Alert level: green OPQ: Q-660 Session: 451 Suggested file name: COVID_19_response_targeting_indigenous_population Tabled on: January 26, 2026 Agencies: Estimated questions: 17 Estimated responses: 24 Original filename: Q-660 - COVID-19 response targeting indigenous population, January 26, 2026.pdf External links / references: (none detected) Extracted PDF text preview: Q-660 Question With regard to Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and Indigenous Services Canada: (a) what investigations were undertaken before making the determination that First Nations and Indigenous peoples were designated a priority group to receive the COVID-19 vaccines; (b) who made the recommendation in (a), and who approved the determination; (c) has the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations or the Minister of Indigenous Services received any correspondence in the last ve years from any First Nations or Indigenous tribunals, either Canadian or international, about the COVID-19 vaccines; (d) if the answer to (c) is armative, what was the content of the correspondence and what actions took place; (e) were investigations undertaken by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada or by the Government of Canada to investigate the rates of adverse events, including fatalities, in the First Nations and Indigenous populations following the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine; (f) what information or conclusions were made from the investigations in (e); (g) what action did the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations or the Minister of Indigenous Services take to protect First Nations and Indigenous populations once it was discovered that the mRNA injections were contaminated with excess deoxyribonucleic acid combined with an SV40 nuclear targeting agent; (h) did Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada receive any funding to promote the COVID-19 vaccines to the First Nations and Indigenous population, and, if so, how much and from what source; (i) did any or all bands receive funding specically in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine; (j) if the answer to (i) is armative, how much funding was received by each band, was the funding contingent on specic compliance regarding the COVID-19 vaccine or its promotion, and, if so, what were those conditions; (k) if the answer to (i) is armative, who or what agency provided the funding, and was any funding directed towards (i) preventing vaccine hesitancy, (ii) promoting awareness of adverse reactions, (iii) other, and how much was allocated for (i), (ii) and (iii); (l) in relation to the Vaccine Injury Support Program, (i) how many First Nations and Indigenous persons have applied to the Vaccine Injury Support Program, (ii) how many applications have been accepted, (iii) how many fatalities have been recorded in this population, (iv) how much money in total has been awarded through this program to First Nations and Indigenous persons; (m) if the answer to (l) is negative, is there another application process or vaccine injury support program specically for First Nations and Indigenous persons who have suffered a vaccine injury or fatality; and (n) if the answer to (m) is armative, (i) what is the name of the program, (ii) how many First Nations and Indigenous persons have applied to this program, (iii) how many applications have been accepted, (iv) how many fatalities have been recorded in this population, (v) how much money in total has been awarded through this program? Response This response was tabled in the House of Commons on January 26, 2026, as Sessional Paper 8555-451-660. Tabled on January 26, 2026 Sessional Paper 8555-451-660 Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada Reply by: the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Name of Signatory: Jaime Battiste Reply Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (c) has the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations or the Minister of Indigenous Services received any correspondence in the last ve years from any First Nations or Indigenous tribunals, either Canadian or international, about the COVID-19 vaccines? Yes, the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations has received correspondence in the last five years from First Nations or Indigenous tribunals, either Canadian or international, about the COVID-19 vaccines. Information prior to 2021 is unavailable, as the correspondence system in use at the time is no longer operational and related records were archived. As a result, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada is unable to respond fully, as the information requested is not systematically tracked in a centralized database. Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada concluded that producing and validating a comprehensive response would require a manual search that is not possible in the time allotted and could lead to the disclosure of incomplete or misleading information. Order/Address of the House of Commons Question number Q-660 Asked by Jamie Schmale (Haliburton— Kawartha Lakes) Date asked December 8, 2025 Presented by Kevin Lamoureux Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons House of Commons (d) if the answer to (c) is armative, what was the content of the correspondence and what actions took place? (h) did Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada receive any funding to promote the COVID-19 vaccines to the First Nations and Indigenous population, and, if so, how much and from what source? Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada did not receive any funding to promote the COVID-19 vaccines to the First Nations and Indigenous population. (i) did any or all bands receive funding specically in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine? (j) if the answer to (i) is armative, how much funding was received by each band, was the funding contingent on specic compliance regarding the COVID-19 vaccine or its promotion, and, if so, what were those conditions? (k) if the answer to (i) is armative, who or what agency provided the funding, and was any funding directed towards (i) preventing vaccine hesitancy, (ii) promoting awareness of adverse reactions, (iii) other, and how much was allocated for (i), (ii) and (iii)? Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada did not provide funding specifically in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine to any bands. Health Canada Reply by: the Minister of Health Name of Signatory: Signed by Maggie Chi Type of correspondence What was the content of the correspondenceWhat actions took place Letter Alberta COVID-19 4th Wave Impacts on First Nations Urgent Surge Support Needed in all First Nations in the Province of Alberta. Logged in the tracking system and closed. Letter Concerns regarding expired doses of COVID-19 vaccine.Logged in the tracking system and closed. Letter Prime Minister’s office referral regarding thanks from the Battleford Agency Tribal Chiefs for the leadership during COVID-19. Logged in the tracking system and closed. Reply Public Health Agency of Canada (a) what investigations were undertaken before making the determination that First Nations and Indigenous peoples were designated a priority group to receive the COVID-19 vaccines? The National Advisory Committee on Immunization is an external advisory body comprised of 16 experts in the fields of pediatrics, infectious diseases, immunology, pharmacy, nursing, epidemiology, pharmacoeconomics, social science and public health, that provides independent, expert advice to the Public Health Agency of Canada on the optimal use of vaccines authorized in Canada. The Committee released its Preliminary guidance on key populations for early COVID-19 immunization in November 2020 to inform planning for the efficient, effective, and equitable allocation of COVID-19 vaccine(s) once authorized for use in Canada when limited initial vaccine supply would necessitate the prioritization of immunization in some populations earlier than others. The key populations identified for early COVID-19 immunization included: those at high risk for severe illness and death, those most likely to transmit to those at high-risk and workers essential to COVID ‑ 19 response, essential services for the functioning of society, and those in living or working conditions with elevated risk for infection or disproportionate consequences, i