MANITOBA PREMIER TOUTS PRICE OF POTENTIAL VACCINE

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister has revealed the price of a potential Canadian-made COVID-19 vaccine as part of his ongoing effort to persuade other provinces to join his government in buying it. He says Manitoba has agreed to pay $18 a dose to Alberta-based Providence Therapeutics, which has recently started clinical trials of its proposed vaccine. Pallister said that price could drop if other provinces signed on and Providence received a large number of orders. Pallister first announced the deal last week, and has been talking with other premiers about signing on. So far, there have been no other commitments. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has said Providence might need orders totalling 50 million doses for domestic production to be feasible.