The first vaccine’s approval marks the beginning of the end of the coronavirus crisis in Canada. Health Canada first approved the coronavirus vaccine on December 9, 2020. This means Canada can now launch the largest vaccination campaign in its history.
Approval was provided to a Coronavirus Vaccine devised by Pfizer and BioNTech.
Health Canada released a press release saying, “The vaccine is supported by evidence that it is safe, effective and of good quality.”
Pfizer-BioNTech imposes several terms and conditions on the provision of Health Canada:
Monthly safety monitoring reports with information on side effects. Additional data on drug safety and efficacy, including final data from current clinical trials. Further quality data confirming that there are procedures and regulations in place to ensure that appropriate quality vaccines are produced
According to the CBC, Canada is the third country to recognize the vaccine after the United Kingdom and Bahrain.
In a tweet, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday that 30,000 doses of the vaccine were expected to arrive in Canada and could reach 249,000 doses by the end of 2020. The Prime Minister is expected to receive millions more in early 2021.
Canada leads the world in the number of COVID-19 vaccines received on an individual basis. In total, Canada has signed agreements with 7 companies and received 414 million doses of vaccines, according to CTV.
The other three manufacturers have now reviewed their vaccines for Health Canada approval.
Canada initially enjoyed success in ranking the coronavirus curve in the summer but has since seen its COVID-19 case numbers accumulate across the country, resulting in new locks. It saw 430,000 cases and 13,000 deaths during the crisis.
Canada’s immigration system has been active throughout the epidemic, and the country expects to regain its newcomers’ status following the epidemic. Yesterday, Canada hosted another major express entry draw, inviting 5,000 successful candidates to apply for permanent residency status. 2020 marks the first time Canada has invited 100,000 express entry candidates since the introduction of Express Entry in 2015.
In late October, Canada announced its 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan. It seeks to welcome the progress of more than 400,000 immigrants a year in an effort to compensate for the low number of new arrivals during epidemics. High immigration is a policy that Canada supports its economic growth in light of its ageing population and low birth rate.
