Thank you for the question.
I think what's a bit alarming right now is the different narratives about CanSino and how it really came to be a project. We just heard from Dr. Nemer that it was a research project. I would challenge that. The first written recommendation I saw from the task force was about CanSino. I remember it vividly, because my first reflex was to think that we had not discussed CanSino, as we had the other one, wherein we had an exchange with the company.
I didn't know where this recommendation came from. Honestly, it was in writing to the government and then this same recommendation was turned around 180 degrees—to not recommending the CanSino—after the doses couldn't be obtained.
I don't know. Was this CanSino issue a distraction? I think so. Was it scientifically sound? I don't think so at all.
Canada, by the way, was the only western country to identify that vaccine as a possible candidate.