White Coat Black Art·THE DOSE

What do I need to know as we get closer to a COVID-19 vaccine?

There are now two COVID-19 vaccine candidates that look very promising. If they're approved by Health Canada, experts say they should be available sometime next year. Dr. Jeff Kwong, head of the Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases at the University of Toronto, answers some important questions.
Both Pfizer and Moderna have announced late-stage clinical trial results that suggest their COVID-19 vaccine candidates could be more than 90 per cent effective. (Hans Pennink/The Associated Press)

There are now two COVID-19 vaccine candidates that look very promising. Late-stage clinical trials suggest they may be more than 90 per cent effective.

The Canadian government has signed deals with both manufacturers, so if they're approved by Health Canada, experts say they should be available to us sometime next year. But a new vaccine naturally raises lots of questions, from its safety profile to who will get it first in a country of more than 37 million people.

Dr. Jeff Kwong, interim director of the Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases at the University of Toronto, joins The Dose host Dr. Brian Goldman to help answer these important questions. 

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