Trudeau: Canada set to receive 168K doses of Moderna vaccine by year’s end

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday that the nation is set to receive up to 168,000 doses of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year.

Health Canada, the country’s health regulator, is expected to approve the vaccine soon, the Associated Press reported. Deliveries could begin within 48 hours of approval.

Trudeau said that the storage of Moderna’s vaccine makes it easier to ship to remote areas, according to AP. He said the vaccine will “be directed to the north as well as remote and Indigenous territories.”

Canada has approved Pfizer and BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine and, like the U.S., began inoculating its citizens this week, according to AP.  It is expected to receive an additional 200,000 doses of Pfizer’s vaccine as well.

Trudeau added that 70 sites will be ready to administer vaccine doses next week, up from the 14 currently vaccinating citizens. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biologics Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday to discuss Moderna’s vaccine, likely leading to an emergency-use authorization as early as Friday. The agency released data on Tuesday ahead of the meeting, confirming that Moderna’s vaccine is safe and 94 percent effective against severe cases of COVID-19.

Gen. Gustave Perna, head of Operation Warp Speed, said on Monday the Trump administration is looking to distribute about 6 million doses within the first week of authorization. 

Both Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccines are developed using mRNA technology and need two-doses in order to be effective.

However, Moderna’s vaccine can be stored in a standard refrigerator and remain stable for 30 days. Pfizer’s, by contrast, needs to be stored at ultra-cold temperatures.