I want to correct the record regarding the honourable member's previous question with regard to the Globe and Mail article she referenced. Any assertion that we weren't expecting doses in the first quarter is categorically false. From the beginning, our contract stipulated first-quarter deliveries as they are now occurring. In July and the beginning of August, we signed contracts for deliveries to begin in the first quarter. That is exactly what is happening now with doses arriving in Canada, including with the early deliveries of both approved vaccines in December. That is why we can say with confidence that our vaccine procurements remain on track for four million Pfizer doses and two million Moderna doses by the end of March, and vaccines for all Canadians by the end of September, despite these temporary but not entirely unexpected delays. We will continue to provide Canadians with accurate and clear information based on the contracts and discussions we have with the manufacturers as soon as we have them.
Now, to the question from the honourable member, I will say that at the outset, we signed very early with Pfizer and Moderna in order to be out in front of [Technical difficulty—Editor] countries. We were one of the first countries to sign with Moderna. We were the fourth country to sign with Pfizer. That is why were able to have one of the earliest accesses to those vaccines at the beginning of December, and that is why they came forward and quickly sold options to us for 20 million more of each of those candidates so we now have 80 million doses of approved vaccines in this country to ensure inoculation of all Canadians prior to the end of September.
In addition to that, I would like to mention to the honourable member and this committee that we are working with these approved manufacturers to move up their delivery timeline—to move doses from Q3 into Q2—so that we can potentially see additionally accelerated timelines. If additional vaccines are approved, we can also expect to see doses of those additional vaccine candidates in Q2 and Q3.
Again, the end of September is the outside time frame that we are providing based on approved vaccines. We may, indeed, see that timeline shifting up over the course of the next weeks and months.
Thank you.