Canada Establishes New Pandemic Preparedness Agency

Health Emergency Readiness Canada aims to expedite vaccine development and improve pandemic response.

The federal Liberals have launched Health Emergency Readiness Canada to enhance the nation's ability to handle infectious diseases.
The agency will focus on accelerating the transition from research to commercialization for vaccines, medical therapies, and diagnostics.
It will coordinate efforts between Canadian industry, academic researchers, and international partners.
This initiative follows the European Union's 2021 creation of a similar agency to prepare for future pandemics and learn from COVID-19.
Canada's previous pandemic response was hindered by outdated stockpiles and a lack of domestic vaccine production capabilities.