Madam Speaker, listening to today's debate on our readiness to roll out COVID-19 vaccinations, the opposition would have us believe Canada is languishing right at the back of the line. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Conservatives have thrown out intentionally inaccurate timelines of vaccines not getting to Canadians by 2030. That is completely misleading to all Canadians.
Allow me to reiterate what this government has done and continues to do every day to ensure that Canada is in fact very well positioned when it comes to receiving the initial batch of approved COVID-19 vaccine doses. Many challenges need to be addressed in talking about the rollout of any COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccines will only be offered to Canadians when they are proven safe, when they are proven effective and when they have received Health Canada regulatory approval.
Last week, Dr. Sharma, the chief medical adviser at Health Canada, confirmed for us that if the trial data proved accurate, they would be on track to approve the Pfizer vaccine around the middle of this month. That is the same timeline we are seeing in the United States as well as in Europe. The first deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines are anticipated to start in the first quarter of 2021.
The House heard my colleague quote the chairman of Moderna, saying that far from being at the back of the line, Canada was among the very first countries to pre-order that company's vaccine candidate. Alongside Pfizer, Moderna's vaccine candidate would receive regulatory approval very soon. We have continued to inform Canadians about the work we are doing to ensure a viable vaccine is made available to Canadians.
The Conservatives are trying to change the narrative to suit their own political agenda, but Canadians can rest assured that their rhetoric is just that and that we are doing what we need to do to protect them.
Since the start of the pandemic, this government has worked to ensure that when a vaccine is ready, Canada will be ready. From day one, this government's strategy has been to secure agreements with the developers of vaccine candidates so Canadians are well positioned as clinical trials advance.
We have been operating in a highly complex and intensely competitive global market for vaccine procurement, faced with a myriad of differing vaccine types, dosage requirements as well as manufacturing and finishing needs. Working day and night, this government has been dedicated to procuring the very best vaccine candidates for all Canadians.
These efforts have paid off. Canada has invested in one of the most diverse COVID-19 vaccine portfolios in the world. We have arrangements with seven potential vaccine suppliers. We have access to more vaccine doses per person than any other country in the world. That is not the story of a country lagging behind; it is a country looking after its interests of every citizen.
Our portfolio contains seven leading vaccine candidates: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Novavax, Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline and Medicago. Already we are hearing very promising clinical trial results for several of these candidates. Canada has seven leading vaccine candidates in our portfolio, four of which are currently under regulatory review.
Far from standing at the back of some notional global queue, Canada is in line with other countries in receiving the vaccine as early as the first quarter of the new year. To ensure that we are moving quickly, we are working in partnership with the United States and European Union so we can share our data and accelerate the vaccine approval process.
This is a team effort. Canada is a leading team member. That team mentality has been in evidence from the very early days of this global pandemic. This government has worked non-stop to procure vital PPE and other medical supplies for our front-line health care workers. More than two billion individual pieces of equipment have been secured, with more than half of that already delivered. Additionally, our government has delivered to the provinces and territories more than three million rapid test kits in the last few weeks.
As we continue to aggressively pursue our vaccine candidates, we know that logistics associated with vaccine distribution can be very complex. Contrary to what the Conservatives have been saying for many months, alongside our efforts to procure vaccines, we have been preparing for the administration and distribution of vaccines.
We are ensuring we have the supplies that will be needed in the manufacturing and packaging steps of vaccine production in Canada. Just one example of this preparedness is that during the summer, we procured three fill/finish vaccine systems from Vanrx in Burnaby, British Columbia. These systems are the last portion of a vaccine production line that allows vials to be filled and finished without human intervention, thus allowing a rapid roll out of vaccines while minimizing waste.
Allowing rapid roll out does not sound like a country at the back of the line. The Conservatives would have us believe we have not done anything to prepare for vaccine distribution. We know that could not be further from the truth. We are ensuring that when a vaccine is ready, we will have the materials needed to support safe and efficient immunization, such as syringes, needles and alcohol swabs.
We have already received enough deliveries of syringes and needles to administer nearly 25 million doses of vaccine and we have tens of millions more en route. We know vaccine distribution will be complex, especially in light of the need to transport and store vaccines at specific temperatures.
Canada is prepared. We already have the capacity to store up to 33.5 million ultra-frozen and frozen vaccines at any one time. We are ready to meet additional needs based on the Public Health Agency of Canada's requirement for more capacity.
We know making vaccines available will be a team Canada effort. That is why we continue to work with provinces and territories to ensure we are prepared to securely and efficiently deploy vaccines to Canadians from coast to coast to coast.
We are ready for when the rigorous, efficient and not political but scientific Health Canada approval process is completed. The House and all Canadians can rest assured that we will not cease in our efforts to ensure that when a vaccine is ready, Canada will be ready.
Nobody in the House underestimates the pain, anguish and grief felt by Canadians, the terrible losses felt by our friends and families across the globe during these past distressing months. It has been many months and we are all living with pandemic fatigue.
This government is steadfast in its commitment to the health and safety of Canadians. I know I speak for members of the House when I say our top priority remains keeping Canadians safe and healthy. From procuring vaccines to PPE to testing, the government will continue to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to get Canadians through this crisis.
We are indebted to every single Canadian for doing everything possible to keep themselves, their families and their fellow Canadians safe. This government is working alongside all of Canada to equip the country with PPE, vaccine candidates, tests and treatments so together we can all get through this pandemic.