Your weekly COVID-19 update

Every Tuesday, the Maclean's daily newsletter will catch you up on what you need to know about Canada's fight against the coronavirus. This week, Patricia Treble focuses on one story worth watching, and you can get a sneak peek here. You'll also get the same mix of Maclean's stories you expect every day if you scroll down below.

In the first quarter of 2021, Canada is expected to receive six million doses of several vaccines, including ones from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech, with more doses from those manufacturers as well as other pharmaceutical firms coming after that, pending regulatory approval. The federal government has “a diverse portfolio” of advance-purchase agreements, Trudeau explained, in part because “they have never been made at this scale or speed before.” If one firm runs into manufacturing challenges, Canada has alternatives lined up. As of Dec. 7, the government has signed agreements with seven firms working on COVID-19 vaccine candidates. (The Maclean’s COVID-19 vaccine tracker is keeping tabs on trials, approvals and pre-orders.)

“It is the largest mobilization of vaccines in Canada’s history,” Trudeau says. The rollout of so many different vaccines (up to seven, if all are approved), each with its own storage and handling requirements, and many requiring two doses, is a logistics challenge. “This is no small task, which is why we have a clear plan,” Trudeau said. As soon as the individual vaccines are approved by Health Canada, a logistics operation will deliver those precious vials to provinces and territories for distribution. Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, chief of staff of the joint operations command of the Canadian Armed Forces, will run that campaign as a vice-president at the Public Health Agency of Canada.

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