Ottawa can’t get out of its purchase agreement with AstraZeneca, nor with other COVID-vaccine makers whose shots might not get used in Canada’s fight against the pandemic, according to a senior official from Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC).
The federal government paid $163.6 million for 20 million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, according to the per-dose price mentioned in an email by a member of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
In March, the Canadian Press reported that the Public Health Agency of Canada expected to spend $5 billion on vaccines and other COVID-19 treatments. The federal budget released on April 19 said more than $9 billion has been spent on vaccine procurement.
Canada bought more doses for its population than any other country in the world, a point that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of his cabinet have proudly cited in their defense against criticism of how they’ve handled the pandemic.
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