(Reuters) – Moderna Inc delayed the shipment of 590,400 doses of its COVID-19 vaccine that were due to arrive in Canada this weekend, the federal procurement minister said on Thursday.
Moderna informed the Canadian authorities that the delay was due to a “delay in the quality assurance process,” said Anita Anand, adding that the company has ensured that the remaining doses will be sent by Thursday next week.
Canada is expected to receive 846,000 doses of Moderna this week, of which 255,600 were delivered on Wednesday, a government source told Reuters.
“As soon as Moderna’s final quality assurance process is completed, doses will be released for shipping.”
Anand said the American drugmaker said the problem was a “small hiccup” and that it would not affect the sending of 855,600 doses scheduled for the week of April 5.
Canada has received 5.9 million doses of vaccine so far and expects to receive 3.2 million next week, including from Pfizer Inc, AstraZeneca Plc from the United States and the rescheduled shipment of Moderna.
The country is facing a potential third wave of infections, as the most transmissible variant of virus B.1.1.7, first discovered in the United Kingdom, causes outbreaks at some critical points.
It currently has 38,922 active cases and reported 5,202 new cases as of March 25. (Http://bit.ly/3tPN81C)
(Reporting by Steve Scherer in Ottawa and Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru, edited by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)