Federal government awards contract for supply of vaccines
by CM Staff
As of July 1, 2022, GSK is reserving capacity to produce and deliver domestic pandemic influenza vaccines for an initial period of four years.
QUÉBEC — On Jul. 15, Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, and Filomena Tassi, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, announced that the Government of Canada has signed a new contract with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to support sustained influenza pandemic readiness.
The Government of Canada maintains pandemic influenza vaccine preparedness contracts in the event of an influenza pandemic and has contracted with GSK to supply both pandemic and seasonal influenza vaccines since 2001.
As of July 1, 2022, GSK is reserving capacity to produce and deliver domestic pandemic influenza vaccines for an initial period of four years with the option to extend for up to five additional one-year periods. The contract will include an option to procure up to 80 million doses of influenza vaccine should an influenza pandemic occur. The contract also guarantees the supply of a minimum of 4 million doses of seasonal influenza vaccine annually for use in publicly funded vaccination programs. First deliveries of seasonal influenza vaccine under the contract are scheduled for September and October 2022.
“Immunization is the most effective way to prevent disease and death from influenza, and Canada has made a commitment to secure continued access to domestically sourced pandemic influenza vaccine. This contract renews our longstanding relationship with GlaxoSmithKline to ensure that we are prepared to protect everyone in Canada in the case of pandemic influenza,” said Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health.
“As we continue to respond to, and learn from, the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of vaccine preparedness is reinforced now more than ever. With this in mind, we are pleased to continue to support sustained pandemic readiness in Canada by securing access to domestically sourced pandemic influenza vaccines, as well as seasonal influenza doses ahead of the fall flu season,” said Filomena Tassi, Minister of Public Services and Procurement.
