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Updated March 4th, 2021 at 10:56 IST

Canada receives 5 lakh doses of India's Covishield vaccine; 1.5 million more to follow

Canada has thanked India for the 500,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, a week after AstraZeneca's COVISHIELD vaccine was approved in their country by experts

Reported by: Swagata Banerjee
Canada
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Canada on Wednesday extended gratitude to India for sending 500,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, a week after AstraZeneca's COVISHIELD vaccine was approved.

Oakville MP and Minister of Public Services and Procurement Anita Anand took to Twitter and said, "The AZ/COVISHIELD vaccine is now in Canada. The first tranche of 500,000 doses arrived this morning from Serum Institute of India with 1.5 million more doses to follow. Thank you to all whose hard work made this happen. We look forward to future collaboration."

"Another 944,600 doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be reaching Canada this week, of which 444,600 doses are of Pfizer and 500,000 doses of AstraZeneca," Anand informed. 

Last week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had appreciated the support and partnership provided by India in fighting COVID-19 and helping secure coronavirus vaccine doses for the people of Canada, soon after approving COVISHIELD.

In a media briefing, Trudeau had said, "This morning, Health Canada authorized the AstraZeneca Oxford COVID-19 vaccine as well as the Serum Institute of India's version COVISHIELD. We now have a safe and third vaccine independently approved by health experts in Canada. This is very encouraging news, which means more people would be vaccinated soon."

READ | Justin Trudeau Thanks India Over Fighting COVID, Securing Vaccine Doses For Canadians

READ | Indian Diaspora Holds Tiranga-Maple Rally In Canada Hailing COVID-19 Vaccine Supply

Trudeau speaks on a call with PM Modi

Last month, the Trudeau government was questioned over the delay in procuring COVID-19 vaccines and the Canadian opposition MPs had questioned the government if they reached out to India for vaccines, to which the government had no response. After Trudeau's call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the latter took to Twitter to assert that "India would do its best to supply COVID-19 vaccines sought by Canada"

"Expressing his appreciation, Prime Minister Trudeau said that if the world managed to conquer COVID-19, it would be significant because of India's tremendous pharmaceutical capacity, and Prime Minister Modi's leadership in sharing this capacity with the world.  Prime Minister thanked PM Trudeau for his sentiments," a press release from the PMO read.

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READ | Canada's Ontario Says Seniors Won't Get AstraZeneca Vaccine

(With ANI Inputs)

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Published March 4th, 2021 at 10:56 IST

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