U.S. congressman notes that helping Canada reach vaccine parity is crucial for border reopening

A member of Congress says it’s vital for the U.S. to help Canada reach vaccine ‘parity’ in order to get their shared border back open.

New York Rep. Brian Higgins is cheering news of a White House plan to lend Canada 1.5 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

Higgins has been on a crusade in recent weeks to convince President Joe Biden to come up with a plan to reopen the Canada-U.S. border.

He is also among several members of Congress consulted by the Wilson Center in a study of the economic impact of the border closure.

Members of that task force are expected to issue some of their preliminary findings on Mar. 18.

Higgins wants the two countries to expand what they consider to be “essential travel” and to develop a system that would allow people who have been vaccinated to cross the border.