Canadian Minister for International Development urges WHO to approve Medicago vaccine
Canada intends to donate 20 million doses, which can only happen if the WHO approves this vaccine
International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan said he wants the World Health Organization to give the green light to Medicago’s COVID-19 vaccine so it can be donated and used by the sharing alliance. COVAX vaccines.
But he says Canada’s ability to distribute more doses to low-income countries depends primarily on ensuring they can and will be used when they are sent.
Canada promises to donate at least 200 million doses by the end of the year, but only 15 million have been delivered so far.
Fewer than two million doses have been shipped this year and Sajjan says more can be shipped as soon as recipient countries indicate they are ready to receive them.
On paper, Canada should have nearly 100 million additional doses available for donation that have been purchased for Canadians and cannot be used here.
But half are the Novavax vaccine that Canada has yet to confirm will be donated, and 20 million are from Medicago, which can only be donated if the WHO agrees to approve that vaccine despite the company’s ties to the great tobacco.
—The Canadian Press
Coronavirus
