Vaccines and treatments for COVID-19: Vaccine rollout

Producing a vaccine

Producing a vaccine is complex. It requires significant investments to ensure it can be produced on a large scale with good quality and consistency. Our investments in research will help make sure Canada has faster access to safe and effective vaccines.

Manufacturers manage the process for vaccine production.

Both private and large public investments from governments around the world are being put toward research and development of COVID-19 vaccines.

This partnership between private industry and the public can lead to more affordable and ground-breaking health products for Canada.

Securing enough vaccine

On December 9, 2020, we authorized the first vaccine in Canada for the prevention of COVID-19. Find out about COVID-19 vaccines that are authorized in Canada.

We're working to make sure everyone in Canada has access to these vaccines as quickly as possible. This includes working with provinces and territories, as they're responsible for planning and running vaccination programs. The advance purchase agreements we've signed will help us reach this goal.

We're investing in a large selection of vaccines and working hard to make sure vaccine doses are available as quickly as possible after authorization. But it will take time before there's enough vaccine for everyone in Canada. This is why we identified priority populations for the first doses of the vaccines with the:

provinces and territories and
National Advisory Committee on Immunization

The Government of Canada will also provide additional support for:

securing storage facilities
getting supplies (like needles, swabs and gauze)
helping with distribution across the country

Vaccination for COVID-19

COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in Canada are free. They're available to priority populations first. They'll then be available to everyone in Canada who is recommended to get the vaccine by federal, provincial and territorial public health authorities.

This applies to:

everyone in Canada, including those who aren't citizens and who are over the:
- age of 16 for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine
- age of 18 for the Moderna vaccine
diplomatic staff and their dependants
Canadian Armed Forces personnel that are on active duty abroad

Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to:

prevent the spread
reduce the impact of infectious diseases
protect us against COVID-19

How many people in Canada have gotten the COVID-19 vaccine

Groups that will get the vaccine first

Stage 1

Stage 1 priority for early COVID-19 vaccination should be offered to groups who are:

at higher risk of severe outcomes of COVID-19
most likely to transmit to those at higher risk for severe illness or death

These groups include:

residents and staff of shared living settings who provide care for seniors
adults 70 years of age and older, with order of priority:
1. beginning with adults 80 years of age and older
2. decreasing the age limit by 5-year increments to age 70 as supply becomes available
frontline health care workers who have direct contact with patients, including:
- personal support workers
- those who work in health care settings
adults in Indigenous communities

Stage 2

When enough COVID-19 vaccines and supplies become available to stage 1 groups, stage 2 should offer vaccinations to:

adults in or from Indigenous communities not included in stage 1, including those who live in urban settings
residents and staff of all other shared living settings, such as:
- shelters
- group homes
- correctional facilities
- housing for migrant workers
adults 60 to 69 years of age:
1. beginning with those 65 years of age or older, then
2. decreasing the age limit to 60 years
adults in racialized and marginalized communities
first responders, including:
- police
- military
- firefighters
- coast guard
frontline essential workers who can’t work virtually and have direct close physical contact with the public, such as:
- postal services
- border services
- rotational workers
- grocery store staff
- transportation workers
- those involved in the pandemic response
- food production or manufacturing workers
- teachers and school or childcare staff not working virtually
essential primary caregivers for people who:
- can’t care for themselves and
- are at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 due to advanced age (60 years of age or older)

Stage 3

As supply increases and people in previous stages have been offered vaccines, stage 3 should offer vaccines to:

people 16 to 59 years of age with an underlying medical condition who are at high risk of severe illness due to COVID-19
- this includes their essential primary caregiver, where applicable
adults 50 to 59 years of age without an underlying medical condition:
1. beginning with adults 55 years of age or older. then
2. decreasing the age limit to 50 years
non-frontline health care workers that:
- are needed to maintain health care capacity but
- don’t have direct close physical contact with the public
non-frontline essential workers who don’t have direct close physical contact with the public

How Canada chooses groups for early vaccination

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is an independent committee of experts that provides advice to the Public Health Agency of Canada. This advice is then distributed and published to inform decision making by provinces and territories, which are responsible for administering vaccines and deciding which populations will receive them first.

