Like a well-prepared bartender on a Saturday morning, Canada is taking steps to ensure that it won’t run out of shots.
What happened: The federal government launched Health Emergency Readiness Canada (HERC), a new team under Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada focused on pandemic preparedness, vaccine access, and growing Canada’s life sciences industry.
Why it matters: Canada was woefully underprepared when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, with virtually no vaccine production capacity. This lack of manufacturing — and a long history of seeing life science companies leave the country — directly contributed to Canada’s sluggish vaccine rollout.
- The launch of HERC is meant to ensure that a similar situation won’t play out again in the case of another pandemic, which many scientists view as an inevitability.
Zoom out: The feds have already spent a lot this year to bolster pandemic preparedness, shelling out $574 million for projects at five vaccine research hubs. Meanwhile, Sanofi opened a vaccine production facility in Toronto and Moderna finished construction on one in Laval, Québec.
Big picture: HERC also has an economic angle. One stated goal is to “bridge the gap” between research and commercialization. This has been a long-standing problem for Canada, which is rich in research talent but often sees novel ideas capitalized on abroad.—QH