Canada to get Pfizer vaccine before the end of this year, says Prime Minister Trudeau

TORONTO: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday Canada will get up to 250,000 doses of the vaccine developed by American drugmaker Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech before the end of December.

The vaccine is expected be approved by Health Canada as soon as Thursday.

Trudeau had come under criticism from opposition parties for saying Canadians won't be among the first to get a vaccine against COVID-19 because the first doses will likely go to citizens of the countries they are made in. Canada doesn't have mass vaccine-production facilities.


Trudeau said Canada has contracts with six other vaccine makers as well.

Seniors and workers in long-term care homes are among those expected to get the vaccine first.