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Melanie Marquis
Press
The federal government made the announcement late Friday afternoon in a press release.
“Health Canada has learned that a drug substance produced at the Emergent facility [dans l’État du Maryland] had been used in the manufacture of doses of Janssen’s vaccine which were originally intended for use in Canada and which were received on April 28, ”the statement said.
“As with all vaccines imported into Canada, Janssen’s vaccines can only be distributed if Health Canada is satisfied that they meet the department’s high standards for quality, safety and efficacy,” he adds. -we.
The vaccines were, however, “manufactured at another facility outside of the United States,” and “Health Canada is currently working with Janssen and the FDA. [Food and Drug Administration, aux États-Unis] to obtain all the information required to complete this examination ”, read in the same press release
AstraZeneca vaccines are produced at this same plant in the United States.
But Canadian health authorities remain “confident[es] that the 1.5 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine imported into Canada from this facility comply with specifications, ”said one in the press release released on Friday.
These doses were sent to Canada under a “loan” agreement with the United States.
Manufacturing location kept secret before Friday
The 304,000 doses of the one-dose vaccine arrived in Toronto on Wednesday.
At a press conference the next day, the head of national distribution, Major General Dany Fortin, explained that the doses of the vaccine were being thawed while waiting to be sent to the provinces and territories.
He hadn’t wanted to specify where they came from.
“We are not disclosing certain details of our supply chain for obvious reasons, but I assure you that the product that arrives is safe and then it will be distributed as soon as possible,” he said Thursday.
US media reported in early April that employees of Emerging BioSolutions, the Baltimore plant that manufactures the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, accidentally mixed up certain ingredients, ruining 15 million doses.
It is not specified, in the press release released Friday by Health Canada, when the worrying information on the quality of the doses was obtained.
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