Failure again: Moderna fails to deliver promised vaccines

Canada plans to receive 3.2 million doses of the three approved COVID-19 vaccines next week, including a shipment of Moderna doses that was expected this weekend. However, once again, delivery has been delayed.

Anita Anand, federal procurement minister, confirmed that she spoke with Moderna executives on Thursday afternoon and learned that the expected delivery of 590,400 doses will be delayed by several days. Anand was assured that these doses will be shipped to Canada no later than Thursday of next week, once Moderna's final quality assurance process has been completed.

"We have also been advised by the supplier that this delay is temporary and will not affect the next scheduled delivery of 855,600 doses the week of April 5," the minister said in a statement.

Anand also noted that with this shipment, the total number of vaccine doses that Canada should receive next week will increase to 3.2 million, including nearly 1.2 million from Pfizer-BioNTech.

The planned shipment will also include 1.5 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, which Canada will receive as part of an agreement with the United States, which provides doses from its domestic reserves.

Longer term, Canada is on track to receive 1.2 million doses from Moderna the week of April 19, the largest shipment from this vaccine manufacturer to date. Everyone is hopeful that this shipment will not go awry and that the country will be able to realize its plans for mass vaccination of the population.