OTTAWA – There’s good news and bad news when it comes to Canada and a vaccine for COVID-19.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau admits we have no domestic production and will have to depend on other countries for a vaccine, meaning we’ll likely receive doses weeks after some of our allies
“We used to have it decades ago, but we no longer have it,” he said.
Happening now: Prime Minister Trudeau acknowledging we have no domestic vaccine production capacity, and that other countries with that capacity are likely to prioritize their citizens first. #COVID19
— Martin MacMahon (@martinmacmahon) November 24, 2020
Countries like the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Spain have announced aggressive vaccination plans, with the shots expected to be rolled out in mid-December.
However, Canada isn’t expecting any doses until early next year.
“Yes, the very first vaccines that roll off an assembly line in a given country are likely to be given to citizens of that particular country. But shortly afterwards, they will start honouring and delivering on the contracts that they signed with other countries, including with Canada,” he told reporters outside his Rideau Hall home on Tuesday.
The federal government has signed agreements with several companies to secure tens of millions of doses of a vaccine when they are approved and distributed.
Procurement Minister Anita Anand has said Canada has the cold storage capacity to store 33.5-million doses of a vaccine.
Procurement Minister Anita Anand announceing soe details about vaccine distribution in Canada. Says overall Canada has the cold storage capacity to store 33.5-million doses #cdnpoli
— Cormac Mac Sweeney (@cmaconthehill) November 24, 2020
Meanwhile, Trudeau did not say on Tuesday when exactly he will announce a distribution plan. All that’s been revealed so far is that the first of the vaccines will be dedicated to those on the frontline of the pandemic.
Officials believe it could take until the end of next year before most Canadians are vaccinated.
On a positive note, Trudeau also announced on Tuesday a deal with pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly to secure 26,000 doses, “with options for thousands more,” of a therapeutic drug to treat COVID-19 patients.