Conservatives press Trudeau government over COVID-19 vaccine after U.K. approval

OTTAWA – The Trudeau government is facing increasing pressure to give a clear timeline for COVID-19 vaccine distribution, after news the U.K. approved on Wednesday the Pfizer candidate for emergency use.

The U.K. is the first western country to approve a COVID-19 vaccine, a move that has prompted the federal opposition to once again ask why Canada didn’t move faster.

A statement from Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole says our allies have plans to get vaccines to their people in days or weeks, and yet the prime minister has no timeline and no plan.

“The U.K. has approved Pfizer’s vaccine and are ready to begin vaccinating people next week, yet Canadians still have no idea when they’ll get vaccines,” he says. “Our allies around the world have plans to get vaccines to their people while Prime Minister Trudeau has no timeline, no plan for distribution, and no plan on who will get vaccines first. Canadians deserve certainty.”

Statement from Conservative Leader @erinotoole on the UK becoming the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer vaccine #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/elMs1dNAjL

— Cormac Mac Sweeney (@cmaconthehill) December 2, 2020

His point is being echoed by Tory MPs, with Marilyn Gladu saying, “It’s too bad that the Liberals’ lack of planning has resulted in Canadians going to be delayed months.”

Conservative MP Michael Barrett claims Canada didn’t act fast enough to ensure we had access to immunizations when our allies do.

“They’re going to start vaccinating their population. We’re seeing that by the end of the first quarter, the promise from the Liberals is that we’ll have six-million doses, which is about three-million vaccinations,” he says.

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However, Justin Trudeau and his government have recently been countering these claims, noting they have pre-ordered hundreds of millions of doses. The Pfizer vaccine is one of the frontrunners for approval and Canada is guaranteed a share of the first round of doses from competitor Moderna.

Officials have said they expect to approve COVID-19 vaccines around the same time as the U.S. and European Union, which could happen in days.

The first deliveries are expected in early January. The government has said people who are deemed most vulnerable and those working on the frontline are expected to be the first to receive the shots.