Thank you, Mr. Chair.
A Government of Canada document entitled “Vaccines for COVID-19: Shipments and Deliveries” states that, as of May 11, 2.3 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been distributed in Canada. The Janssen vaccine has not been distributed.
However, Quebec and some provinces have already indicated that they will limit their use of the AstraZeneca vaccine to the first dose due to unpredictable supply and safety concerns. I am concerned about the agreements between the vaccine manufacturers and the federal government. The agreements are for 20 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine and up to 38 million doses of Janssen vaccine.
Is the federal government responsible for the full cost of the doses obtained despite issues with vaccine supply and safety?
Do the agreements include provisions that allow future shipments to be cancelled without financial penalty?