Saskatoon’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization on the USask Campus was singled out by the Prime Minister Tuesday morning as he said VIDO will be on track to produce 40 million doses of a new COVID-19 vaccine it has developed. As our newsroom told you last month, the vaccine entered phase 1 clinical trials in Halifax. Phase 2 won’t just be in Halifax and Director and CEO of VIDO Dr. Volker Gerdts told our newsroom then, that the hope is phase two testing will include Saskatoon.

He estimates around 1,500 people from across Canada will be given the vaccine in Phase 2. This morning, Justin Trudeau said efforts to produce Canadian made COVID-19 vaccines have taken some big steps forward. The Prime Minister says Precision NanoSystems, and Novavax have signed agreements for home-grown production.

“We’ve signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Novavax to produce their COVID-19 vaccines at the new NRC Royal Mount Facility in Montreal. Pending Health Canada approval, tens of millions of Novavax COVID-19 doses will be made right here at home.”

[cjgx and CT]