OTTAWA, ON – Canada is donating 17.7-million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to help vaccination efforts in poorer countries.
With more than 55-million doses from various manufacturers delivered to date, Federal Procurement Minister Anita Anand says these AstraZeneca vaccines left in the purchasing agreement are no longer needed.
She says demand has been met in the provinces and territories, so now it’s time to share our surplus.
“This pandemic will not end until it ends everywhere,” Anand said during a press conference Monday morning (July 12). “This donation is possible as a result of our proactive approach to securing hundreds of millions of COVID-19 vaccines in our initial contracts.”
To date, 79% of eligible Canadians have received at least once dose and 49% are fully vaccinated.