Canada reportedly signed a contract to purchase 37 million syringes from Becton Dickinson (NYSE:BDX) in preparation for a potential COVID-19 vaccine.
A report in The Record revealed that Public Services & Procurement Minister Anita Anand said the country made a purchase order from the Canadian branch of BD in an effort to make sure Canada is ready for mass vaccinations if the cure for COVID-19 is discovered. There is no definitive timeline for the delivery of the syringes as of now.
The Record cited Statistics Canada as reporting that more than 38 million people comprise the country’s population, one million more than the total number of syringes agreed upon in the contract. Canada Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam said the order represents the “maximum number of Canadians who may wish to be vaccinated,” according to the report.
Currently, Chinese pharmaceutical company CanSino Biologics is collaborating with the National Research Council of Canada on the only Health Canada-authorized COVID-19 vaccine trial. Elsewhere, vaccine development efforts are being touted at Moderna and Merck, among other companies and researchers alike.
Canada’s efforts to prepare for a potential vaccine mirror the country’s actions during the ongoing pandemic, as The Record report said the country has placed orders for tens of millions of face shields, gloves, medical gowns and masks for healthcare workers.
Statistics revealed in the report showed that, as of May 26, the Canadian government had already received more than 9.6 million face shields, 39 million gloves, 3 million gowns, 11.9 million N95 respirator masks, 101 million surgical masks and 203 ventilators.