Health IQ: Vaccine schedules and Tylenol in pregnancy

Minggu, 21 September 2025

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The Alberta government announced late Friday afternoon that, starting this fall, most residents who want to receive the COVID vaccine will need to pay for it.

Will you have to pay for a COVID-19 vaccine?

COVID-19 vaccines will no longer be free for the general public in Quebec starting this fall.

The province's health department confirmed the policy change on Wednesday, and is the second province, after Alberta, to end the free vaccinations for its entire population.

Only specific groups will continue to be eligible for subsidized vaccines, including people with chronic health conditions, those aged 65 and older, and health-care workers.

According to Quebec's association of owner-pharmacists, a dose of the vaccine costs between $150 and $180. Alberta announced its plan back in June, after the federal government put the provinces in charge of buying COVID-19 vaccines, as is routine with other immunization programs.

Ontario will continue to offer COVID-19 vaccines at no charge. High risk groups will be able to get shots starting the week of Sept. 22, with a wider roll out to the general public starting in late October.

Read more about the reasoning the vaccine will no longer be free in certain provinces.

U.S. revising childhood vaccine schedule

U.S. vaccine advisers voted on Thursday to revise the use of one of two key childhood vaccines under review, another step in U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s push to rewrite U.S. immunization policy.

The group, which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on U.S. vaccination schedules, recommended against allowing parents to choose the combined measles-mumps-rubella-varicella vaccine before the age of four.

Instead, separate vaccine shots will be given for measles-mumps-rubella and varicella.

Kennedy, has been openly skeptical about vaccines and their uses.

He has pushed forward several changes that have affected national vaccination policies. These include restricting eligibility to COVID-19 shots, ousting the country's top public health official, and amplifying federal support for state vaccine exemptions.

Read more about reasons the panel gave for the decision, and why doctors are concerned.

— THE TOPIC —

Is Tylenol still safe to use in pregnancy?

A group representing Canada's obstetricians and gynecologists says it has reviewed evidence on Tylenol use during pregnancy and maintains that the painkiller is safe.

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada said that it revisited its position in light of reports questioning whether there is a link between mothers taking acetaminophen while pregnant and autism in children.

The SOGC said there is no causal evidence linking prenatal exposure to acetaminophen and certain neurodevelopmental disorders. That's consistent with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' stance.

“Acetaminophen remains a safe and appropriate first-line option for managing fever and pain during pregnancy when medically needed, at recommended doses and for the shortest duration necessary,” the statement reads.

The organization emphasizes that “untreated fever in pregnancy carries well-documented risks for both mother and baby, including fetal organ malformations, fetal cardiovascular complications and even Autism Spectrum Disorder. Access to effective pain management is considered a human right, which women should not be denied just because they are pregnant.”

You can read more here about the SOCG statement.