numbers but are signaling generally that we can expect a large supply to be available fairly quickly after approval occurs.”

— With files from CTV Winnipeg

3:11 p.m. A Brazilian Senate report recommended Wednesday pursuing crimes against humanity and other charges against President Jair Bolsonaro for allegedly bungling Brazil’s response to COVID-19 and contributing to the country having the world’s second-highest pandemic death toll.

Sen. Renan Calheiros presented the proposal to a committee of colleagues that has spent six months investigating the Brazilian government’s management of the pandemic. The decision on whether to file most of the charges would be up to Brazil’s prosecutor-general, a Bolsonaro appointee and ally.

In a nearly 1,200-page report based on the committee’s work, Calheiros called for Bolsonaro’s indictment on charges ranging from charlatanism and inciting crime to misuse of public funds and crimes against humanity. The report can be modified before the 11-member senatorial committee considers endorsing it; a vote is set for Oct. 26.

The committee “collected evidence that abundantly demonstrated that the federal government was silent and chose to act in a non-technical and reckless manner,” the report states.

Bolsonaro has consistently downplayed the threat of the coronavirus and touted misinformation and unproven COVID-19 treatments while ignoring international health guidelines for curtailing the spread of the the disease. He steadfastly rejected restricting activity during the worst of Brazil’s outbreak, claiming the poor would suffer worse hardship if the economy ground to a halt.

Read more from The Associated Press.

3:05 p.m. Nova Scotia is reporting six new cases of COVID-19 today.

Officials have identified three cases in the Halifax area, two cases in the province’s western zone and one case in the northern zone. Among the cases is a fourth patient who tested positive for novel coronavirus as part of a small outbreak at the Valley Regional Hospital in Kentville, N.S.

Officials say testing is continuing for the hospital’s patients, staff and doctors who have been identified as close contacts.

The province now has 165 active infections with 16 people hospitalized, including five who are in intensive care.

According to provincial data, 82.6 per cent of the province’s population have had at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 77.2 per cent are fully vaccinated.

3 p.m. Health officials in New Brunswick say another five people have died, bringing the number of COVID-19-related deaths in the province to 99.

In a statement, Premier Blaine Higgs said his thoughts are with the family and friends mourning their loved ones.

There are 69 new COVID-19 cases today and 761 active cases in the province. There are 55 people hospitalized, including 16 in intensive care. Officials say 14 of the people listed in intensive care are unvaccinated.

Currently 82.9 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers are fully vaccinated while 91.8 per cent have received at least one dose of vaccine.

2:50 p.m. Ontario’s Liberals are being accused of saying one thing and doing another after their Thunder Bay MPP sought special treatment for a personal support worker who was about to become unemployed for refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Michael Gravelle (Thunder-Bay Superior North) made the request in an Oct. 14 email to Health Minister Christine Elliott and Long-Term Care Minister Rod Phillips despite Liberal party policy, which urges Premier Doug Ford to make full vaccination mandatory for all health-care and education workers.

Elliott’s office took aim at Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca as it released the email Wednesday.

“Steven Del Duca’s Liberals continue to say one thing in the media and another behind closed doors,” a statement said.

Read more from the Star’s Rob Ferguson.

2:45 p.m. Premier François Legault says that while the province plans to lift the pandemic state of emergency after younger children have been vaccinated, some health measures may stick around longer.

Legault told reporters in Quebec City Wednesday the state of emergency has given the province flexibility to introduce measures such as masking rules and a website to recruit health-care help. He said the province would look at measures one-by-one and introduce a bill to maintain those that are needed.

“We have to see what we have the right to do and then what we need to do once the children between the ages of five and 11 are going to be vaccinated,” Legault said. “We think that, for the most part, we will be able to remove most of the measures, but it is possible that some should be kept.”

Legault had been vague about when the health emergency might end, but said Tuesday it could come in early 2022, depending on how quickly vaccination begins for younger children.

