TORONTO (AP) – The first vials of the COVID-19 vaccine have arrived in Canada.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted Sunday night a photo of the moment they were unloaded from a plane. Canada’s health regulator approved the vaccine developed by US drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech last Wednesday.
The vaccines will now go to 14 distribution sites across the country.
Quebec is slated to be the first province to administer the vaccine, noting that it is ready to begin inoculating the residents of two long-term care facilities starting Monday.
More than the first 30,000 doses of the vaccine that Canada has would cross the border on Monday, as scheduled.
The Canadian government recently modified its contract with Pfizer and BioNTech to deliver up to 249,000 doses of the vaccine this month.
Despite the arrival of the vials, Trudeau urged Canadians to continue wearing masks, avoid meetings and download a government app that lets users know if they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for the disease.
“This is good news,” Trudeau said. But our fight against COVID-19 is not over. Now more than ever, you have to keep your guard up ”.
The encouraging developments came as the coronavirus continues to rise across much of the world.
Canada has contracts with six other drug companies and is currently reviewing three more vaccines, including one developed by Moderna, which Canadian health officials said could be approved soon.
The nation has ordered more doses than are necessary for Canadians, but the government plans to donate surplus supplies to third world countries.
