(The Political Scientist) Health Canada on Wednesday approved the Pfizer vaccine already in use in the UK. The vaccine that was developed with BioNTech, would soon arrive in Canada for distribution. This is a historic moment and a critical weapon in the fight against the coronavirus that has killed over 10,000 Canadians and infected more than 400,000. This authorization means that the 249,000 initial doses the country will receive will be administered to yet-to-be identified vulnerable groups.

A statement released by the Health Agency stated, “Health Canada has determined that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine meets the Department’s stringent safety, efficacy and quality requirements for use in Canada,” Canada has purchased 20 million doses and is open to purchase more as quantities become available. The initial 249,000 dose will vaccinate 124,000 people with two doses for each person administered three weeks apart. Canada is the second country to approve the Pfizer vaccine after the UK which started vaccinating its vulnerable citizens on Tuesday.

-The Political Scientist