A small number of the most vulnerable Canadians could be immunized against COVID-19 before the holidays.
The first doses of Pfizer's vaccine are set to arrive next week.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said yesterday the contract with the U-S pharmaceutical company and its German partner, BioNTech, was adjusted this week to reflect that up to 249 thousand doses of their vaccine will be delivered to Canada before the end of this month.
Everything hinges on Health Canada approving the Pfizer vaccine, with a decision expected on that in the coming days.
Trudeau said that if approval comes by the end of the week, Canadians will begin getting vaccinated next week.
He says it has been a difficult year, and we are not out of the crisis yet, but ``now, vaccines are coming.''
The Pfizer vaccine has to be given in two doses, 23 days apart.
Other versions will eventually arrive by Moderna, Astrazeneca and Johnson and Johnson.
The latter version needs only one dose.