Mr. Speaker, the best way to protect Canadians against the variant is with a vaccine that we do not have right now.
Other countries around the world have slowed and stopped their vaccination programs using the AstraZeneca vaccine because of its reported ineffectiveness against variants.
As well, Novavax, one of the candidates the government has signed contracts with to be produced here in Canada, also has severe concerns about its effectiveness against variants.
We do not really have mRNA capacity in Canada right now. The government is not working with companies that do have it, so we are slow to receive those vaccines.
If Novavax and AstraZeneca do not work against the variants and we do not have mRNA capacity, what is plan B?