Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a) of the question, through its existing COVID-19 advance purchase agreements (APAs), Canada has access to up to 93.5 million mRNA doses in 2023. This includes 30 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s Comirnaty® vaccine and 18.5 million doses of Moderna’s Spikevax® vaccine with options to access up to an additional 45 million mRNA doses, should urgent or emergent needs arise. Canada’s APAs provide flexibility to obtain the latest formulations from suppliers, including bivalent, infant and pediatric vaccines. In addition, Canada has access to a number of non-mRNA doses. Together, these doses will ensure the COVID-19 vaccine needs of all Canadians will continue to be met.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, the Government of Canada is working in close collaboration with provinces and territories to better understand their 2023 vaccine supply needs. The government is also actively working with suppliers to manage supply and schedule deliveries to ensure the most optimal product availability.
With respect to part (b)(i) of the question, immunization is a shared responsibility among federal, provincial and territorial governments. The provinces and territories administer vaccines within their jurisdictions, which includes all policy and program decision-making, design and implementation required to determine which public programs to offer, which vaccines to buy, where to administer vaccines, and priority populations and eligibility criteria for vaccination.
The Public Health Agency of Canada supports provinces and territories in delivering their immunization programs in many ways, including: bulk purchasing vaccines for all jurisdictions; conducting vaccine confidence research, policy, and programming; managing vaccine coverage, effectiveness and safety surveillance; facilitating immunization research; enhancing domestic manufacturing capacity; and supporting the delivery of the Vaccine Injury Support Program.
As of December 8, 2022, 94,981,582 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Canada (since December 14, 2020).
With respect to part (b)(ii) of the question, the Government of Canada recognizes the importance of a global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and supports efforts to promote global access to vaccines.
In 2023, Canada will continue to work closely with its key partners to identify doses surplus to Canada’s domestic needs and ensure these doses are made available for donation. This involves actively coordinating with provinces and territories to manage domestic vaccine supply, forecast demand, and track product shelf-life. This also includes working closely with Global Affairs Canada and Public Services and Procurement Canada, or PSPC, to ensure that surplus doses held in federal, provincial and manufacturer inventories can be offered for international donation in a timely manner.
Lastly, with respect to part (b)(iii) of the question, as vaccination campaigns are ongoing, Canada is unable to determine at this time how many vaccines will be disposed in 2023 due to expiration. We continue to work with provinces, territories and federal partners on demand planning and forecasting, based on evolving scientific evidence and the National Advisory Committee on Immunizations’ recommendations, to determine supply requirements for future campaigns. Additionally, we are working closely with PSPC and vaccine suppliers to ensure that delivery schedules meet the needs of Canadians and to monitor vaccine shelf-life/expiry date extensions to maximize the use of doses delivered in Canada. The Government of Canada continues to urge Canadians to stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines.