Madam Chair, our regulatory system is designed, first and foremost, with the health and safety of Canadians in mind. That is not compromised in any way, shape or form.
Canadians expect us to ensure that whatever we approve through Health Canada is safe for use in Canada as well as effective and of high quality.
Having said that, we know there is an urgency in getting access to a vaccine. Therefore, I issued an interim order this fall that would allow Health Canada to review data for companies on a rolling basis, facilitating access to data so we could make timely decisions. Health Canada regulators are working around the clock to review this data as it comes in and with the manufacturing companies to fill in those data gaps.