Persona Digest

CANADA ON WEDNESDAY approved Pfizer and BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, becoming the second country to do so.

Health Canada said in a press release that the vaccine was submitted for review on Oct. 9 and "after a thorough, independent review of the evidence, Health Canada has determined that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine meets the department's stringent safety, efficacy and quality requirements for use in Canada."

Canada is the second country after the United Kingdom to approve the Pfizer vaccine and it comes before American approval, which is expected this month. President Donald Trump has reportedly expressed his frustration that no vaccine has been approved in the U.S. yet, with the president's agitation increasing after the U.K.'s announcement. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is scheduled to meet Thursday to consider approval of the Pfizer vaccine.

Health Canada said that more information, including scientific summaries and full clinical trial data will be made available in the coming weeks. The initial indication for the vaccine is for use in people 16 years and older.

"Canadians can feel confident that the review process was rigorous and that we have strong monitoring systems in place," the release stated. "Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada will closely monitor the safety of the vaccine once it is on the market and will not hesitate to take action if any safety concerns are identified."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced earlier this week that the country would receive an initial shipment of 249,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year. He expects Canada's first vaccinations to begin next week.