2:15 p.m. The first easy-to-use COVID-19 treatment could be available in the U.S. by the end of this year, but it is unlikely to reach developing countries, where hundreds of millions of people remain without access to vaccines until at least the middle of 2022, according to public health officials.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced Wednesday that it would attempt to expedite the timetable for getting the drug, the antiviral molnupiravir, to low-income countries. It pledged an initial investment of up to $120 million to prompt eight generic drugmakers that have signed licensing agreements with the drug’s developer Merck to start producing the medicine now, a sort of insurance policy gambling that it will be approved by regulatory bodies.

Molnupiravir was developed in record speed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, who have submitted an application to the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization. Merck is already manufacturing the drug in anticipation of that approval, which could come in December.

The U.S. government has a prepurchase contract for 1.7 billion courses of the medication, a simple pill that in a large clinical trial halved the risk of hospitalizations and death from the coronavirus among high-risk people who took it in the first days of infection.

2:05 p.m. The campaign to vaccinate young children in the U.S against the coronavirus will not look like it did for adults. There will be no mass inoculation sites. Pediatricians will be enlisted to help work with parents. Even the vials — and the needles to administer doses — will be smaller.

Biden administration officials, anticipating that regulators will make the vaccines available to 5- to 11-year-olds in the coming weeks, laid out plans on Wednesday to ensure that some 25,000 pediatric or primary care offices, thousands of pharmacies, and hundreds of school and rural health clinics will be ready to administer shots if the vaccine receives federal authorization.

The campaign aims to fulfill the unique needs of patients largely still in elementary school — and an age group containing far more people than the teenage cohort already approved to receive the vaccine — while absorbing the lessons from the rollout of vaccines to other age groups.

This month, Pfizer and BioNTech asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize emergency use of their vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds, a move that could help protect more than 28 million people in the U.S. A meeting to discuss the authorization is set for Oct. 26, and an FDA ruling could come in the days after, possibly clearing a path for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to make recommendations on a pediatric dose in early November.

1:50 p.m. A pair of unmasked NYPD cops shoved a straphanger out of a Manhattan subway station on Tuesday after he says he repeatedly asked them why they weren’t following a state rule that requires people to cover their faces in mass transit facilities.

Andy Gilbert, 27, said he got off his downtown W train at 8th St. in the East Village around 8:40 a.m. when he saw the cops standing on the platform without masks.

“Recently I started doing short videos whenever I see that and ask why the cops aren’t wearing masks,” said Gilbert, who lives in Queens.

“This morning I did the same thing. I asked both of them if they realize it’s illegal to not have a mask on in the subway. I asked, ‘Why don’t you just put on a mask?’”

A state rule that took effect in September 2020 requires everyone to cover their faces on the subway or face a $50 (U.S.) fine.

1:40 p.m. Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting nine new cases of COVID-19 and 46 active reported infections across the province.

The province’s acting chief medical officer of health says there are still 76,000 people who are eligible to be immunized against COVID-19 but are not yet fully vaccinated.

That group represents about 16 per cent of those eligible and Dr. Rosann Seviour said they pose one of the greatest challenges to public health officials as they battle the pandemic’s fourth wave.

1:30 p.m. Under pressure from rising infections and worried health experts, the British government on Wednesday urged millions of people to get booster vaccine shots but resisted calls to reimpose coronavirus restrictions such as mandatory mask-wearing.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the government would “stay vigilant, preparing for all eventualities,” but would not trigger its “Plan B” of bringing back restrictions on daily life.

Britain is relying heavily on vaccines to keep the virus at bay during the fall and winter months. Almost 80 per cent of people 12 and over in the U.K. have received two vaccine doses and millions are being offered a booster shot, including everyone over 50.

But critics say the booster campaign is moving more slowly than the virus. The U.K. recorded 49,139 new infections on Wednesday, by far the highest total in Europe, and cases are averaging more than 45,000 a day, up 17 per cent from a week earlier.

1:15 p.m. A Florida battalion chief has been fired for refusing to discipline workers who hadn’t gotten a COVID-19 vaccine in violation of a requirement for county employees.

Orange County Fire Rescue battalion chief Stephen Davis was fired Tuesday for failure to follow a direct order and issue disciplinary actions earlier this month, said Lisa McDonald, a spokeswoman for the fire department in metro Orlando.

But a union representing firefighters told WFTV that Davis didn’t write up the disciplines because the workers on his list were mistakenly identified as unvaccinated or hadn’t gotten their requests for religious exemptions in on time.

“He didn’t do what he was asked to do because he realized some people on the spreadsheet that he received were fully vaccinated and had religious exemptions at the time and he knew it was unlawful and violating state law,” firefighter Jason Wheat told the Orlando television station.

12:35 p.m. (updated) The federal Conservatives are challenging the decision-making process behind the move to require mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations on Parliament Hill.

On Tuesday evening, the group of MPs charged with setting rules for the House of Commons declared that as of Nov. 22, all members of Parliament and their staff members will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to enter the Parliament buildings.

While the decision was heralded by the Liberals and New Democratic Party, both of which have advocated for that approach, the Conservatives were initially silent.

But on Wednesday, one of the Conservative MPs on the board of internal economy, which made the decision, said his party objects to the way it was made.

Read the full story from the Star’s Stephanie Levitz

12:20 p.m. The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority is taking over operations of a Vancouver care home where dozens of residents died during a COVID-19 outbreak that began last November and took months to contain.

A statement from the health authority says the Ministry of Health has approved the transfer of operations and assets from Little Mountain Residential Care and Housing Society.

The transfer includes Little Mountain Place, a 116-bed long-term care home for seniors, where 41 deaths and many more COVID-19 illnesses were reported last winter.

The statement says the transition, which also includes a 96-unit independent living facility and a 73-bed long-term care home for younger adults with complex needs, is expected to be completed in the next few months.

12:10 p.m. Quebec is reporting 458 new COVID-19 cases and two more deaths attributed to the coronavirus.

The Health Department reports there are 287 people hospitalized with the virus, 10 fewer than the day before, and 72 of those patients are in intensive care, a decline of three.

According to the province’s public health institute, 90.2 per cent of those aged 12 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine, with 87.2 per cent considered adequately vaccinated against COVID-19.

Health Minister Christian Dubé tweeted a chart today showing that since he delayed mandatory vaccinations for health-care workers last week by one month, about 1,000 have received a first dose and 2,000 have received their second dose.

11:45 a.m. Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes must be vaccinated to compete at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.

The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on Wednesday, saying the decision was made with support of the boards of directors and athlete commissions.

Canadian Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker pointed out that 840 coaches and staff travelled to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics this past summer without a positive case.

“We want to do the same for Beijing,” he said in a statement.

The United Stated Olympic Committee announced a similar vaccine mandate recently.

The Olympic open Feb. 4 and the Paralympics on March 4.

11:20 a.m. CaféTO, Toronto’s popular pandemic innovation that saw restaurant and bar patios spill into sidewalks and roadways, will become permanent if city council approves a proposal supported by Mayor John Tory.

A city staff report going to Tory’s executive committee next week, and then city council, suggests making the program permanent through a “phased” approach.

The report also advocates waiving fees for next year to give a further boost to hospitality businesses hit hard by COVID-19 restrictions.

The hastily developed, enthusiastically received way to let pandemic-struck eateries and bars expand patios onto new public and private spaces was launched in June 2020 amid fears over infection risk from indoor dining.

Read the full story from the Star’s David Rider

10:45 a.m. A&W Revenue Royalties Income Fund says its same-store sales grew nearly 17 per cent in its latest quarter as COVID-19 public health restrictions eased, allowing the fast-food chain to reopen more restaurants and serve more customers.

The Vancouver-based company’s gross sales in the royalty pool totalled $409.5 million for the three months ended Sept. 12, up from $340.6 million in the same quarter of 2020.

The company reported net income excluding non-cash items of $9.2 million for the third quarter, up from $7.7 million in the same period the previous year.

It says there were 994 open restaurants in the royalty pool at the end of the quarter, compared to 971 in 2020.

The company says its monthly distribution rate will increase to 15.5 cents per unit, up from 15 cents per unit, beginning with its October 2021 distribution payable Nov. 30.

A&W Revenue Royalties Income Fund owns the A&W trademarks used in the A&W quick service restaurant business in Canada.

10:15 a.m. (updated) Ontario is reporting another 304 COVID-19 cases and four more deaths, according to its latest report released Wednesday morning.

