Canada Approves Pfizer’s Coronavirus Vaccine

“Canadians can feel confident that the review process was rigorous and that we have strong monitoring systems in place,” said Health Canada in a statement, adding that it will monitor the safety of the vaccine as it’s distributed.

Canada has made a deal with Pfizer for up to 76 million doses, with plans to receive 249,000 doses by the end of the month and four million by March.

The vaccines (which require two doses for each person) will be delivered by the company directly to over a dozen distribution centers, and will be doled out to jurisdictions on a per-capita basis as part of what Trudeau has described as “the largest mobilization of vaccines in Canada’s history.”

As is the case with the U.S., Canada will be prioritizing the elderly residents and staff of long-term care facilities, retirement homes and chronic care hospitals.

Next in line are Canadians over the age of 80, another group most at-risk to develop severe symptoms from the virus.

The vaccine’s emergency use approval comes at a time when cases and deaths are on the rise in Canada: the country has seen a 27% increase in cases in the past two weeks compared to the two weeks prior (the 7-day average is 6,510) and a 23% surge in deaths during that same period (the 7-day average is 94).

Health Canada is also reviewing three other vaccine candidates, including one from Moderna.