Ottawa announces influenza vaccine agreement with GlaxoSmithKline

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says the government has signed a four-year deal with GlaxoSmithKline to produce and deliver influenza vaccines.

The deal includes an option to procure 80-million doses of influenza vaccine if a pandemic occurs and a minimum of 4 million doses annually to be used in publicly-funded vaccination programs.

Influenza pandemics hit every 11 to 40 years and the most recent one happened 13 years ago when the H-1-N-1 pandemic hit.

He’s also encouraging Canadians to get their first and second COVID-19 boosters.

Duclos says if there’s one lesson to be learned from the pandemic, it’s the critical importance of vaccinations.