From the Canadian Press July 15, 2022 | 10:34 am KUBEK – The federal government has signed a new deal with GlaxoSmithKline for flu vaccines. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced the contract today in Quebec City, a four-year pact to produce and deliver domestic flu vaccines with five one-year options to follow. Canada has had an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline for influenza vaccines since 2001. Duclos says the deal includes an option to supply 80 million doses of flu vaccine in the event of a pandemic and at least four million doses annually to be used in publicly funded vaccination programs.
title: “Ottawa Announces Flu Vaccine Deal With Glaxosmithkline " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-23” author: “Billy Hansford”
In preparation for future pandemic and seasonal flu seasons, the federal government announced Friday that it has signed a new agreement with GlaxoSmithKline for flu vaccines. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced a four-year pact to produce and deliver pandemic flu vaccines for Canadians, with five one-year options to follow. Canada has had an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline for flu vaccines since 2001. The new agreement, which took effect July 1, was announced at GSK Canada in Québec City, which employs 900 people. Duclos said the deal includes an option to procure 80 million doses of flu vaccine in the event of a pandemic and at least four million doses annually to be used in publicly funded vaccination programs. He said that by working with the only Canadian self-sufficient supplier of pandemic flu vaccines in the country, Canada is protected from potential obstacles. “By using domestic production here in Canada, we can ensure that Canada’s supply is not compromised by border closures, trade disruptions, transportation issues or shipping delays,” Duclos said. Due to confidentiality, Duclos said he could not discuss the dollar figures attached to the contract. Historically, influenza pandemics occur every 11 to 40 years, with the most recent being the H1N1 pandemic in 2009. The first flu vaccine deliveries for 2022 are scheduled for September and October. Duclos said if there’s one lesson to be learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s the critical importance of vaccination. He used Friday’s announcement to stress the importance of getting a COVID-19 booster shot. Canada had high uptake for the first and second tranches, but lags behind all other G7 countries, with the exception of the United States, when it comes to the third tranche. Duclos said up-to-date vaccination reduces the risk of infection, transmission, hospitalization and long-term COVID. “By some estimates, vaccination has saved around 20 million lives worldwide in 2021,” Duclos said. He also welcomed Health Canada’s approval Thursday of the Moderna vaccine for children ages six months to five years and encouraged parents to vaccinate their young children. He sought to reassure worried parents, noting that the studies surrounding the vaccine are “very solid” and that experts believe it is very safe and effective in reducing the risk of serious illness. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 15, 2022. This story was produced with financial assistance from Meta and the Canadian Press News Fellowship.
