TORONTO – From the desperate search for vaccines against Covid-19 to having millions of them in freezers throughout the country. Canada, it would seem, does not like half measures. Data on deliveries, distribution and injections of vaccines provided by Health Canada and the provinces show that nearly 22 million doses have been delivered to Canada but not yet used. This includes a national “reserve” of nearly 10 million doses and over 11.7 million doses provided to provincial and territorial governments that have yet to be administered. 

Until the beginning of July, Ottawa immediately distributed each dose to the provinces. As the demand for vaccines slowed and the provinces did not need large amounts of doses, the federal government began to accumulate an emergency reserve. That stock now amounts to 9.8 million doses, more than 13% of the 72 million doses delivered to Canada to date.

Nearly 23.6 million Canadians are now fully vaccinated, or 71.3% of all people aged 12 and over. But since Canada Day, Canadians’ requests to be vaccinated have slowed down considerably. About 150,000 doses were administered daily in the first week of August, compared to nearly 500,000 per day in the first week of July.

Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand says the number of accumulated doses that can be considered in excess and therefore available to be donated to other countries is not yet clear. “There are a number of unknowns at the moment as science continues to give different directions over time – Anand told The Canadian Press – in particular, we are not sure if boosters will be needed and if they will be needed this year. We also expect that the demand for the Pfizer vaccine for the 5 to 11 age group will begin to rise so we need to have vaccines for that age group as well”.

Canada has already purchased 35 million booster doses from Pifzer – which will be delivered in 2022 – and another 30 million coming in 2023.

Canada has not yet recommended the booster, which is the third dose, but some countries, including Germany, are giving it to people with compromised immune systems. At the moment, said Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam, the need for boosters is still under study.

Canada has so far donated $575 million to buy doses for less wealthy countries, sold 13 million doses purchased directly from the COVAX vaccine sharing alliance and promised to donate the 17.7 million doses ordered long ago of AstraZeneca. To date, only 82,000 have been shipped to Trinidad and Tobago.

Canada, Anand concluded, would need 66 million doses to fully vaccinate anyone over the age of 12, but it is expected that more than 10% of Canadians are not going to be immunized.

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