Prognosis

Johnson & Johnson Approval Gives Canada a 4th Vaccine Option

  • Single-shot formula will help boost lagging inoculation drive
  • Trudeau procurement chief confident timeline will accelerate
A healthcare worker administers a Covid-19 vaccine at a Vancouver clinic on March 4.Photographer: Jennifer Gauthier/Bloomberg
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Canada’s public health agency licensed Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine, prompting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to say he’s optimistic about accelerating timelines for mass inoculation.

The approval, first reported by Canadian Broadcasting Corp., was announced at a briefing by health officials in Ottawa Friday morning. At a separate press conference, Trudeau said the country would be receiving more doses of the Pfizer Inc. vaccine sooner than expected. The government’s target is to vaccinate every Canadian that wants a shot by the end of September.