====== Zainab Abdurrahman ======

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Dr. **Zainab Abdurrahman** is a member of the Drugs & Biologics Clinical Practice Guidelines Working Group of the [[Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table]].((//About Us.// Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. Retrieved December 19, 2021, from https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/about/#abdurrahman-zainab))

Abdurrahman holds simultaneous positions across private practice locations, academic employment, government advisory boards, vaccine task forces, non-profit organizations, medical associations, and emergency care facilities, creating a tangled web of Conflicts of Interest (COIs). Startlingly, she also has strong ties to the pharmaceutical industry that are not fully disclosed.((Sturgess, L. (2022, January 7). //COVID-19 Report #2: Zainab Abdurrahman.// COVID-19 Reports. https://covid19reports.substack.com/p/zainab-abdurrahman))
===== Affiliations =====

==== Albany Medical Clinic ====

Abdurrahman practices medicine at [[Albany Medical Clinic]], which on December 19, 2021 instructed patients to “get boosted” with an additional COVID-19 shot when eligible due to the Omicron variant.((//Specialists.// Albany Medical Clinic. Retrieved December 19, 2021, from https://www.albanyclinic.ca/medical-staff/specialists/)) Albany Medical Clinic advocates on behalf of [[COVID-19]] vaccine policies and products, offering the [[Pfizer-BioNTech]] and [[Moderna]] products to their patients.((//COVID-19 Key Resources.// (2021). Albany Medical Clinic. https://www.albanyclinic.ca/covid-19/))

==== Black Physicians Association of Ontario ====

Abdurrahman is a member of the Black Health & Vaccine Initiative in association with BPAO ([[Black Physicians of Ontario]]).((//Understanding COVID-19 Vaccine: Making Evidence-Based Choices for Black Children and Youth.// (2021, November 9). Toronto District School Board. https://archive.ph/qLi5C)) She was a collaborator with BPAO in drafting the position statement on Black Health & the COVID 19 vaccines.((Black Health Alliance, Black Physicians’ Association of Ontario, Black Opportunity Fund, & BlackNorth Initiative. (2021). //POSITION STATEMENT BLACK HEALTH AND THE COVID-19 VACCINES.// In Black Physicians Association of Ontario. https://bpao.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/FINAL_BHA-BPAO-BNI-BOF-Black-Health-COVID-19-Vaccines-Position-Statement-March-12-2021_For-Release.pdf)) The BPAO received a $1,000,000.00 donation from [[Scotiabank]], [[MD Financial Management]] and the [[Canadian Medical Association]] in February 2021.((Scotiabank. (2021, February 25). //Scotiabank, MD Financial Management and the Canadian Medical Association announce $1 million to support the Black Physicians’ Association of Ontario.// Cision Newswire. https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/scotiabank-md-financial-management-and-the-canadian-medical-association-announce-1-milli))

==== Black Scientists’ Task Force on Vaccine Equity ====

Abdurrahman is a member of the Black Scientists’ Task Force on Vaccine Equity, which was created in December 2020 “to share information about COVID-19 to the Black Canadian community and address their concerns about COVID-19 related issues.”((//Black Scientists’ Task Force on Vaccine Equity.// https://www.torontoblackcovid.com/)) ((Anielska, M. (2021, February 15). //U of T professor chairs Black Scientists’ Task Force striving for equitable vaccine rollout for Black community.// The Varsity. https://thevarsity.ca/2021/02/14/u-of-t-professor-chairs-black-scientists-task-force-striving-for-equitable-vaccine-rollout-for-black-comm unity/)) It was created by the [[City of Toronto]] in partnership with the [[TAIBU Community Health Centre]] to increase vaccine uptake/combat “vaccine hesitancy” among black people of African and Caribbean origins. 

