Canada is donating 13 million surplus shots to help poorer countries get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the pledge at the end of the G7 summit in England this morning, where the pandemic, climate change and China have dominated the agenda over the past two days.
Canada previously said it would offer the world up to 100 million vaccine doses to fight the spread of COVID-19, but was the only G7 country to not say how many of those would be actual shots rather than money.
Trudeau says the government will pay for 87 million shots to be distributed to poor countries, adding the donation of surplus jabs will not affect the domestic vaccination campaign.
Canada has secured delivery of more than 100 million doses for the year — more than what’s needed to give its population of nearly 38 million two doses per person.
Government officials have previously emphasized that the country has spent $2.5 billion over the past year on assisting other countries respond to the health crisis.
Trudeau, who will depart England shortly for a NATO leaders’ summit in Belgium, also revealed billions of dollars in additional funding to help poor countries fight climate change.
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The Canadian Press
