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Those companies’ full orders would allow the government to inoculate 30 million people. The government is also hopeful other vaccine makers will see their candidates approved after testing, which is still underway.
Canada is in a position to accept delivery of vaccines as soon as they are available
Last week Pfizer released a statement saying it had doses ready to go to U.S. states, but the American government hadn’t dictated where to send them.
“We have millions more doses sitting in our warehouse but, as of now, we have not received any shipment instructions for additional doses,” said the statement.
Canada is setting up more and more sites each day to administer vaccines, what began with 14 is now dozens across the country. Anand said she makes it clear to vaccine companies that Canada is ready to accept the doses as soon as they are produced.
“Our full court press with the vaccine manufacturers, is simply to say, ‘Please know that Canada is ready now to receive vaccines,’ so that they can be assured that we will immediately utilize those vaccines.
All of Canada’s vaccine procurements include options for more doses than the initial guarantee companies made. Anand said at this point whether Canada exercises those options will depend on whether the companies can make deliveries this year, ideally early next year.
“What drives our decisions, in large part, relating to the exercise of options, is the ability of the vaccine manufacturers to assure us that they can deliver these vaccines in an accelerated timeline.”
