COVID-19: Canada Responds
Federal Briefing on COVID-19 Vaccine Procurement – November 26, 2020
On Parliament Hill, Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada’s deputy chief public health officer, conducts a technical briefing concerning the procurement and regulation of COVID-19 vaccines. He is joined by Dr. Supriya Sharma, a senior medical advisor with Health Canada, and Dr. Marc Berthiaume, the director of the Bureau of Medical Science at Health Canada. Also joining via teleconference is Arianne Reza, assistant deputy minister at Public Services and Procurement Canada. They confirm that Canada expects to receive 6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in early 2021, which means 3 million people would be able to receive a vaccine if the two most promising candidates (Moderna and Pfizer) get approved. The first doses to arrive in Canada will be dedicated to the most vulnerable populations, based on recommendations from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization.
