‘I wish I had a crystal ball’: Dr. Henry gives Catholic students rare interview

B.C. Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry frequently appears before journalists to take questions on her pandemic response, but she recently made a rare appearance for an entirely different audience.

Henry was the featured guest in a Jan. 18 video call with children from 60 Catholic schools across B.C. Thirteen students had a chance to step up to the web camera to ask questions about masks, vaccines, and when Henry expects the pandemic will be over.

“I wish I had a crystal ball,” she said in reply to Kate Devine, a student from Cloverdale Elementary School, who asked when school might return to normal.

Henry hopes by the start of the next school year all British Columbians who want a vaccine will have received one and things “will look a lot more like normal.”

To Grade 7 student Lauren Warick’s question about mask-wearing, she said “once we get that point when we don’t have a lot of (virus) circulation anymore, then we won’t need to wear masks on an ongoing basis like we are now.”

Students also asked Henry whether a virus can be eliminated, whether children will be vaccinated against COVID-19, and why churches are closed while other facilities like restaurants, shops, and schools remain open.

Others wanted to know what Henry has learned during the pandemic, how she finds the courage to speak when many people are critical of her decisions, and whether she has a message for young children who struggle with following safety guidelines.

“Making these decisions is very hard and, yes, people don’t agree with them. Some people think we’re doing too much and other people think we’re not doing enough and we’re trying to balance everything with people’s health,” Henry said in reply to Irene from St. Michael’s School.

“Things that I have learned are that the words we use to support each other and get through this are really important and that’s what keeps us grounded.”

Henry also recommended finding joy in every day – spending time outdoors, enjoying flowers, hugging one’s parents and siblings, and being kind to others.

“If we start with that and end with that, that’s what gets us through the day.”

The rare interview was made possible by Young Global Citizens, a movement founded by teacher Marc-Andre Tremblay at Blessed Sacrament School in Vancouver. YGC has members across the country and has become a catalyst for students to interview well-known figures including federal politicians, first nations leaders, and Time Magazine’s 2020 “Kid of the Year” Gitanjali Rao.

Interviews are conducted in English, French, or both official languages.

“These youth leaders were engaging, curious, and well-prepared,” said Quebec Senator Tony Loffreda as he nominated YGC for the Prime Minister’s Award in Teaching Excellence. He was interviewed Nov. 18 as part of the group’s “Great Canadians” series.

“They were bright students who are clearly committed to making our world a better place.”

Other “Great Canadians”who have been interviewed are Senator Salma Ataullahjan, former Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, former Conservative Party of Canada Party Leader Andrew Scheer, and current NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.

Blessed Sacrament principal Reine Sader Mykyte closed the interview by offering Henry a “gift of prayer,” a gift Henry seemed happy to accept.

Also from Dr. Bonnie Henry:

• Existing COVID-19 vaccines have been tested on adults but have not been approved for children.
• COVID-19 vaccines use new technology with the potential to be effective should new viruses arise.
• There is hope everyone who wants a vaccination will have one by end of summer and the next school year will look “a lot more like normal,” with less need for masks.
• Lessons learned: protect those in long-term care homes, and collaborate with global experts.
• Church services often include such risk factors as the elderly and singing, which is why the government treated them differently from retail establishments.
• Viruses can’t be eliminated and will always exist in nature.
• Young people are superheroes for being resilient during the pandemic.
• When you’re in a challenging situation and start to doubt yourself, seek good information, ask good questions, and get advice from people you trust. You don’t have to do it alone.