Its membership includes mostly staff of the [[University of Toronto]] and its affiliated hospitals, professional lobbyists, and experienced developers of pharmaceutical products and [[vaccines]]. They also have connections to the [[Centre for Addiction and Mental Health]] (CAMH), [[McMaster University]] and [[McMaster Children's Hospital|Children’s Hospital]], [[Sanofi]], [[Fresenius Kabi]], [[Teva Pharmaceuticals]], [[National Resilience Inc.]], [[Patheon]], [[Ceva]], [[Labstat]], [[Medicago]], [[SiO2 Materials Science]], [[Therapure BioPharma Inc.]], [[Biovectra]], [[Apotex]], [[EmpowerPharm]], [[Alphora]], [[Kisoji Biotechnology]], [[JayChem]], [[OctaPharma]], [[NucroTechnics]], [[NoNO Inc.]], [[Chemtura]], [[AIMCo]], [[Grantek]], [[Purolator]], [[Health Canada]], [[Ontario Genomics]], and the [[Ontario Ministry of Transportation]], among others.((//Our Clients.// Brevitas. Retrieved December 28, 2021, from https://www.brevitas.us/our-clients/)) ((//Meet Our Team.// Brevitas. Retrieved December 28, 2021, from https://www.brevitas.us/meet-our-team/#))

==== Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology ====

Abdurrahman is Fellows in Training co-Supervisor for the [[Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology]] (CSACI), from whom she receives funding for speakers bureau/honoraria and/or work on advisory boards.((Abdurrahman, Z. (2021, August 30). //Declaration of Interest.// Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Declaration-of-Interest_Drugs-and-Biologics-Clinical-Practice-Guidelines-Working-Group_Zainab-Abdurrahman_20210830.pdf))

==== Food Allergy Canada ====

Zainab has contributed to articles published by [[Food Allergy Canada]]((Abdurrahman, Z., & Upton, J. (2018, December 27). //Mythbuster: Someone who has been treated with an epinephrine auto-injector doesn’t necessarily need to go to the hospital.// Food Allergy Canada. https://foodallergycanada.ca/mythbuster-someone-who-has-been-treated-with-an-epinephrine-auto-injector-doesnt-necessarily-need-t o-go-to-the-hospital/)) ((//From the community.// (2016, November 10). Food Allergy Canada. https://archive.ph/wVYKu)) ((//Food Allergy Testing - What’s it All About?// (2016, January 3). Food Allergy Canada. https://foodallergycanada.ca/food-allergy-testing-whats-it-all-about/))

Food Allergy Canada received $50,000.00 CAD from the [[National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada]] (NSERCC) for a Toronto, Ontario-based proposal titled "Encouraging vaccine confidence in Canadians at risk of anaphylaxis".((Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. (2021, July 26). //Encouraging vaccine confidence in Canada - Competition Results.// Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/NSERC-CRSNG/FundingDecisions-DecisionsFinancement/2021/Vaccine_eng.asp#tphp))

Their corporate partners are [[pharmaceutical_companies:Bausch Health]], [[pharmaceutical_companies:Kaléo]], [[Nestlé]], [[PepsiCo]], [[pharmaceutical_companies:Pfizer]], [[Scotiabank]], [[sickkids|SickKids Foundation]], and [[TD Banking Group|TD Securities]].((//Who we work with.// Food Allergy Canada. Retrieved January 2, 2022, from https://foodallergycanada.ca/our-impact-advocacy-and-services/about-us/who-we-work-with/)) ((//Pivoting with the pandemic.// (2021). Food Allergy Canada. https://foodallergycanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/FAC-ImpactReport-2020.pdf))
==== McMaster University ====

Abdurrahman is an Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at [[McMaster University]], where she completed her Pediatrics training as well as her subspecialty training in Clinical Immunology and Allergy.((//Zainab Abdurrahman - McMaster Experts.// McMaster University. Retrieved December 19, 2021, from https://experts.mcmaster.ca/display/abdurraz)) Her academic interests include vaccine allergy, asthma, anaphylaxis, and food allergy, particularly the patient and caregiver experience. She also has a strong interest in medical education and is involved with the training of residents.

=== McMaster Children’s Hospital ===

Abdurrahman is employed at [[McMaster Children’s Hospital]] as the allergy lead in the Special Immunization Clinic focusing on vaccine allergy.((Flanders, D. (2012, December 5). //Kindercare Pediatrics Welcomes Dr. Zainab Abdurrahman, Pediatric Clinical Immunologist and Allergist.// Kindercare Pediatrics. https://archive.ph/D0gPY))

==== Ontario College of Family Physicians ====

Abdurrahman receives funding from through fees paid for speakers bureau/honoraria, and/or for work on advisory boards from the [[Ontario College of Family Physicians]] (OCFP). One such speaking engagement was “Update on COVID-19 vaccines - Part 2”, the fourteenth instalment of the “Changing the way we work” series delivered alongside the [[University of Toronto]].((University of Toronto. (2021, January 15). //COVID-19 Community of Practice.// Department of Family & Community Medicine. https://dfcm.utoronto.ca/event/covid-19-community-practice-1))

==== Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table ====

Abdurrahman is a member of the Drugs & Biologics Clinical Practice Guidelines Working Group of the [[Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table]].((//About Us.// Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. Retrieved December 19, 2021, from https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/about/#abdurrahman-zainab)) 

Despite claims of independence, Abdurrahman holds simultaneous positions across private practice locations, academic employment, government advisory boards, vaccine task forces, non-profit organizations, medical associations, and emergency care facilities, creating a tangled web of Conflicts of Interest (COIs). Startlingly, she also has strong ties to the pharmaceutical industry that are not fully disclosed.
This means that Abdurrahman can not contribute to an independent discussion on public health policy without risk of influence from her conflicting interests, which are primarily relationships with [[pharmaceutical_industry|pharmaceutical companies]].

Abdurrahman provided identical disclosure forms to the OST on February 8, May 14, and August 30, 2021.
==== OntarioMD ====

Abdurrahman is employed by [[OntarioMD]] as a Physician Peer Leader, where she also sits on the Board of Directors.((//Board of Directors.// OntarioMD. Retrieved December 19, 2021, from https://www.ontariomd.ca/about-us/our-organization/board-of-directors)) OntarioMD is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the [[Ontario Medical Association]], funded by the [[Province of Ontario]].((//Our Organization.// OntarioMD. Retrieved December 19, 2021, from https://www.ontariomd.ca/about-us/our-organization)) This is not fully disclosed on her OST disclosure forms, and is omitted from her OST bio.

==== Ontario Medical Association ====

Abdurrahman is the Chair for the Section of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the [[Ontario Medical Association]] as well as a member of the OMA Civility, Diversity, and Inclusion committee. She was elected to the board in May 2021.((Abdurrahman, Z. (2021, August 30). //Declaration of Interest.// Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Declaration-of-Interest_Drugs-and-Biologics-Clinical-Practice-Guidelines-Working-Group_Zainab-Abdurrahman_20210830.pdf)) ((//Board of Directors - Zainab Abdurrahman.// Ontario Medical Association. Retrieved December 19, 2021, from https://www.oma.org/what-we-do/about-the-oma/governance/board-of-directors/#:~:text=Zainab%20Abdurrahman%2C%20MD))

==== Public Health Agency of Canada ====

Abdurrahman conducted “contract work for the [[Public Health Agency of Canada]]” in 2005.((Abdurrahman, Z. //Zainab Abdurrahman CV.// Retrieved December 19, 2021, from https://www.drza.org/_files/ugd/31151c_79d3d18115ad40be9c62c1fa754d577a.pdf))

==== Q & A Allergy ====

Abdurrahman practices medicine at [[Q & A Allergy]] in Mississauga.((//Dr. A Discusses Allergies and the COVID 19 mRNA Vaccines on CBC.// (2020, December 17). Q & A Allergy. https://www.qandaallergy.ca/post/dr-a-discusses-allergies-and-the-covid-19-mrna-vaccines-on-cbc))

==== Scarborough Health Centre ====

Abdurrahman practices medicine at [[Scarborough Health Centre]].

==== St Joseph's Healthcare System ====

Abdurrahman has hospital privileges at [[St Joseph's Healthcare System]].((//CPSO - Doctor Details.// College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. Retrieved December 19, 2021, from https://doctors.cpso.on.ca/DoctorDetails/Abdurrahman-Zainab-Bukola/0242305-86703))

==== University of Toronto ====

Abdurrahman is a 2007 graduate of the [[University of Toronto]] Medical School.

===== Relationships with Pharmaceutical Companies =====

Abdurrahman receives funding from through fees paid for speakers bureau/honoraria, and for work on advisory boards from the following pharmaceutical companies:

