Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will provide an update Friday on the country's ongoing efforts to combat COVID-19. He will be joined by Health Minister Patty Hajdu, Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam and deputy chief public health officer Dr. Howard Njoo.

The briefing comes just a short time after Health Canada announced it had approved Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine.

The vaccine adds to Canada’s growing arsenal, becoming the fourth official shot to get Health Canada’s seal of approval, potentially enabling more Canadians to be vaccinated in the coming months.

On Thursday, Njoo announced that the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) has recommended up to a four-month interval between vaccine doses when supply is limited.

The decision was based on real-world data from around the world that showed the first dose gives a significant amount of protection against the virus, he said.

As of Thursday, more than two million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Canada, with 3.6 per cent of Canadians receiving one dose, and 1.4 per cent receiving two doses.

Along with the authorization of AstraZeneca's vaccine, Health Canada has also authorized Pfizer-BioNTech's request to store its vaccine at standard freezer temperatures, after it was previously required to be stored at ultra-cold temperatures.

The decision will make it more flexible for provinces and territories to handle, store and administer the vaccine.

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