Canada receives PAXLOVID to treat COVID-19

Today, Minister Tassi announced that the Government of Canada has received an initial shipment of 30,400 treatment courses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 oral antiviral treatment, PAXLOVID, with distribution to provinces and territories to begin immediately.

120,000 more treatment courses are expected to be delivered between now and the end of March.

Earlier today, Health Canada authorized the drug that can be used to treat adults with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk of serious disease, including hospitalization or death. Our government remains committed to using all the tools available to protect Canadians against COVID-19.

Let me be clear: no drug — including Paxlovid — is a substitute for vaccination and public health measures. While this is great news in our fight against COVID-19, vaccination and public health measures remain the best way to protect the public against infection and severe disease.