Health Canada has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in this country. This marks a critical moment in Canada’s fight against the novel coronavirus and Canada's recovery efforts as it is the first vaccine to receive approval.
The federal health agency has deemed the vaccine effective and safe for use on Canadians, meaning the federal team responsible for the rollout of vaccines can now begin the process of administering them. The vaccine is, however, being recommended for use in Canadians age 16 and older to start.
"Health Canada has determined that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine meets the Department's stringent safety, efficacy and quality requirements for use in Canada," said Health Canada in a statement today. They also shared a series of documents related to the decision, alongside the promise of more information about the clinical trial in the weeks ahead.
Canada is the only the second country in the world to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
The United Kingdom was first last week, and they administered the first doses yesterday. The USA's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is widely expected to also approve the vaccine later this week.
Health Canada hasn't said where the first shipments of vaccines will be sent or administered, but Ontario is opting to use the first small batch in Toronto and Peel region, the two areas currently in lockdown. There is no word yet when the first doses will arrive in either Oakville or Halton Region.
Initial doses of the Pfizer vaccine are expected to arrive in Canada next week, and plans are already in place to have the shots ready to be administered at 14 delivery sites in major cities across Canada, within 1-2 days of shipments arriving.
Pfizer Canada’s Vaccines Medical Lead Dr. Jelena Vojicic also said it's expecting the first shipment will happen "imminently." She also anticipates most vaccines destined for Canada "will be coming out of Belgium."
“I think we can be very content as to how Canada has done,” Vojicic said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said yesterday that Canada is set to receive up to 249,000 doses of this vaccine by the end of December. That's enough to vaccinate 124,500 people, given it requires two shots 21 days apart. The federal government has purchased 20 million doses of the vaccine in total.
Prioritized groups will be the first to receive the vaccine given the limited quantities to begin with. Among the first to receive these shots will be staff and residents in long-term care or senior living facilities and health-care workers with high exposure risks.
COVID-19 vaccines will be offered to Canadians free of charge, will not be mandatory, and will eventually be available to all who want to be vaccinated. The federal government has said its target is to vaccinate the majority of Canadians by September 2021.
More can be learned about the vaccine directly from Health Canada's website.
