QUESTION PERIOD — Health
COVID-19 Vaccine
November 18, 2020
Honourable senators, my question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.
Senator Gold, in the last two weeks we’ve heard news of possible vaccines, whose preliminary results are very promising. We all know the importance of planning and execution. Can you share with us some of the work that is being done behind the scenes at the government level on planning and execution? Canadians would welcome some reassurance that logistical challenges are being well planned and we are ready for mass deployment.
Thank you, senator, for your question. How timely and important it is. The Government of Canada, as you know, initially reached out and entered into agreements with a large number of suppliers of vaccines to make sure that, if and when those prove promising, Canada will be well equipped. Of course, the implementation is everything. In that regard, I’m advised the government is nearing the final stages of securing its third-party logistics support that it needs for vaccine distribution that would begin early next year.
Indeed, in that regard, the Canadian Armed Forces continue to work closely with federal, provincial and territorial partners to support Canada’s COVID-19 response, including support to the Public Health Agency of Canada as they coordinate the national strategy for vaccines and distribution.
Thank you, Senator Gold, for that reassurance. As we all know, once we have properly addressed the planning and execution, communication becomes key. We have heard from our public health office yesterday that the vast majority of the Canadian population will be vaccinated by the end of 2021. There is a possibility that we may receive our first shipments of the vaccines early in the new year.
My concern is managing expectations and COVID fatigue. Some Canadians will want to be vaccinated early in the year and some will be vaccinated at the end of the year. Can you give us some reassurances? Is the government considering implementing a targeted communication plan to address the expectations and — also very importantly — to keep reminding us of the risk of COVID fatigue, which at this point in time we are all already feeling?
Thank you, senator, again for reminding us all of the importance of keeping, as we say in French, les mains à la pâte and to keep focused on what we need to do to push back against this wave that is overcoming us.
The government and the Public Health Agency of Canada and, indeed, all health officers from across the country have been communicating regularly with Canadians for many, many months now, indeed since the beginning of this pandemic, and will continue to do so as we enter the next phase.
In terms of the COVID fatigue to which you allude, the government continues to rely on Canadians to continue to respond to the public health measures, such as physical distancing, hand-washing and the wearing of masks. The government understands, as we all do here, that this is difficult for Canadians, especially as we approach the holiday season and our long winters. The fact remains that stopping and slowing the spread of COVID-19 requires a continued effort and diligence on all of our parts, and the government is counting on us to do our part.
