Trudeau announces funding for vaccine
$175M for B.C. company working on identifying antibodies for COVID-19
Ottawa is investing $240 million to boost online access to primary health care and mental health services, and an additional $175 million in support for a Vancouver-based company working toward a vaccine for COVID-19.
The health-care investment includes funding for virtual care so people can video conference doctors safely from home rather than visiting an office or hospital, said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday at his daily press conference in Ottawa.
“If we can use apps to order dinner and video chats to stay in touch with family, we can use new technology to keep each other healthy,” he said.
In a further attempt to reduce the strain of COVID-19 on family life, Trudeau said the government will provide a one-time enhancement of the Canada Child Benefit. The additional payment of $300 per child that will be applied automatically in May to eligible families, provides a further $2 billion in COVID-19 support, he said.
The prime minister said AbCeller a Biologic s Inc. has shown promise in identifying antibodies for COVID-19 that could lead to treatment with human trials starting as early as July. “It’s terrific to get this support from the Canadian government,” said Carl Hansen, CEO of the company.
AbCellera has identified 500 antibodies that work against COVID-19, one of which is now being used to develop a trial treatment in the United States. Hansen said AbCellera will also use some of the funding announced Sunday to develop antibody-manufacturing capabilities in Canada.
“(This) will allow us to continue the work in making therapies for a variety of different diseases, and ensure we are prepared to respond more independently to a pandemic.”
AbCellera currently employs 130 people and plans to hire 100 more in the next year. Meantime, a new supply council led by Minister of Public Services and Procurement Anita Anand will be charged with ensuring the country has a sufficient stock of personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical devices such as masks and ventilators.
“As the economy starts to open in different places and different ways it is going to be important to have even more PPE for people working in the private sector in various industries and that is why we need to do everything we can to ensure we’re getting the right procurement,” said Trudeau.
Using masks in places such as airplanes where it is difficult to apply social distancing will be very important, he said.
In addition to the federal government’s procurement of PPE, hospitals, health centres and businesses are also buying their own supplies, said Anand, but “the global environment is incredibly strained. The demand is high and so the federal government is taking a collaborative and co-operative approach with the provinces and territories in trying to determine the best way forward.”