Ontario has administered 25,284 vaccine doses since its last daily update, with 22,290,203 vaccines given in total as of 8 p.m. the previous night.

According to the Star’s vaccine tracker, 11,421,523 people in Ontario have received at least one shot. That works out to approximately 87.6 per cent of the eligible population 12 years and older, and the equivalent of 76.8 per cent of the total population, including those not yet eligible for the vaccine.

Read the full story from the Star’s Urbi Khan

10 a.m. Morocco is suspending until further notice all flights to and from the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands amid rising coronavirus infections in those countries. The new restriction will come into force just before midnight Wednesday, the North African kingdom’s airports authority said.

In a tweet, national carrier Royal Air Maroc said the move was due to “the pandemic situation.” It did not provide further detail.

Morocco’s Health Ministry warned Monday of the threat of a new virus surge, stressing “the need to avoid possible a relapse of serious and critical cases and COVID-19-related deaths, which have occurred in several European countries.”

COVID-19 cases have been rising sharply in the Netherlands over the past two weeks and also are climbing in Germany.

9:50 a.m. (updated) Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy will table a mini-budget on Nov. 4 to outline the Progressive Conservatives’ plans for tackling the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bethlenfalvy emphasized “the job is not done” in dealing with a global health crisis that has killed more than 9,800 Ontarians since March 2020 and upended the province’s economy.

“Our government’s next fiscal update (is) a plan that will protect the hard work and sacrifice of the people of Ontario in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said Wednesday.

Read the full story from the Star’s Robert Benzie

9:45 a.m. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered the country’s workers to stay off work for a week starting later this month amid rising coronavirus infection and death numbers, and he strongly urged reluctant citizens to get vaccinated.

The government task force on Wednesday reported 1,028 coronavirus deaths over the past 24 hours, the highest number since the start of the pandemic. That brought Russia’s total death toll to 226,353 which is by far the highest in Europe.

Putin said Wednesday he supports the Cabinet’s proposal to introduce a nonworking period starting Oct. 30 and extending through the following week, when four of seven days already are state holidays. He added in some regions where the situation is the most threatening, the nonworking period could start as early as Saturday and be extended after Nov. 7.

9:30 a.m. Children age 5 to 11 will soon be able to get a COVID-19 shot at their pediatrician’s office, local pharmacy and potentially even their school, the White House said Wednesday as it detailed plans for the expected authorization of the Pfizer shot for younger children in a matter of weeks.

Federal regulators will meet over the next two weeks to weigh the benefits of giving shots to kids, after lengthy studies meant to ensure the safety of the vaccines.

Within hours of formal approval, expected after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory meeting scheduled for Nov. 2-3, doses will begin shipping to providers across the country, along with smaller needles necessary for injecting young kids, and within days will be ready to go into the arms of kids on a wide scale.

“We’re completing the operational planning to ensure vaccinations for kids ages 5-11 are available, easy and convenient,” said White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients on Wednesday.

9:10 a.m. It’s a scary Halloween season for retailers that are scrambling to stock their shelves in time for the holiday.

Geoff Waszek, owner of Candy’s Costume Shop in Toronto, said he was wary of placing orders in January, as is customary in the industry for Halloween, out of fears that another lockdown would cancel the festivities.

Once he did start ordering, Waszek said he had to scrounge to source stock from a patchwork of suppliers who were struggling with supply chain issues.

U.S.-based HalloweenCostumes.com, which ships directly to Canadian consumers, said many of the goods they ordered won’t even arrive until after the holiday.

8:45 a.m. Statistics Canada says the annual pace of inflation picked up in September to reach its highest level since February 2003.

The agency says its consumer price index in September was up 4.4 per cent compared with a year ago.

The reading compared with a year-over-year increase of 4.1 per cent in August.

Driving most of the increase were prices at the pumps as consumers paid 32.8 per cent more last month for gasoline than in September 2020.

The statistics agency says the annual inflation rate would have been 3.5 per cent had it excluded gasoline prices from its calculation.

Statistics Canada also says that food prices overall rose 3.9 per cent year-over-year, compared to the 2.7 per cent recorded in August.

