The island

Letters raise opposing views on COVID-19 vaccine safety

Two letters in the April 15 Grapevine present sharply different accounts of concerns about COVID-19 vaccines.

The Denman Firestarter · reporting 2021-04-15 · compiled 2026-10-01

Back issue. The Denman Firestarter did not exist on 2021-04-15. This edition was compiled on 2026-10-01 from the public record as it stood on 2021-04-15, and contains nothing dated after that day — no outcomes, no hindsight. It is a reconstruction of what was on the record at the time, not a document from the time. This edition.

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Letters published in the April 15 Islands Grapevine offer opposing views on COVID-19 vaccine safety and the information available to islanders.^[1]

In a letter signed by Stephen Malthouse, the writer shared an open letter from Lytton physician Charles Hoffe and said it might help islanders make an informed decision. Malthouse wrote that safety analyses were ongoing and that information was still coming in.^[1]

Hoffe’s letter reported allergic reactions, two cases of anaphylaxis, one presumed vaccine-induced death and three people with ongoing neurological deficits among people in his community who had received a first Moderna dose.^[1]

The Grapevine also carried an Island Health notice saying vaccine clinics for permanent residents aged 18 and over were scheduled to begin on Denman the week of April 28. The notice said the clinics were meant for permanent residents.^[1]

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