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What science do I trust; Toronto Caribbean Newspaper’s Vaccine Update – What is happening around the world

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Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

You see, this is the issue; as Africans living in the Americas, we have had to put up with a great deal of degradation, racism, segregation, brutality, murder, colonialism, and the list goes on and on. The effects of this treatment have been passed down intergenerationally, and many of us do not have faith in the system, even if it is our own telling us to “Trust the government; they are here to help us.”

I want to let those who have chosen to become inoculated, to know that there is a reason that you do feel hesitant. It is not just a mistrust of the medical system (a system that has experimented on Black people for years), but also a mistrust of institutions. There are a lot of reasons for Black people to be very hesitant about this warp speed vaccination that has been largely forced on us through: coercion, fear, and propaganda.

I have been covering this pandemic since its genesis, and I have had to deal with a lot of naysayers, and critics who tell me that I have chosen the wrong fight. They have told me to stick to what I know (education and psychology), and to use my platform to encourage people to get vaccinated so that life can return back to normal.

There is one issue …

We have all been told to trust the science, and I keep asking, “Which science do I trust?” There is the science that is being propagated on mainstream media, telling me that the vaccine is safe, and effective. Then there is the information that is not so readily shared, that tells a different story. In this article, I am going to share with you some information that has not been spoken about on: CNN, BBC, Fox News, CP24 or CTV. These are stories from people who have been largely silenced. It is important that these stories are shared so that YOU can decide if what is happening is ethical.

Paradoxical Immune Enhancement Phenomenon
Pathogenic priming likely contributes to serious and critical illness and mortality in COVID-19 via autoimmunity
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7142689/

“Paradoxical immune enhancement phenomenon’ means vaccinated people may still develop the disease, get sicker and die.” Dr. Peter Hotez

This is yet another doctor who in the early days of COVID-19 testified against the perils of rushing the development of a vaccine against it. He mentioned that there were some unique safety issues posed by this type of vaccine, and these issues had been seen by scientists half a century ago when there had been work done with a vaccine against RSV. During these trials, the vaccines failed to prevent infections, and 80% of the children infected needed to be hospitalized.

Dr Hotez asserted that unintended consequences of pathogenesis from vaccines are not new, nor are they unexpected. They are unanticipated only if those who develop them do not include available knowledge in their formulation plan.

Before you line up to get your vaccine, I want you to know that science shows that one potential issue that is being largely glossed over, is the alarming evidence that pathogenic priming is happening, which means that vaccinated people can still get the disease and may actually end up getting sicker from it.

Adverse Reaction Report (MHRA, United Kingdom)
“The number of adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccines reported to the MHRA, totalling 1,037,376, is 17.25 times higher than the number of adverse reactions reported to the MHRA to all other vaccines approved since 2010.”

An investigative journalist by the name of Duncan Husband made a freedom of information request on May 29th, 2021, to the MHRA. He asked the MHRA to provide a list of all new vaccines in the UK between 2010 and 2020 and to also provide the number of deaths, per vaccine, per month for the same time frame. The MHRA fulfilled the FOI request on June 29th 2021 and provided a full list of all approved vaccines and a vaccine analysis print for each type of vaccine excluding the Adacel jab which the MHRA claim they do not have any reports on. What it did was reveal how deadly the COVID-19 vaccine are.

It showed that the number of deaths due to the COVID-19 vaccines reported to the MHRA, totalled 1,440, which is over five times higher than the number of deaths reported to the MHRA as adverse reactions to all other vaccines approved since 2010.

Hair Loss and Alopecia
A young Japanese woman, known as Ayapipipiii, posted a blog on the July 31st, documenting her extreme hair loss following vaccination. She wrote that she received the first dose of Moderna’s experimental jab on June 29th, 2021, and felt pain in her arm and weakness, but did not develop a fever.

The next day, she noticed that she had lost a lot of hair and had developed a rash, which she dismissed at the time as due to changes in the weather. It was when she was washing her hair the following day that she noticed that the drain hole had clogged with hair and there was more of her hair on the floor. By July 7th, 2021, just a little more than a week after her vaccination, Ayapipipiii photographed three round bald spots on her head.