  * [[ALK]] (allergy pharmaceuticals)
  * [[Bausch Health]] (pharmaceutical company testing virazole for COVID-19 treatment)(( Keller, L., & Shannon, A. (2020, April 13). //Bausch Health Initiates VIRAZOLE® (Ribavirin for Inhalation Solution, USP) Clinical Study in Patients with COVID-19.// Bausch Health. https://ir.bauschhealth.com/news-releases/2020/04-13-2020-120008693))
  * [[Medexus Pharmaceuticals Inc.]] (formerly [[Pediapharm]] - rare disease pharmaceutical company)((Medexus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (2018, December 13). //Pediapharm Announces Name Change, Consolidation and Debenture Repayment.// GlobeNewswire News Room.))
  * [[Merck]]
  * [[Miravo Healthcare]] (formerly [[Aralez]])
  * [[Novartis]]
  * [[pharmaceutical_companies:pfizer|Pfizer]] (this was not reported in her OST disclosures or biography).
  * Sanofi-Genzyme Covis (specialty care global business unit of [[Sanofi]], focused on rare diseases, rare blood disorders, neurology, immunology, and oncology)((//Specialty Care.// Sanofi. Retrieved December 19, 2021, from https://www.sanofi.com/en/your-health/specialty-care))
  * [[Stallergenes-Greer]] (global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in London, specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory allergies through [[immunotherapy]])((//Stallergenes Greer’s commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic.// Stallergenes Greer. Retrieved December 19, 2021, from https://www.stallergenesgreer.com/ca/stallergenes-greers-commitment-during-covid-19-pandemic))

She also holds stock and/or stock options in Pediapharm (presumably under the new name Medexus Pharmaceuticals Inc.), and other unnamed “health care based ETFs”, noting she therefore “may have holdings in pharmaceutical companies.”

===== Media Appearances =====

Abdurrahman has appeared in many news segments on [[CBC News]] discussing [[COVID-19]] or related pharmaceutical companies:

  * In a November 2019 segment, she advocated for Benadryl (a [[Johnson & Johnson]] product).((//On CBC News November 2019.// (2019, November). LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/z-abdurrahman-draforallergy/detail/overlay-view/urn:li:fsd_profileTreasuryMedia:(ACoAACBs6mkBViF9zPagONeFUz1yW8SWu9Oh-Dg,1574308226409)/))
  * In December 2020, she downplayed concerns about allergic reactions to ingredients in the vaccine products including [[polyethylene glycol]] (PEG).((//Clinical allergist answers key questions about vaccine.// (2020, December 15). CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1831981635920))
  * Also in December 2020, she reiterated that severe adverse reactions such as anaphylaxis are not common and that the focus should be on the “thousands who are being inoculated and tolerating it well.”((//Severe COVID-19 vaccine reactions like anaphylaxis not common, says specialist.// (2020, December). CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1833481795921))
  * In January 2021, she commented “insect venom that could trigger a reaction in people in this situation is not a component in the vaccine profiles” in response to a situation where a woman didn’t want to take the COVID-19 shot because she had previously suffered an allergic reaction to the flu shot and had a honey bee allergy.((Ghonaim, H. (2021, January 21). //Covid vaccination requirement means lost opportunity for Guelph, Ont., nurse.// CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/guelph-nurse-waterloo-health-covid-mandatory-vaccination-1.5873659))
  * In November 2021, she appeared alongside [[Supriya Sharma]], [[Heath Canada]]'s chief medical adviser, to discuss COVID-19 injections for children.((Bresnahan, R. (2021, November 22). //Experts answer your questions about kids and COVID-19 vaccines.// CBC Radio. https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1976583235889)) ((Bresnahan, R., Sharma, S., & Abdurrahman, Z. (2021, November 22). //Monday November 22, 2021 Full Transcript.// CBC Radio. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-nov-22-2021-1.6257939/monday-november-22-2021-full-transcript-1.6258680))

===== Publications =====

Abdurrahman's vaccine-related publications include:

  * [[https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.190208|Vaccine allergy]]((Chu, D. K., & Abdurrahman, Z. (2019). //Vaccine allergy.// Canadian Medical Association Journal, 191(14), E395–E395. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.190208))

She reported “receiving personal fees from [[pharmaceutical_companies:pfizer|Pfizer]], outside the submitted work”. This was not reported in her OST disclosures or biography.

  * [[https://doi.org/10.1186/1710-1492-9-18|Experiencing a first food allergic reaction: a survey of parent and caregiver perspectives]]((Abdurrahman, Z. B., Kastner, M., Wurman, C., Harada, L., Bantock, L., Cruickshank, H., & Waserman, S. (2013). //Experiencing a first food allergic reaction: a survey of parent and caregiver perspectives.// Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1710-1492-9-18))

Funded by an educational grant from McMaster University.