COVID-19 Immunity Task Force
Canadian task force tracking COVID-19 immunity and vaccine safety.
Last updated
The COVID-19 Immunity Task Force was a federal project launched early in the pandemic to monitor the coronavirus. To boost efficiency, a separate secretariat handled its operations. After four years, the group concluded its work on March 31, 2024, having served various functions for Canadians.
Quick Facts
- Established
- 23 April 2020
- Terminated
- March 31, 2024
- Country
- Canada
- Funding
- over $1 billion
Facts from the source article.
Purpose
The CITF was tasked with using serology to survey representative population samples for antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It aimed to estimate how many Canadians were immune to the virus. The task force also established a Vaccine Surveillance Reference Group (VSRG) to monitor the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines available in Canada. The Canadian government funded over $1 billion for COVID-19 research through the CITF, including $40 million for the COVID-19 Genomics Network, $23 million for the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre, $29 million for the National Research Council of Canada, $600 million through the Strategic Innovation Fund, $10.3 million over 10 years with a $5 million bonus for the Canadian Immunization Research Network, and $114.9 million through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Did You Know?
- Catherine Hankins reported that less than 1% of 10,000 samples tested positive for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2.
- Canadian Blood Services analyzed over 30,000 blood samples in total.
More in Epidemiology
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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