COVID-19 Immunity Task Force

The COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF) is one of the Government of Canada's early efforts to track the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.{{cite news |last=Zimonjic |first=Peter |last2=Kapelos |first2=Vassy |date=23 April 2020 |title=WHO set pandemic response back by 2-3 weeks, says doctor on new federal task force |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/naylor-china-who-data-trust-1.5543281 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200424102736/https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/naylor-china-who-data-trust-1.5543281 |archive-date=2020-04-24 |work=CBC News |publisher=}} An external, dedicated secretariat was established in order to maximize the efficiency of the CITF's work.

Purpose

The CITF was to use a serology "to survey representative samples of the population for the presence of antibodies to the virus".{{cite news |date=23 April 2020 |title=Canada launches serological testing initiative to help manage COVID-19 |url=https://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/channels/news/canada-launches-serological-testing-initiative-help-manage-covid-19-321802 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501022932/https://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/channels/news/canada-launches-serological-testing-initiative-help-manage-covid-19-321802 |archive-date=1 May 2020 |publisher=McGill University}} Trudeau's press release on 23 April 2020, on the initiation of the CCITF listed several goals it would help to achieve notably that it would:{{cite web |date=23 April 2020 |title=Prime Minister announces new support for COVID-19 medical research and vaccine development |url=https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2020/04/23/prime-minister-announces-new-support-covid-19-medical-research-and |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430165957/https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2020/04/23/prime-minister-announces-new-support-covid-19-medical-research-and |archive-date=30 April 2020 |website=Office of the Prime Minister of Canada |publisher=}}

{{cquote|establish priorities and oversee the coordination of a series of country-wide blood test surveys that will tell us how widely the virus has spread in Canada and provide reliable estimates of potential immunity and vulnerabilities in Canadian populations.}}A Vaccine Surveillance Reference Group (VSRG) was also established within the CITF to monitor the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines made available in Canada.{{Cite web |title=Vaccine Surveillance Reference Group (VSRG) |url=https://www.covid19immunitytaskforce.ca/vaccine-surveillance-reference-group-vsrg/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210428205527/https://www.covid19immunitytaskforce.ca/vaccine-surveillance-reference-group-vsrg/ |archive-date=2021-04-28 |access-date=2023-04-23 |website=COVID-19 Immunity Task Force |language=en-CA}}

Task Force membership

The CITF Board is composed of doctors, infectious disease experts, and policy makers.{{Cite web |last=Labonne |first=Simon |title=Leadership Group |url=https://www.covid19immunitytaskforce.ca/leadership-group/ |access-date=2022-03-31 |website=COVID-19 Immunity Task Force |language=en-CA |archive-date=2022-03-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220323192005/https://www.covid19immunitytaskforce.ca/leadership-group/ |url-status=dead }}

=Leadership Group=

;Executive Committee

David Naylor, Co-chair
Catherine Hankins, Co-chair
Timothy Evans, Executive Director
Heather Hannah
Mona Nemer
Howard Njoo
Gina Ogilvie
Jutta Preiksaitis
Gail Tomblin Murphy
Paul Van Caeseele

;Government of Canada representatives

Theresa Tam, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada
Mona Nemer, Chief Science Advisor of Canada
Stephen Lucas, Deputy Minister of Health of Canada

;Members

The CCITF leadership group expanded on 2 May 2020.{{Cite web |last=Naylor |first=David |date=May 2, 2020 |title=@CDavidNaylor on X: '🇨🇦 COVID-19 Immunity Task Force leadership group. Privileged to work with these talented & dedicated 🇨🇦 experts. See list below.' |url=https://x.com/cdavidnaylor/status/1256592120665853959 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508014109/https://twitter.com/cdavidnaylor/status/1256592120665853959 |archive-date=May 8, 2020 |website=X}} Its additional members as of March 2022 are:

{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|