Published on April 30, 2021

It is more than likely that booster shots will be necessary going forward to accommodate several health needs:

• The data and studies on how long one's current vaccine will last in producing antibodies and ensuring immunity is ongoing.
• Booster vaccines will be required to protect against new variants of the Covid-19 virus.
• Separate vaccines will need to be developed for young children.

The Government of Canada has announced they have secured COVID-19 vaccines and boosters from Pfizer for 2022 and 2023, with options to extend into 2024.

The agreement guarantees access to 65 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, with access to up to 120 million more if all options are exercised. In addition to providing booster vaccine doses, the agreement provides flexibility to procure future COVID-19 vaccine formulations from Pfizer, such as protecting against variants of concern and vaccines developed for children.

Lastly, in addition to the procurement of more vaccines and boosters that is forthcoming, the good news is that by 2024 Canada will get back to manufacturing vaccines in Canada. There are four labs and three manufacturing operations currently being developed and/or expanded to fill the health needs following any new viruses or future pandemics. Funding has also been secured for scientific medical research involving the treatment of infectious diseases. Hopefully, the research will also consider the impact of disaggregated data involving race, gender, age, indigenous, etc. on the specific health needs of a diverse population.

Maria Peluso VP Government Affairs

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