Whether Canada complies with the recommendations laid out by coronavirus vaccine drugmakers will play a role in negotiations for earlier doses, Procurement Minister Anita Anand said Tuesday.
The announcement came as the country secured an additional 20 million doses of Pfizer-BioNtech’sCOVID-19 vaccine, which are expected to be distributed this year.
By Thursday, at least 548,950 doses of the two-part vaccines had been administered, according to the latest numbers from the federal government.
However, this has not been without its challenges.
As of Tuesday, 373,418 people in Canada had been vaccinated, data from covid19tracker.ca showed.
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Canada’s slow vaccination rollout has been labelled “embarrassing,” by public health experts, and initial concerns that the provinces would run out of available vaccine doses motivated the government to look at how far apart each vaccine’s second booster dose could be taken from the first.
“In our negotiations with the vaccine manufacturers, they, of course, are concerned when the recommended doses, based on their clinical trials, are not being followed,” Anand said.
“They are also concerned when they see that vaccines are not being utilized, vaccines that have been delivered are in freezers, et cetera.”
0:35 Coronavirus: Canada to see ‘dramatic acceleration’ of vaccine deliveries in coming months, says Anand
Coronavirus: Canada to see ‘dramatic acceleration’ of vaccine deliveries in coming months, says Anand
According to Anand, both Moderna and Pfizer-BioNtech would like to see their doses used as soon as possible, and would like “all jurisdictions” to follow the recommendations “based on the science.”
The better provinces and territories are at meeting these requests, “the stronger position that I have at the negotiating table in pushing for earlier and earlier deliveries,” she said.
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Pfizer and BioNtech have said there is no evidence their vaccinewill stay effective against COVID-19 if its second dose is taken after the recommended 21 days. Similarly, Moderna has said it can’t comment on whether the vaccine will work if the second dose is not injected within 28 days.
Earlier Tuesday,Prime Minister Justin Trudeausaid Canada that with the additional 20 million doses of Pfizer’s vaccine — which are expected to arrive in Canada by April or May — the country could expect to receive 80 million doses between Moderna and Pfizer before the year’s end.
“We are on track to have every Canadian who wants a vaccine receive one by September,” he said.
“If we can do it even quicker than that, that would be great news. The quicker everyone gets vaccinated, the quicker we’re going to be able to get back to a semblance of normality.”
TORONTO – Restaurant Brands International Inc. reported net income of US$357 million for its third quarter, down from US$364 million in the same quarter last year.
The company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says its profit amounted to 79 cents US per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with 79 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue for the parent company of Tim Hortons, Burger King, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs, totalled US$2.29 billion, up from US$1.84 billion in the same quarter last year.
Consolidated comparable sales were up 0.3 per cent.
On an adjusted basis, Restaurant Brands says it earned 93 cents US per diluted share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 90 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 95 cents US per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Fortis Inc. reported a third-quarter profit of $420 million, up from $394 million in the same quarter last year.
The electric and gas utility says the profit amounted to 85 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, up from 81 cents per share a year earlier.
Fortis says the increase was driven by rate base growth across its utilities, and strong earnings in Arizona largely reflecting new customer rates at Tucson Electric Power.
Revenue in the quarter totalled $2.77 billion, up from $2.72 billion in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Fortis says it earned 85 cents per share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 84 cents per share in the third quarter of 2023.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 82 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.
TORONTO – Thomson Reuters reported its third-quarter profit fell compared with a year ago as its revenue rose eight per cent.
The company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says it earned US$301 million or 67 cents US per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30. The result compared with a profit of US$367 million or 80 cents US per diluted share in the same quarter a year earlier.
Revenue for the quarter totalled US$1.72 billion, up from US$1.59 billion a year earlier.
In its outlook, Thomson Reuters says it now expects organic revenue growth of 7.0 per cent for its full year, up from earlier expectations for growth of 6.5 per cent.
On an adjusted basis, Thomson Reuters says it earned 80 cents US per share in its latest quarter, down from an adjusted profit of 82 cents US per share in the same quarter last year.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 76 cents US per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.
