By Canadian Press

More than 20 million COVID-19 vaccine doses now stockpiled in Canadian freezers

Aug 11, 2021 | 10:36 AM

OTTAWA — Canada has gone from being desperate for every dose of vaccine it could get to stockpiling millions of them in freezers across the country.

Data on vaccine deliveries, distribution and injections provided by Health Canada and the provinces show almost 22 million doses have been delivered but not yet used.

That includes a national “reserve” of nearly 10 million doses, and more than 11.7 million doses delivered to provincial and territorial governments that have yet to be administered.

Procurement Minister Anita Anand says how many of those doses can be considered excess and available for donation to other countries is still up in the air.

That’s because of ongoing conversations about whether and when booster doses are needed for some or all Canadians, and how many doses will be needed to vaccinate children under 12 when vaccines are eventually approved for them.

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Almost 23.6 million Canadians are now fully vaccinated, or 71.3 per cent of all people at least 12 years old.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2021.

Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press