Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
I want to thank my friend Ms. Vecchio once again for her comments. She mentioned that we're here to discuss the reason for the prorogation. As my other colleague and friend Mr. Turnbull clearly said, I think the reason for the prorogation was the global pandemic. The comments I'm making are related to this issue.
I realize that my comments today are somewhat lengthy, but I think it's very important that Canadians understand that we're now debating the reason why the government chose to prorogue Parliament in August 2020 and that that reason was the global pandemic. As I said, I genuinely hope we never have to face this kind of crisis again. However, this crisis was the reason why the government prorogued Parliament. I'm going to try to keep my comments short, but I nevertheless want to present all the points in the speech that I worked on. These are points that I want to present to the committee.
We know that public health measures are effective while we wait for the vaccines to be distributed. Experience in other countries shows that we must comply with strict health measures in order to control the rapid spread of epidemics and to allow countries the time to vaccinate their citizens. Lastly, some countries that have high vaccination rates have experienced equally high rates of spread as a result of relaxed public health measures. Once again, with regard to the policies we need to develop, I think it's important to hear from Minister Freeland so she can explain the reasons why the government made certain decisions.
Since many Canadians have yet to receive any vaccine and some have received only their first dose, it's still important that everyone, whether vaccinated or not, continue following public health guidance. We must continue practising physical distancing, wearing a mask and avoiding gatherings, especially indoor gatherings. That will help us keep the epidemic at bay. Public health measures are still extremely important while vaccines are being distributed because they guarantee a degree of protection among the population. As we've seen in other countries, if measures are lifted before enough people have been vaccinated, outbreaks may occur and require repeated adjustments to control the rate of infection. That was actually one of the preliminary findings from Israel's vaccination campaign.
Information is circulating at an unprecedented rate. Of course, we're using the information, evidence and local epidemiological data that are coming in at a rapid rate to guide our approach. We have to continue complying with public health measures. We won't be able to relax them until the data show that a gradual increase in social interaction and economic activity doesn't put the population at risk. The determinant factors include the spread of variants, severity of symptoms, vaccine efficacy, the capacity of the healthcare system and the efficacy of public health measures to control transmission.
I'm going to take a short break, since I think Ms. Freeland plays a central role in all these measures that must be introduced, all the policies that have been established and all economic decisions. She was also responsible for deciding on a direction for all the departments that had to make decisions. Once again, I think it would be a very good idea for her to appear. It's important right now to rely on the work that has been done by taking measures based on evidence and cooperating with all levels of government.
The past year of fighting COVID‑19 in Canada has taught us two things. Considerable effort is required to manage the issue. All levels of government and the public must abide by public health measures, take precautions and get vaccinated in order to limit the number of COVID cases.
Now I'd like to discuss the vaccination campaign in Canada. I think we could question Ms. Freeland on that subject. The Government of Canada has adopted an overall approach to fighting the COVID‑19 pandemic, and the vaccination plan is part of that approach. We're now entering the second phase of the vaccination campaign and vaccine deliveries should accelerate sharply starting this month.
As the Prime Minister recently announced, Pfizer plans to deliver doses earlier, in June. That means Canada should be well on the way to receiving some 50 million doses of vaccine by the end of June. As a result of those deliveries, all Canadians wishing to be vaccinated will receive their first dose by summer. Then we can provide second doses, which will afford greater protection against the virus, by late September of this year. Every eligible Canadian who wants to be vaccinated can be. Ms. Freeland could give us her observations on the vaccination strategy, its purpose and the decisions made with respect to it.
Canadians are somewhat relieved now that the warmer weather has arrived and vaccinations have started. However, they want to know what impact that will have on their personal situation. How will we be able to transition to a new normal? I believe we're all asking ourselves that question. What will the new normal look like? In the circumstances, we may be tempted to change our habits, but we must understand that the message for Canadians is crystal clear: this is no time to let our guard down.
We know the virus is still spreading at an accelerated rate in certain regions of the country, causing unprecedented problems for the health system. Our neighbours, friends and families rely on the cooperation of all of us. Ms. Freeland could come and discuss the path and approach we've taken to get here. There's light at the end of the tunnel. The vaccines are here; they've arrived. However, we will continue providing support programs to our citizens, to all Canadians, to ensure that everyone is protected until the desired vaccination rate has been achieved.
I don't want to monopolize the entire meeting today. I've been speaking for a long time. I'm going to yield to my friend and colleague Dr. Duncan, who will give us her comments on the subject. I always enjoy her comments.