Documents show the International Vaccine Institute first invited Canada to join nearly 40 other countries as a member in a July 24, 2020, letter.
The federal Liberal government has spent three years deliberating on an invitation to join a global body that designs vaccinations to protect the world’s poorest from preventable diseases.
“The only way we tackle infectious diseases, which are global, is to have global partnerships,” said Paul Hodgson, operations director with the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, which has worked with the institute. Other documents the organization provided show the invitation sparked a series of meetings in South Korea and correspondence between the agency and Canadian government officials in Ottawa and Seoul.Hodgson has worked with the institute on various projects over the course of 20 years, including improving vaccines for whooping cough and respiratory syncytial virus.
“It had not previously joined or funded an ‘upstream’ organization like IVI, which presented a new challenge and opportunity for Global Affairs Canada,” McCann said in an e-mailed statement.In spring 2022, the institute made what it called a sales pitch to Canadian officials, with a slide show that stressed financial contributions are voluntary. Just five countries fund the institute, which gets them access to fellowships and scholarships.
South Korea’s embassy in Ottawa said it supports the organization’s work and expanding its membership. It declined to share the details of discussions between Joly and Jin. She noted that signing the treaty would require a vote in Parliament, and that some of the steps involved are confidential as they involve federal cabinet business.
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