8 a.m. Immigration authorities in Singapore seized 23,100 tablets of the parasite-killing drug ivermectinat the country’s border in recent weeks. Despite the Centers for Disease Control’s warnings, ivermectin has surged in popularity as a bogus COVID-19 cure.

Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority stopped the thousands of tablets from entering the country between Sept. 10 and Oct. 6 and posted a spicy Facebook meme about it Tuesday.

In three of the ICA’s five busts, the tablets were not declared at all. In one bust, they were labeled “health care products” and in another they were described as a “supplement pharma product.” One of the “no declaration” shipments included 2,000 tablets of hydroxychloroquine, the ICA said.

Side effects of ivermectin include nausea, comas, seizures, vomiting and diarrhea. In severe cases, it can be fatal to take ivermectin.

7:40 a.m. Canadian airline ticket prices are bouncing back from their deep pandemic lows — and with Christmas around the corner consumers can expect sky high prices for the holidays.

Experts say a perfect storm of pent-up demand, higher costs and rising fuel prices mean round-trip tickets this holiday season may be higher than ever.

As recently as June, one-way flights between Toronto and Vancouver were as low as $114. While there are still low-cost tickets available from now until mid-December, tickets closer to Christmas are back up to seasonal highs, currently going for between $450 and $1,200 each way for economy flights from Toronto to Vancouver on Air Canada and WestJet.

Read the full story from the Star’s Rosa Saba

7:20 a.m. New York City will require police officers, firefighters and other municipal workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or be placed on unpaid leave, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday, giving an ultimatum to public employees who’ve refused and ensuring a fight with some of the unions representing them.

The mandate affecting the nation’s largest police department and more than 100,000 other Big Apple workers — including trash haulers and building inspectors — carries a Nov. 1 deadline for getting the first vaccine dose, de Blasio announced.

Jailers on Rikers Island, where the city has been grappling with staffing shortages creating unsafe conditions, will be subject to the mandate on Dec. 1.

Of the workers affected by the new mandate, 71 per cent have already received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the city.

The city previously mandated vaccines for public school teachers and the state has previously mandated vaccines for hospital workers.

6:25 a.m.: What do you call someone who graduates last in their class at medical school? Doctor. It’s an old joke, but the point is that not everyone who attains the rank has the same level of acumen. Monday, two doctors were censured by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario for peddling flimsy vaccine, masking, and even COVID test exemptions. Physicians, heal thyselves.

By Tuesday, there were four such quacks on the docket, and there are clearly more. It’s a clear breach of proper medical practice, and in this time of plague, it’s clearly a loophole that needs to be filled. So, how?

Read the full column from the Star’s Bruce Arthur here.

6:24 a.m.: An Ontario mayor who has pushed COVID-19 disinformation may lose part of his pay following a scathing report by an integrity commissioner.

West Lincoln Mayor David Bylsma is one of a small band of politicians in the fiercely conservative communities of western Niagara who have embraced anti-vaccination or anti-lockdown rhetoric. He is the only one to face sanctions from the political bodies he is a part of.

First, his own council stripped him of most of his powers, and now the regional council that his mayoralty entitles him to sit on will consider suspending his pay.

Bylsma’s decision earlier this year to ask a St. Catharines woman, Emily Spanton, through Facebook if the COVID-19 vaccine impacted her menstruation was “alarmingly invasive,” “arguably insulting” and “irresponsible,” Niagara Region’s integrity commissioner found in an Oct. 8 report.

Read the full story from Torstar’s Grant LaFleche here.

6:22 a.m.: Russia’s coronavirus deaths surged to another daily record Wednesday as soaring infections prompted the Cabinet to suggest declaring a nonworking week to stem contagion.

The government task force reported 1,028 coronavirus deaths over the past 24 hours, the highest number since the start of the pandemic. That brought the total death toll to 226,353 — by far the highest in Europe.

Amid a spike in infections and deaths, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova suggested introducing a nonworking period starting Oct. 30 and extending through the following week, when four of seven days already are state holidays. The proposal is yet to be authorized by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The daily coronavirus mortality numbers have been surging for weeks and topped 1,000 for the first time over the weekend amid sluggish vaccination rates, lax public attitude toward taking precautions and the government’s reluctance to toughen restrictions. About 45 million Russians, or 32{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the country’s nearly 146 million people, are fully vaccinated.

