On March 24, GSL Director Steven Hoffman appeared on the CBC’s Canada Tonight with Ginella Massa to discuss the growing global challenge of vaccine nationalism which was exacerbated this week by the announcement of potential European vaccine export controls.
In the interview, Hoffman called the newest developments disappointing but not surprising. Countries for months now have acted in their own best interest which could ultimately prove self-defeating. The lack of a global distribution framework can, according to Hoffman, not be mitigated during a pandemic. These agreements have to be made outside a state of crisis.
He also discussed the lack of vaccine manufacturing capacity in Canada and that this is a conscious decision the federal government under Stephen Harper took about a decade ago. Building that capacity will/would take years if not decades.
Watch the full interview on the right. Hoffman’s segment starts at 6:30. Lately CBC interviews often don’t play when using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox browsers. Opening this article on Safari or Internet Explorer should mitigate the issue.
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