On July 13th, 2021, she noticed when she awoke that her pillow was covered with hair. By the July 17th, she described feeling the wind on her scalp for the first time in her life. Concerned she sought medical attention on July 21st, 2021, and by July 30th, she was almost entirely bald.

More than 800 people have reported hair loss and alopecia following COVID-19 jabs to the U.S. government’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). VigiBase, the WHO global database of reported potential side effects of medicinal products, has logged 1,693 reports of autoimmune alopecia, mostly from the US and Europe.

Vaccine Safety in Pregnant Persons
Preliminary Findings of mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine Safety in Pregnant Persons
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33882218/

A report was released in October 2021, and it shared that pregnant persons in the United States are receiving messenger RNA (mRNA) coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, but data is limited on their safety in pregnancy.

The study commenced on December 14th, 2020, and ran through to February 28th, 2021. They used data from the: v-safe after vaccination health checker surveillance system, the v-safe pregnancy registry, and the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) to characterize the initial safety of mRNA Covid-19 vaccines in pregnant persons.

The preliminary findings did not show obvious safety signals among pregnant persons who received mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. They did mention that more longitudinal follow-up is needed, including follow-up of large numbers of women vaccinated earlier in pregnancy. It is disturbing to know that they are pushing pregnant women to take this vaccine, knowing that they are unsure of exactly how it will affect them.

The Israeli People’s Committee Report of Adverse Events Related to the Corona Vaccine
“Never has a vaccine injured so many.”

The Israeli People’s Committee is an independent investigative group that comprises medical, legal, and epidemiological expertise. In April 2021, they released a summary report on the experience of mass experimental vaccinations in Israel, which uses the Pfizer mRNA vaccine. According to the authors, the compilation of the report was severely hampered by obstruction on the part of government authorities. One way they obstructed was by shutting down all monitoring and tracking systems for adverse events.

What they found was that the overall mortality in the January-February vaccination period was higher in 2021 than in any other year within the preceding decade. In the age group of 20–29 years, mortality in this time period exceeded that of the previous year by 32%.

There were 288 deaths overall, mostly within the first ten days after vaccination. This number is more than six times greater than the forth-fivee deaths officially admitted to by the health ministry.

Adverse Reaction Report from the Western Australian Police Force
Ms. Uren is a thirty-seven-year-old police officer for the Western Australian Police Force (WAPOL). She reported that the police force mandated vaccines for all personnel in August. Ms Uren was clear that she was not an anti-vaxxer, but she was hesitant due to lack of sufficient information on them. Ms Uren was also concerned about how the shots were rushed to the market.

Despite her reluctance, Ms Uren received her first Pfizer mRNA injection sometime in late August. Immediately after, she began to experience vertigo, nausea and hives all within fifteen minutes of taking the vaccine. The next day, she had a 103-degree (39.7 Celsius) fever, more hives, and more nausea. For the next four weeks, Ms Uren suffered persistent hives, fevers, vomiting, diarrhea, and a debilitating cough.

In mid-September she said her eyes “felt weird” one Tuesday morning. So, she took an antihistamine before driving to work. When she arrived at work, a co-worker told her that her face was “drooping sideways.”

She immediately went to the emergency room. She woke up the next morning in the hospital, only to collapse in the shower. Doctors discovered that the “main artery” from her heart to brain ruptured. She also suffered a transient ischemic attack also known as a stroke.

Believe me when I say, there are so many reports that I was not able to mention. Our job at the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper is to ensure that our community is equipped, educated, and empowered to make decisions for themselves and their family.