NACI’s recommendations aim to achieve the goal of Canada’s pandemic response, which is to reduce serious illness and death while reducing disruptions in society

The committee chooses groups for early vaccination by looking at risk factors for severe COVID-19 disease and outcomes, such as:

biological factors like:
- advanced age
- pre-existing medical conditions
social factors like:
- low socioeconomic status
- belonging to a racialized population

The decision-making process also includes a review of:

ethics
equity
feasibility
acceptability

These recommendations aim to reduce disruptions in society due to the pandemic by prioritizing those who:

provide essential services
take additional risks to protect the public

Recommendations are based on:

population-based analysis of the risks and benefits that considers:
- risk of exposure to COVID-19, including:
  - ability to physically distance
  - access to other measures to prevent infection
- risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19
- how safe and effective authorized vaccines are in key populations
results of clinical trials
vaccine supply, which is the timing of available doses and the number of:
- available vaccine types
- doses each group needs
the current pandemic situation when vaccines become available

Provinces and territories may have to adjust their strategy at each stage depending on local trends and transmission rates.

Where to get vaccinated in your province or territory

For information on the vaccination rollout plans in your province or territory, please refer to your provincial or territorial website:

Distributing vaccines

COVID-19 vaccines will be available to everyone in Canada who are recommended to get the vaccine by federal, provincial and territorial public health bodies. Doses of the vaccines will be distributed in Canada in phases, which began in December 2020. Assuming the continued supply of safe and effective vaccines, it's expected there will be enough vaccines to immunize everyone for whom vaccines are approved and recommended. We anticipate this will be accomplished by September of 2021.

The following table describes the quantities of COVID-19 vaccines that have been delivered to provinces and territories to date. The total vaccine confirmed distribution table will be updated weekly.

Total COVID-19 vaccine confirmed distribution as of February 18, 2021, at 1pm
Vaccine distribution	Pfizer/BioNTech	Moderna	Total
Total distributed in Canada	1,328,340	518,000	1,846,340
Newfoundland and Labrador	17,160	7,300	24,460
Prince Edward Island	9,945	3,100	13,045
Nova Scotia	35,880	11,400	47,280
New Brunswick	26,715	8,300	35,015
Quebec	295,815	104,700	400,515
Ontario	512,655	170,600	683,255
Manitoba	54,210	22,800	77,010
Saskatchewan	43,095	16,300	59,395
Alberta	153,075	52,800	205,875
British Columbia	179,790	63,700	243,490
Yukon	0	18,900	18,900
Northwest Territories	0	19,100	19,100
Nunavut	0	15,400	15,400
Federal allocation^{Footnote 1}	0	3,600	3,600
Footnotes Footnote 1 Federal allocation includes doses for Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the Canadian Armed Forces and Correctional Service Canada Return to footnote 1 referrer

The following tables describe the allocations of vaccine that are forecasted to be available for provinces and territories over the next number of weeks. These tables are updated as the quantities of available vaccine and the timing of future deliveries are confirmed. Fluctuations from week to week are possible. Allocation forecasts are therefore subject to change on short notice.

Forecasted allocation of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to provinces and territories

Current Pfizer-BioNTech allocations are based on a 6 dose per vial product monograph.

Distribution location	15-21 Feb	22-28 Feb	1-7 Mar	8-14 Mar	15-21 Mar	22-28 Mar	29 Mar - 4 Apr
Total forecasted allocations	403,650	475,020	444,600	444,600	444,600	444,600	444,600
Newfoundland and Labrador	5,850	7,020	5,850	5,850	5,850	5,850	5,850
Prince Edward Island	1,170	1,170	1,170	1,170	1,170	1,170	1,170
Nova Scotia	10,530	11,700	11,700	11,700	10,530	10,530	11,700
New Brunswick	8,190	9,360	9,360	9,360	9,360	9,360	9,360
Quebec	91,260	107,640	100,620	100,620	101,790	101,790	101,790
Ontario	156,780	186,030	173,160	173,160	174,330	174,330	175,500
Manitoba	15,210	17,550	16,380	16,380	14,040	14,040	14,040
Saskatchewan	12,870	15,210	14,040	14,040	12,870	12,870	12,870
Alberta	46,800	54,990	51,480	51,480	53,820	53,820	52,650
British Columbia	54,990	64,350	60,840	60,840	60,840	60,840	59,670
Yukon	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Northwest Territories	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Nunavut	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Forecasted allocation of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to provinces and territories

Distribution location	1-7 Feb	22-28 Feb
Total forecasted allocations	180,000	168,000
Newfoundland and Labrador	2,500	1,800
Prince Edward Island	700	500
Nova Scotia	4,000	3,000
New Brunswick	3,200	2,400
Quebec	38,200	28,500
Ontario	63,400	47,400
Manitoba	8,100	6,100
Saskatchewan	6,000	4,500
Alberta	18,800	14,100
British Columbia	22,500	16,400
Yukon	4,500	16,100
Northwest Territories	4,700	16,200
Nunavut	3,400	11,000

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Date modified:: 2021-02-18

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