441-00009 (Foreign affairs)

Canada has been a leading international donor to end the acute phase of the pandemic, recognizing that no one can be truly safe from this virus until everyone is safe. That is why Canada is doing its part to support the World Health Organization (WHO) and G20 goal of supporting the immunization of 70% of the population in every country with safe and effective vaccines by mid 2022. Canada has committed to donate the equivalent of at least 200 million doses to the COVAX Facility by the end of 2022. To date, this includes over 50 million donated vaccine doses deemed surplus from Canada’s domestic procurements and financial contributions to the COVAX Facility that have supported the procurement of approximately 87 million vaccine doses. Canada is prioritizing sharing doses via the COVAX Facility to ensure efficient distribution and to maximize impact.

Canada recognizes that there continues to be need and demand globally for safe and effective WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines. The COVAX Facility provides a one-stop mechanism that weighs global needs and priorities based on access, epidemiological concerns, and absorption capacity.

Canada is working with the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) to support national efforts to introduce COVID-19 vaccines, and efforts to reach populations living in situations of vulnerability. Canada’s contribution also supports coordinated efforts to curb vaccine hesitancy across the Caribbean region, including in Barbados.

As of December 7, 2021, 2,790,780 doses have been donated to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean from Canada both bilaterally and through COVAX, including 30,000 doses delivered to Barbados on September 1, as requested by the Government of Barbados at that time.

Canada will continue to prioritize sharing vaccine doses through the COVAX Facility. The COVAX Facility uses a transparent equitable allocation framework to determine where doses are sent, which contributes to global health equity and is the best way to slow the spread of the pandemic. The Facility’s activities are undertaken by trusted partners, including the Pan-American Health Organization, who are leveraging their expertise, experience, and longstanding capacity to carry out the critical work of ensuring that available vaccines are used safely, efficiently, and effectively, ensuring that no one is left behind.