Canada signs deals with Pfizer, Moderna for virus vaccines

OTTAWA — Canada now has deals in place with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and U.S.-based biotech firm Moderna to secure millions of doses of their experimental COVID-19 vaccines, in case either of the candidates is approved for wide-scale use.

But Procurement Minister Anita Anand will not yet say how much Canada is spending or how many doses of either vaccine candidate Canada will get because she says Canada is in talks with other domestic and international firms to secure doses of their experimental vaccines as well.

“The information we can reveal at the current time regarding doses in particular is being kept confidential because we are taking a prudent approach to the negotiations while we are engaged with other suppliers,” she said Wednesday at a news conference in Toronto.

She said there will be firm orders with multiple suppliers and options to purchase more should further doses be needed. After a company pronounces a vaccine safe and effective, Health Canada must approve it for use here before it can be used. Anand said once that happens, she anticipates delivery of approved vaccines in 2021.

“As the situation evolves and as the number of suppliers becomes more firm for Canada we can isolate precisely how many doses we might need,” Anand said.

Last month Public Services and Procurement Canada issued bids to supply 75 million syringes and other vaccine administration supplies like alcohol swabs and bandages, to be delivered by the end of October. The goal is to have enough supplies to give every Canadian two doses of a vaccine.

“These agreements with Moderna and Pfizer are indicative of our aggressive approach to secure access to vaccine candidates now so that Canadians are at the front of a line when a vaccine becomes available,” Anand said. “These vaccine candidates are very promising and we all look forward to the day when restrictions can be lifted entirely.”