We, as humans are guaranteed certain things in life: stressors, taxes, bills and death are the first thoughts that pop to mind. It is not uncommon that many people find a hard time dealing with these daily life stressors, and at times will find themselves losing control over their lives. Simone Jennifer Smith’s great passion is using the gifts that have been given to her, to help educate her clients on how to live meaningful lives. The Hear to Help Team consists of powerfully motivated individuals, who like Simone, see that there is a need in this world; a need for real connection. As the founder and Director of Hear 2 Help, Simone leads a team that goes out into the community day to day, servicing families with their educational, legal and mental health needs.Her dedication shows in her Toronto Caribbean newspaper articles, and in her role as a host on the TCN TV Network.

Community News

Canada passes new law to address wrongful convictions

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BY SIMONE J. SMITH

The work of Innocence Canada, formerly known as the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted (AIDWYC) has made a significant difference on the Canadian legal scene. According to the website: www.innocencecanada.com the organization was launched in February 1993 as an extension of the Justice for Guy Morin Committee, which was established in 1993 after he was wrongfully convicted. AIDWYC received widespread media attention due to the work of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter who served as its founding Executive Director for over ten years. Carter served nineteen years for a wrongful conviction in a New Jersey prison and was subsequently released.

It was in October 2016 that AIDWYC rebranded as Innocence Canada with a new logo adorn with tally marks to coincide with each exoneration. In a press release issued by Innocence Canada on Thursday, December 12th, 2024, details were announced regarding the passage of Bill C-40. It is titled, “The Miscarriage of Justice Act “and is also known as “David and Joyce Milgaard’s Law.”

The press release notes, “It makes drastic changes to the Criminal Code and creates a new tribunal or commission to address all claims of wrongful conviction. It eliminates our present Ministerial Review process that has for more than 100 years been the only resort for the wrongly convicted.”

In the press release, David’s sister, Susan Milgaard states, “My mother and my brother will be looking down on us and celebrating this new law. I am very grateful it is named after them. They did so much to get this law passed, because they were dedicated to the cause of all the innocent people in prison who had no good place to seek justice. Now they will have a place to go.”

James Lockyear of Innocence Canada states, “Today is a great day for all those wrongfully convicted. Innocence Canada has been advocating for this law for more than 30 years. It will bring Canada in line with other countries that already have a similar commission and be a change for the wrongly convicted and the Canadian criminal justice system.”

It was in 2009 that David Milgaard was wrongfully convicted of the murder in the rape and death of Gail Miller. She was a nursing student at the time. Miller spent 23 years in prison as a sentence. However, in 1992 he was freed and found innocent. Since then, Milgard has actively engaged in advocacy for those who are wrongfully convicted and has worked hard for the establishment of an independent to review cases of wrongful convictions.

The fact that David and his mother, Joyce Milgaard are both deceased and not present to celebrate this day is unfortunate. Milgaard’s sister, Susan states, “It didn’t take a village, it took a country to achieve what we have and thank God for Canada because we’ve done it.”

An independent commission will be established to review potential wrongful convictions rather than the Minister of Justice. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada states, “It is Important that this legislation includes money, personnel, and legal aid funding.”

Ron Dalton of Innocence Canada states, “We’re currently working on 130 cases in our office, and we only have the resources to look at homicide cases.”

A press release was issued on Wednesday, December 18th, by the Department of Justice Canada to highlight the fact that the David and Joyce Milgaard’s Law received royal assent. Innocence Canada states, “All of us at Innocence Canada are delighted by the passage of David and Joyce Melgaard’s Law, which creates a new and independent body of experts to address future claims of wrongful conviction. Justice Minister Arid Virani and his predecessor, David Lametti, deserve great credit for this ground-breaking legislation which will make for an enormous improvement to our criminal justice system.”

The press release outlines some of the purposes of the new independent commission. It notes that it will not be an alternative to the courts. In general, applicants will first need to exhaust their rights of appeal before requesting a miscarriage of justice review by the commission. Furthermore, it “will not decide whether an applicant is guilty, or innocent, and there will be a dedicated victim services coordinator position to support victims and assist with the development of procedural policies especially as it relates to victim notification and participation in a manner consistent with the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights.

