A technical briefing has just started on the vaccine rollout and approval process with Dr. Njoo and Dr. Supriya Sharma + Dr. Marc Berthiaume from Health Canada. Dr. Njoo says this will now be a weekly briefing.
I'll tweet out the highlights #cdnpoli
I'll tweet out the highlights #cdnpoli
Dr. Njoo says the needles, swabs and freezers are already being shared with the provinces, so they can quickly role out distribution when we get a vaccine. #cdnpoli
"When a vaccine is ready, Canada will be ready" - Dr. Njoo #cdnpoli
It's nice to hear Dr. Njoo say that Canada will be ready, when a vaccine is ready but Ontario doesn't think we're going to be... #cdnpoli
https://twitter.com/ColinDMello/status/1332006464320376836
A Health Canada official says Canada has reached deals with 5 of the 7 major vaccines players but they're still negotiating with Johnson and Johnson and Novvax
The deals would give us access to 194 M doses, with options to buy 220 M further doses #cdnpoli
The deals would give us access to 194 M doses, with options to buy 220 M further doses #cdnpoli
Canada has purchased 26 freezers that reach -80 and 100 freezers that reach -20. This is needed for the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines #cdnpoli
Dr. Sharma from Health Canada says the department will rigorously review vaccine submissions from the pharma companies and the departments job is to make sure the "benefits outweigh the risks" #cdnpoli
Dr. Sharma doesn't say how long the approval process is expected to take for covid vaccines but notes there will be a 12 person team reviewing each submission, to review the 1000's of pages of documents provided by the phrama company #cdnpoli
Dr. Sharma says that vaccines will be able to be imported to Canada prior to authorization from HC. They can only be distributed to provinces once they're approved.
So we could get the Pfizer, Moderna and Astrazeneca vaccines right now, theoretically. #cdnpoli
So we could get the Pfizer, Moderna and Astrazeneca vaccines right now, theoretically. #cdnpoli
Should note this is in direct contradiction to what Procurement Minister Anita Anand said multiple times earlier this week, that Canada would only get vaccines once they are approved #cdnpoli
https://twitter.com/Gray_Mackenzie/status/1332017854699409413
The vaccines agreements that Canada has with the pharma companies outline the # of doses, the delivery schedule and options for future purchases of vaccines.
Canada does not have any agreements with the pharma companies to licence their tech, and produce vaccines domestically
Canada does not have any agreements with the pharma companies to licence their tech, and produce vaccines domestically
Dr. Sharma says the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are unlikely to be pre-positioned in Canada because they need to be kept at a very cold temp. Future vaccines, with better storage conditions, might be better candidates for this #cdnpoli
NEW - Dr. Sharma says Health Canada is expecting to make a final decision around the same time as the FDA and the EU.
The US Health Secretary has said they should approve around Dec 11th.
Huge news. #cdnpoli
The US Health Secretary has said they should approve around Dec 11th.
Huge news. #cdnpoli
Dr. Sharma adds Pfizer is the vaccine that is the furtherest along in the approval process and they're working with the FDA and the EU to review the data in tandem #cdnpoli
Dr. Njoo confirms that Canada is hoping to get 6 million doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in the first quarter of 2021.
Many provinces already reported this, saying we're expecting 4 m Pfizer and 2 m Moderna #cdnpoli
Many provinces already reported this, saying we're expecting 4 m Pfizer and 2 m Moderna #cdnpoli
On vaccine efficacy, Dr. Sharma there is no magic number in terms of efficacy for Health Canada to approve a vaccine, it's done on a case by case basis. #cdnpoli
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