Health Canada Reviewing AstraZeneca Vaccine as UK Becomes First Country to Approve Use

Health Canada Reviewing AstraZeneca Vaccine as UK Becomes First Country to Approve Use
A nurse waits for patients at a COVID-19 test clinic in Montreal, on Dec. 11, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson)
The Canadian Press
12/30/2020
Updated:
12/30/2020

OTTAWA—Health Canada says it needs more information before it can make a decision on a COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by AstraZeneca.

The agency says in a statement this morning it is working with international counterparts like those in the U.K. to share information on vaccines under review.

Earlier today, the U.K. became the first country to authorize use of the vaccine created by AstraZeneca and Oxford University.

Despite that, Health Canada says it cannot provide a definite timeline for completion of its review of the vaccine.

Ontario set a new daily record for cases today with 2,923, with just over one-third of them in the country’s largest city of Toronto.

Neighbouring Quebec is reporting 2,511 new cases of COVID-19 and 41 more deaths.