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The Toronto Caribbean Carnival is in desperate need of emergency and sustainable multi-year funding

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BY PAUL JUNOR

The announcement of a $3.5 million “critical investment” in the Toronto Caribbean Festival by the federal government is good news for the Festival Management Committee (FMC). The announcement was made on Monday, December 16th, 2024, as part of the Fall Economic Statement by the government of Canada. A press release from the FMC referred to the anticipated funding although details such as the release date and others are still unknown.

There has been media attention hinting at the possibility that the Toronto Caribbean Festival could be canceled in 2025, because it came up $2 million short in funding. It was on October 28th, 2024, that MPP Dr. Jill Andrew rose in the Ontario Legislature and informed the Ontario government that the festival was cash strapped. She stated, “The Toronto Caribbean Carnival is in desperate need of emergency and sustainable multi-year funding.” She mentioned the economic importance of the festival to the province and the fact that it costs $2.5 million to run. She called on the provincial government to ensure that the festival is funded adequately beyond the paltry $120,000 that it allocated to it in 2024.

In addition to MPP Andrew’s request for sustainable funding, a petition was launched by the Festival Management Committee. The petition describes vital aspects of the festival and lists ways that it contributes to the: cultural, economic and social life of Toronto. Undoubtedly, the ongoing issue of funding of the Toronto Caribbean Festival is one that will not go away unless, or until the three levels of government: provincial, federal and municipal decides to elevate it to a high level rather than just pay lip service to its importance annually. It is often used as a great photo-op for politicians during the summer.

The press release from the FMC revealed that there was a lot of work that was done behind the scenes prior to the announcement. “This critical investment follows nearly two years of intense advocacy.” This $3.5 million funding will go towards addressing systemic underfunding and highlighting the carnival’s vital cultural and economic contributions to Canada.

Jennifer Hirlehey, Executive Chair of the FMC states, “This achievement reflects the dedication of our team and the collective support from our stakeholders, the Caribbean community business. Together, we have demonstrated the power of unity and a shared vision. This funding will ensure the Carnival remains a dynamic force in Canada’s cultural and economic landscape, inspiring generations to come.”

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The Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council continues to unite and inspire young Jamaicans abroad

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Photo featuring Steven Getten

BY RUSHANE FERRON

The Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council (GJDYC) celebrated another milestone with its second annual event held at the Jamaican Consulate in Toronto, Ontario. The gathering, which took place on December 20th, 2024, continued the council’s mission to unite youth across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in celebrating and strengthening their Jamaican heritage.

Spearheaded by GJDYC Canada Representative, Steven Getten, in collaboration with the Jamaican Consulate, the event has quickly become a vital platform for fostering a sense of community among young Jamaicans in Canada. It offers a lifeline to those without close family connections, creating opportunities for: cultural exchange, mentorship, and relationship-building.

This year’s event attracted an even broader audience, drawing second, third, and fourth-generation Jamaicans eager to deepen their ties to their cultural roots. In her opening remarks, Consul Younna Bailey Magalhaes warmly welcomed attendees, emphasizing the importance of unity and collaboration within the Diaspora.

Keynote speaker Yanique Williams, Public Policy Director at Uber for Western Canada, delivered an inspiring address encouraging youth to embrace their potential and focus on building strong, supportive networks. Her words resonated with many, highlighting the importance of resilience and community in achieving personal and professional success.

Steven Getten closed the event with a heartfelt reflection on his migration journey and the power of solidarity within the Jamaican community. “Life in Canada may be difficult, but we have a vibrant Jamaican community. Let’s support each other and build together,” he urged.

The event’s success was made possible through the support of generous sponsors, including Grace Foods, JN Group, Keda Law, Nursing and Homemakers Inc., Caribbean Airlines, and Caribbean Queen. These partners provided essential packages for newcomers, students, and youth in need, reinforcing their commitment to uplifting the Jamaican Diaspora in Canada.

As the GJDYC continues to grow, events like these serve as a testament to the power of cultural heritage in uniting and inspiring young Jamaicans abroad. The council remains steadfast in its mission to cultivate a thriving, connected Diaspora that celebrates its shared history while embracing future possibilities.

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