Oakville MP makes sure Canada is covered, bringing into 105M COVID-19 vaccines for 2022 and 2023

Oakville MP Anita Anand, also the federal Minister of Public Services and Procurement, made an announcement on Saturday (August 14) that the federal government has entered long-term contracts with both Moderna and Pfizer to bring another 105 million COVID-19 vaccines into Canada for 2022 and 2023.

Since all Canadians wishing to be fully vaccinated will be so likely by October or November, the announcement does beg a couple of questions.

That number means every eligible Canadian over the age of 12 will have access to three more vaccinations over the next two years.

On the federal government’s end, is this simply a “better safe than sorry” strategy while our homegrown Moderna manufacturing facility gets built?

According to Anand, that certainly sounds like the case.

At the announcement, she said, “Our government is continuing to work with leading vaccine developers in order to ensure that Canadians have ongoing access to a diverse portfolio of vaccines. This agreement will help to bridge Canada’s capacity to maintain a reliable and rapidly available supply of vaccines into 2022 and 2023 ahead of Moderna’s Canadian vaccine facility becoming operational.”

But does it also mean annual booster shots of COVID-19 vaccination are on the way?

The idea is not far-fetched. Most Canadians regularly get annual flu shots and a handful of medical experts have suggested COVID-19 booster vaccinations could loom on the horizon.

At this point in 2021, Health Canada has said a third COVID-19 shot is not harmful but not particularly beneficial, either.

As well, with the Delta variant rearing its ugly head through Ontario and Canada at the moment, it’s also not a stretch to suggest that COVID-19 could continue to mutate into different variants after Delta.

Either way, the 105 million extra vaccines are a guarantee that should COVID-19 return in a new variant or if something as simple as booster shots are suggested by the medical community and Health Canada, the country will have a ready supply.

The release said, “The agreement will allow access to new COVID-19 vaccine adaptations based on the evolution of the epidemiological situation in Canada.”

It concluded with the promise, “Canada will continue to follow scientific and expert advice to pursue future access to COVID-19 vaccines.”