Health Canada regulators have officially approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, according to CP24.
Marking the first COVID-19 vaccine to be approved for use in the country, the regulators have announced that by way of interim order, Pfizer’s vaccine, which requires two doses each, may be administered to adults.
COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in Canada. Health Canada's move means the first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine could take place in a day or so; the government is expected to give a briefing later today to provide more details about the rollout plan. https://t.co/XbqRewXGeE
— CBC News Alerts (@CBCAlerts) December 9, 2020
As previously reported, federal officials revealed that up to 249,000 doses of the vaccine will arrive in Canada by the end of the month, with the first shipment arriving next week. The federal government has already purchased 20 million doses of said vaccine, and has the option to purchase 56 million more.
The Pfizer vaccine must be stored at -70 C, so the company is set to ship doses directly to provinces.
Currently, Health Canada is reviewing three other vaccine candidates. One of the candidates is from Moderna, and two million doses are set to be delivered to Canada in the first quarter of 2021.