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Health Minister Patty Hajdu’s office said they do not yet have all the details, but the company is expected to meet its obligation to provide two million doses by the end of this quarter.
“We still expect to receive two million doses of the Moderna vaccine by the end of March, and while the scheduled delivery for the week of 22-28 February is still expected, final shipment details have not yet been confirmed by the manufacturer,” Hajdu’s office said.
Canada has so far only approved two COVID-19 vaccines, with others in regulatory review. Pfizer has reduced its shipments to Canada for three weeks, with continued low numbers expected next week, before they ramp up.
Patricia Gauthier, Canada Country Manager for Moderna, said vaccine manufacturing is a highly complex process and the company has worked at a break-neck pace to ramp up.
“In normal circumstances, it may take three to four years to prepare for the industrial launch of a vaccine. Moderna is proud of its achievements to date with the support of its partners,” she said in an email.
She said they have told countries about possible delays, but they will be short term and they will meet their goals for the first quarter.
“Moderna confirms that, as it scales manufacturing, it is on track to supply the next three months of deliveries and meet its Q1 and subsequent contractual commitments,” she said. “Moderna remains in close contact with our federal government partners, recognizing the importance of delivery planning for vaccination rollout.”
Canada has ordered a total of 40 million doses from Moderna, which are set to be delivered before the end of September.
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