Braid: Moderna boss won’t put Canada aside quickly for COVID-19 vaccine



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Health Minister Patty Hajdu answers a question during the Question Period in the House of Commons on Thursday, October 8, 2020 in Ottawa. Photo by Adrian Wyld / The Canadian Press / File

COVID-19 vaccines are a much more complex problem. The feds buy and distribute. They have to work out times and systems with each province and territory. Some vaccines require very complex shipments.

And first, federal regulators must approve vaccines too.

“We will never interfere with the work of the regulators,” Hajdu said.

“They have to be independent so that they can make those decisions free of political influence. This can comfort Canadians that whatever we approve of will be safe. “

The Liberals’ results on political interference aren’t exactly stellar, so we’ll hold on to it.

But Hajdu, who has been pilloried as incapable and incompetent, seems to me capable, well-intentioned and fully attuned to the enormous challenges he faces.

He says he can’t pinpoint “an exact date” for the distribution.

“It’s not going to happen all at once,” he notes. “In every country in the world this planning is proceeding right now, trying to figure out which populations are the priority to get these first vaccines.”

Perhaps Canada failed to plan early enough to distribute something that didn’t yet exist. There will certainly be inefficiencies.

But we are in a silent war. As in all times of war, vast systems must be remodeled to effectively attack the enemy.

It’s hard work, but Canadians have long proven that we are very good.

Although the Alberta pandemic worsens every day – a record 1,733 new cases announced on Monday – there is also much more promising news than we could have imagined just a month ago.

Don Braid’s column appears regularly on the Herald

The original column has been changed to reflect the November 30 case count.

[email protected]

Twitter: @DonBraid

Facebook: Don Braid Politics



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