Winnipeg Free Press By: Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press Posted:
Last Modified: 5:29 AM CST Monday, Feb. 1, 2021 Save to Read Later
OTTAWA - Canada’s hopes of speeding up COVID-19 vaccinations brightened slightly over the weekend as regulators began work to approve a new inoculation, even as the federal government sought to head off any restrictions on vaccine shipments from Europe.
A dose of the Phase 3 Novavax coronavirus vaccine is seen ready for use in the trial at St. George s University hospital in London on October 7, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Alastair Grant
OTTAWA - Canada’s hopes of speeding up COVID-19 vaccinations brightened slightly over the weekend as regulators began work to approve a new inoculation, even as the federal government sought to head off any restrictions on vaccine shipments from Europe.
Novavax submits vaccine for approval as Ottawa seeks EU reassurances on exports rules February 1, 2021 by (CP) Lee Berthiaume
(CP) OTTAWA – Canada’s hopes of speeding up COVID-19 vaccinations brightened slightly over the weekend as regulators began work to approve a new inoculation, even as the federal government sought to head off any restrictions on vaccine shipments from Europe.
Pharmaceutical company Novavax quietly submitted its COVID-19 vaccine to Health Canada for regulatory approval on Friday, less than two weeks after Ottawa finalized a deal with the Maryland-based company for 52 million doses of the shot.
Because of the emergency nature of the pandemic Health Canada is accepting applications for vaccines before the final trial data is ready, allowing the review team to start poring over the documents on an ongoing basis, rather than waiting until everything is finished.
Canada is only getting about one-fifth of previously planned shipments this week and next, but Anand said the companies are still promising to get four million doses shipped to Canada by the end of March, and all 40 million Canada has ordered by next fall.
Canada is expecting about 79,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer this week, and another 180,000 doses from Moderna. Moderna s shipment is about 50,000 doses shy of what had been expected because of production delays at its partner facility in Switzerland.
Moderna is also promising to ship 40 million doses by the fall, with two million by the end of March.
OTTAWA Canada is putting together options to retaliate if Europe breaks its promise not to cut off Canada s shipments of COVID-19 vaccines, though Europe appears to be keeping that promise at least for now. Procurement Minister Anita Anand told the House of Commons Monday a new shipment of vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech was on its way. It s the first shipment from the companies in more than a week because of a planned production slowdown to expand a Pfizer plant in Puurs, Belgium. Canada is only getting about one-fifth of previously planned shipments this week and next, but Anand said the companies are still promising to get four million doses shipped to Canada by the end of March, and all 40 million Canada has ordered by next fall.