Feds strike deal for potential vaccine
Government places orders to gain early access to millions of doses from Pfizer and Moderna
OTTAWA — Following the lead of other countries, the federal government has purchased early access to two of the leading candidates for a COVID-19 vaccine.
The government announced Wednesday they had placed orders with Pfizer and Moderna, two of the companies with candidates in the third and final stage of clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines, which could be ready by the end of the year.
Procurement Minister Anita Anand said she was pleased to have reached deals that will give Canadians access to the vaccines, provided they are successful, in 2021.
“We are extremely pleased to be among the first countries to establish these agreements,” she said.
Anand said the government has secured millions of doses, but didn’t specify exactly how many, what they would cost or when in 2021 they would be delivered. Anand said the government will make those details public in time, but for now it can’t because of continuing negotiations with other suppliers.
“Canada is pursuing agreements with a number of international and domestic companies to guarantee a supply base of potential vaccine,” she said. “We owe it to Canadians to explore every option for vaccines.”
She said the government is negotiating secure orders with options to get millions more doses. The government has also placed orders for millions of syringes, alcohol swabs and other equipment for a mass vaccination campaign when a vaccine is ready.
Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccines are both in the third and final stage of clinical trials. Assuming those trials are successful, Pfizer, which is partnering with another company called BioNTech, said it can produce up to 100 million doses of its vaccine this year and another 1.3 billion in 2021.
Moderna has also entered into a series of partnerships to be able to manufacture one billion doses of its vaccine per year.
Both vaccines are messenger ribonucleic acid or mRNA vaccines, which essentially trick the body into making spike proteins, similar to the spike proteins that allow COVID-19 to infect cells. Once those spike proteins are there, the body’s own immune system can learn to attack them, preventing infection.
Canada is not the first country to strike a deal for one of these vaccines. The U.S. government secured a deal in mid-July with Pfizer to provide up to 100 million doses for $1.95 billion, with an option to provide 500 million more doses.
In June, a European consortium made up of France, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy reached a deal with AstraZeneca, which is manufacturing the Oxford University vaccine, to provide up to 400 million doses.
The U.S., U.K. and India also have struck deals for the Oxford vaccine, and the company said it believes it could make up to two billion doses spread across several countries.
Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux said getting to the table finally is a welcome move, but he is worried the government waited too long and Canada is now at the back of the line.
“Finally, Canada’s decided to realize that vaccines are an important component of recovery, however we’re months behind the other countries,” he said. “It’s frustrating to see that this government continues to be months behind the rest of the world.”
Immunologist and University of Toronto professor Tania Watts had been concerned about Canada’s lack of purchase agreements, but she said she is pleased with Wednesday’s announcement.
“We don’t know what they’re negotiating in detail — how many doses and when they will get them — but I think those are among the front-runners,” she said.
She said the mRNA process both companies are using allows for mass production, and with the billions of doses they say they can make, Canada should still be able to get some.
“Even though a lot of other countries have ordered them, I think it is a safe bet that there will be some for Canada.”
Vaccines are an important component of recovery, however we’re months behind the other countries.”
Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux