Canadian Government Executive - Volume 27 - Issue 03

6 / Canadian Government Executive // May/June 2021 COVID-19 BY VIJAY RAJ COVID-19 IMMUNITY CERTIFICATES ‘PASSPORTS’ AS AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL PROBLEM IN CANADA T he global pandemic has de- manded a coordinated re- sponse from all levels of gov- ernment in Canada to address various issues, such as contain- ing the virus spread, public health, immuni- zation, emergency care, etc. The response to the global pandemic also witnessed partial, or even, full shutdowns of the segments of the economy to contain the virus spread, followed by nationwide immunization pro- grams administered by different provinces or territories. The immunity of the population is detri- mental for the safe re-opening of the econ- omy, and various jurisdictions across the world are exploring the idea of immunity certificates as an enabler. This article analyz- es the issue of immunity certificates within Canada as an inter-governmental problem and explores possible solutions and recom- mendations to address it. COVID-19 immunizations in Canada from an inter- governmental perspective The COVID-19 immunization program in Canada is a coordinated effort between the federal, provincial, and territorial govern- ments, indigenous peoples, experts, and part- ners within Canada and abroad. Canada’s im- munization program has been an exponent of inter-provincial collaboration with the federal government assuming the responsibility for the procurement and supply of vaccines, and the provinces carrying out the administration of the immunization programs. Table 1 indicates the division of key re- sponsibilities between federal and provin- cial/territorial governments in Canada’s im- munization program.