6:21 a.m.: The Czech Republic has been hit by a steep rise in coronavirus infections that have reached levels unseen since late April, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

The government was set to meet later in the day to approve new measures to tame the surge.

The day-to-day increase in new cases reached 3,246 on Tuesday, more than double the cases a week ago when it was 1,507. It was the highest number since April 20.

The new infections surpassed 100 per 100,000 people in seven days with 117 positive cases.

The fast rise of infections is accompanied by increasing numbers of people who need hospitalization and those who die.

6:20 a.m.: The World Health Organization said there was a 7{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} rise in new coronavirus cases across Europe last week, the only region in the world where cases increased.

In its weekly assessment of the pandemic released late Tuesday, the U.N. health agency said there were about 2.7 million new COVID-19 cases and more than 46,000 deaths last week, similar to the numbers reported the previous week. Britain, Russia and Turkey accounted for the most cases.

The biggest drop in COVID-19 cases were seen in Africa and the Western Pacific, where infections fell by about 18{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} and 16{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}, respectively. The number of deaths in Africa also declined by about a quarter, despite the dire shortage of vaccines on the continent. Other regions including the Americas and the Middle East, reported similar numbers to the previous week, WHO said.

But for the third consecutive week, coronavirus cases have jumped in Europe, with about 1.3 million new cases. More than half of countries in the region reported a rise in their COVID-19 numbers, WHO said.

In the past week, Russia has repeatedly broken new daily records for COVID-19 cases and the number of infections in the U.K. has surged to levels not seen since mid-July.

6:19 a.m.: Statistics Canada is scheduled to say this morning what the country’s headline inflation barometer registered in September.

The consumer price index in August rose 4.1 per cent compared with the same month one year earlier, marking the largest year-over-year increase since March 2003.

The pace of increases in August reflected the rebound in prices from the lows witnessed one year earlier, a surge in consumer demand and supply-chain bottlenecks that have driven up transport costs being passed on to buyers.

RBC economists Nathan Janzen and Claire Fan say they expect to see an annual inflation rate of 4.2 per cent in September with home and gasoline costs as key drivers.

They also write in a note that supply-chain issues may be more persistent and over time fuel higher, longer-run inflation expectations for households and businesses.

Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem has said the central bank would act to rein in inflation if the current bout of price increases look to become more than one-off pressure points.

6:18 a.m.: It’s a scary Halloween season for retailers that are scrambling to stock their shelves in time for the holiday.

Geoff Waszek, owner of Candy’s Costume Shop in Toronto, said he was wary of placing orders in January, as is customary in the industry for Halloween, out of fears that another lockdown would cancel the festivities.

Once he did start ordering, Waszek said he had to scrounge to source stock from a patchwork of suppliers who were struggling with supply chain issues.

U.S.-based HalloweenCostumes.com, which ships directly to Canadian consumers, said many of the goods they ordered won’t even arrive until after the holiday.

Spokeswoman Ashley Theis said the company will just have to use the late items as stock for next year.

The retailers said supply shortages made it difficult to bounce back from a dismal 2020, when many didn’t celebrate Halloween because of high COVID-19 numbers. This year, however, Waszek says he’s happy to see how excited people are to celebrate the holiday again.

6:15 a.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will continue today consulting with opposition leaders about how the House of Commons should resume work and what the priorities should be once it is back in operation.

He is scheduled to have separate phone conversations with Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and the parliamentary leader of the Greens, Elizabeth May.

On Tuesday, he exchanged ideas on the resumption of Parliament with Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet.

First on the agenda is whether the House of Commons should resume the hybrid sittings adopted to get through the COVID-19 pandemic or return to normal in-person operations.

That is likely to be a testy topic with O’Toole in the wake of a decision Tuesday by the multi-party board of internal economy to allow only fully vaccinated individuals to have admittance to the House of Commons precinct.

The Liberals, Bloc Québécois and NDP all support mandatory vaccinations and have said all their MPs have had two shots of approved vaccines; but O’Toole has refused to say whether all his 118 MPs are fully vaccinated and has opposed making it mandatory.