OTTAWA -- With the possibility for Canada to receive COVID-19 vaccines manufactured in India, Indiaâs Prime Minister Narendra Modi says he told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that his country will âdo its bestâ to see shots sent to Canada.
Trudeau and Modi spoke on the phone on Wednesday about the two nationsâ respective vaccine rollouts and the need for international co-ordination on securing supplies.
In a tweet, Modi said that on the call with Trudeau he âassured him that India would do its best to facilitate supplies of COVID vaccines sought by Canada.â
The Serum Institute of India has a contract with AstraZeneca to produce doses of its vaccine, to âsupply India but also a large number of countries around the world,â and Health Canada is currently reviewing the facilitiesâ the worldâs largest vaccine manufacturerâas the health agency developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University for use in Canada.
Modiâs office said that Trudeau spoke with Modi about âCanadaâs requirementsâ of vaccines from India and thanked Modi for supporting Canadaâs vaccination efforts, noting the role that the pharmaceutical capacity in India is playing in tackling COVID-19.
According to a readout issued by Trudeauâs office following the Wednesday call, the two leaders discussed âIndia's significant efforts in promoting vaccine production and supply, which have provided vital support to countries around the world,â and âagreed to work together on access to vaccines.â
During a press conference earlier on Wednesday, Trudeau was asked about whether he had planned to reach out to Modi about ensuring supplies from India, and he spoke in generalities in response.
âWe are continually in contact with our friends and allies around the world on the issues of vaccines, on the issue of fighting COVID. I can highlight that India has been a great partner in fighting COVID, whether it's helping us with delivery of other pharmaceuticals, or whether it's working together on potential vaccines,â the prime minister said.
He went on to say the government is also in talks with vaccine manufacturers about ensuring âreliableâ supplies of shipments and access to additional doses.
On Tuesday, Health Canadaâs senior medical adviser Dr. Supriya Sharma said the agency was in the âfinal stagesâ of reviewing the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Canada has secured access to 20 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, as well as 1.9 million doses through the global vaccine-sharing initiative COVAX. It, like the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, requires two doses.
While Wednesdayâs exchange included friendly language from both nations, Canada-India relations have been strained at times over the last few years, including as a result of Trudeauâs troubled 2018 India trip. In December, the prime minister came under fire from politicians in India for defending farmersâ right to peacefully protest in response to new laws passed by Modiâs government.
The readout from Trudeauâs office said that the two world leaders discussed the protests, âIndiaâs commitment to democratic principles,â and âthe importance of resolving issues through dialogue.â
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 10, 2021.