Statement from Minister of Health and Social Services on the approval of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine

Minister Pauline Frost released the following statement:

We are very pleased that Health Canada has granted final regulatory approval to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. Approval means the vaccine meets Canada’s stringent safety, efficacy and quality requirements.

This is the exciting news Yukoners have been waiting for and our team is ready to begin vaccinating Yukoners as soon as possible. Now that the vaccine is approved, Health Canada and the manufacturer will provide training instructions for the handling and delivery of the vaccine.

We expect doses to arrive by the end of December and, following the training of staff, vaccinations will begin the first week of January. Our first delivery will be 7,200 doses, which is enough to vaccinate 3,600 Yukoners, as Moderna requires two doses delivered one month apart.

We anticipate further shipments will arrive in January. Yukon will receive enough doses to vaccinate 75 per cent of the eligible adult population in early 2021.

The first Yukoners eligible for the vaccine will be long-term care residents and staff.

I urge all Yukoners to continue practising the Safe 6 and wear a mask. We cannot let our guard down and must continue to be vigilant against possible spread of the virus.