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Trudeau Names Vaccine Team Lead

Tara Clow November 27, 2020 2:52 pm Last Updated on February 7, 2026 9:55 pm

The former head of NATO will lead Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Major-General Dany Fortin’s new role today, but says preparations for the vaccine have been underway since May.

Trudeau expects to have more than half of Canadians vaccinated by September 2021.

While Health Canada says it could approve its first COVID-19 vaccine in early December, Trudeau suggests Canadians should be patient if it takes more time.

“I can understand the eagerness with which people want to know, ‘When is this going to be over, when are we going to get the vaccine?’ What we can say is we are working extremely hard to deliver it as quickly and as safely as possible,” Trudeau says.

He emphasizes officials are focusing on making sure the distribution goes off without a hitch.

Author

Tara Clow

Tara Clow is a multi-award-winning news anchor and reporter with more than 30 years of experience at radio stations across Canada. She is a graduate of the Radio and TV Arts program at Toronto Metropolitan University and the Humber College radio broadcasting program. She is based in Moncton and covers stories across Canada. Contact Tara at clow.tara@radioabl.ca.