QUESTION PERIOD — Health
COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
June 2, 2021
Government leader, you will be thrilled that I’m going to go back again to asking about vaccines. Over the next few days, Canada will receive two deliveries from Moderna totalling 500,000 doses. Moderna has also said it will ship one and a half million doses to Canada during the week of June 14. Beyond that Moderna has not confirmed either the delivery schedule or any amounts Canada can expect to receive.
In April, Moderna informed the Trudeau government that it would likely ship up to 2 million doses less than what they had been expected to send in the second quarter. To meet even this reduced delivery, Moderna would have to ship Canada another 4.5 million doses by the end of this month. Does your government believe that is likely, leader? What penalties exist under our contract with Moderna if they don’t meet their second-quarter delivery commitment? May I have a short answer, please? I have another question.
I don’t have information to share with regard to penalties, as we have discussed in this chamber before.
It is true that Moderna continues to have challenges with their supply chain and delivery. It is important to note, however, that we are also expecting 2.4 million doses from Pfizer this week. Moderna has indicated we will ramp up its deliveries in the second half of June. Canada remains firmly on track for all eligible Canadians to have their first dose by the end of June, and we will have enough doses to fully vaccinate every Canadian who wants one by the end of September.
As of Monday, the Mayor of Windsor, Ontario, Drew Dilkens has a wait-list of over 4,000 Canadians willing to get their second dose of Pfizer from surplus vaccines in Michigan, but they have received no help from the Trudeau government to access them. In fact, when Minister Hajdu was asked about this in the other place last week she said, “There are enough vaccines in Canada for Canadians.”
Unbelievable. Less than 6% of Canadians are fully vaccinated and the Minister of Health thinks we have enough vaccines already. We don’t have long-term confirmed deliveries for Moderna, Johnson & Johnson or AstraZeneca, but the Minister of Health thinks we have enough. Yes or no, do you agree with the minister?
I have confidence in the minister, and she is serving Canada well.
