Health committee  What risk?

Health committee  We entered negotiations with all of these suppliers to obtain a share of their vaccines as soon as they would be available for Canada. We were in a position where globally all of these same vaccine suppliers were also trying to obtain agreements with other countries. The objective was for Canada to obtain agreements with them as soon as possible so that we would have a viable solution of a vaccine as soon as they obtained Health Canada approval.

Health committee  We knew that the company was partly owned by a tobacco manufacturer. The vaccines were purchased for Canadians, because we didn't know who would have a reliable vaccine for Canadians.

Health committee  You'd have to ask the people at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

Health committee  We were not involved in that decision-making process. Canada signed an agreement with Medicago to obtain vaccine doses for Canadians at a time when no other vaccines were available.

Health committee  You would have to direct that question to the Public Health Agency of Canada. The vaccine task force studied the potential vaccines, and they provided advice. Then the Public Health Agency advised Public Services and Procurement Canada to proceed with advance purchase agreements with those seven vaccine suppliers.

Health committee  The Government of Canada put a contract in place with Medicago to obtain vaccines for Canadians. They received Health Canada approval, and had we had the vaccine, we would have been able to vaccinate Canadians.

Health committee  The Public Safety Agency of Canada asked us, after receiving scientific advice, to proceed with the signing of a purchase agreement with Medicago.

Health committee  It would more likely be a question for the Canada Public Health Agency.

Health committee  We put the contracts in place to obtain enough doses for all Canadians at the time. We did not know—

Health committee  We did not know, at the time, which vaccines would actually be authorized. No vaccine existed at the time we put these contracts in place. We took the risk of putting in contracts with various suppliers for enough vaccines for all Canadians.

Health committee  Medicago owns the IP.

Health committee  We put a contract in place with Medicago for 20 million doses. At the time, we paid the $150 million for at-risk manufacturing, because the company did not have an authorized vaccine at the time. They would have had to start manufacturing the vaccine prior to the authorization.

Health committee  Thank you for the question, Mr. Chair. We put a contract in place with Medicago for doses at a time when we needed—

Health committee  Yes, we did.