There is already a federal deal between Pfizer and Moderna with the Procurement Minister Anita Anand. However, the purchase details are all secret and cannot be released without her approval. She only stated that she secured a million doses of vaccine candidates for COVID-19.
However, when asked how many millions of doses, she did not say anything further and told the press that there is an ongoing vagueness with several potential vaccine providers. Both Moderna and Pfizer are already in their large-scale trial phase, unlike other vaccine manufacturers that are still in their early phase.
Expert critics have stated that this move is too slow in securing vaccines knowing that there is an ongoing heat up in international competition for vaccines.
Also, critics have said that the situation is similar to the Salk polio vaccine wherein the federal government has purchased millions of vaccines even before the vaccine trials have been completed and proven that is both safe and effective on humans. The World Health Organization has 28 laboratories who are competing for the COVID-19 vaccine and is now under trials.
The federal government made another announcement made by Minister Catherine McKenna after allotting at most 10% of the infrastructure program fund to the pandemic crisis response. The money will be used for building health infrastructures, parks, schools, bike lanes, and disaster adaptation and mitigation.
