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home / 世界杯决赛2022

starting monday, quebecers 60+ can book appointments for 5th covid vaccine dose

all adults will be eligible starting aug. 29.

by andy riga
published aug 16, 2022
read time 4 minute read
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read time 4 minute read
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quebec is again asking people to roll up a sleeve, hoping another dose of covid-19 vaccine will help lessen the impact of a possible eighth wave. “it’s the right time to launch a massive vaccination campaign, as we have done in the past, starting with older people, vulnerable people, health workers,” premier françois legault said tuesday at his first covid press conference in months.
as of monday, quebecers 60 and older as well as younger people who are vulnerable will be able to book appointments for fifth covid-19 vaccine doses. all adults will be eligible starting aug. 29.
some groups can already use the clic santé booking site to arrange appointments: people 75 and older, those who live in isolated communities and health workers in direct contact with patients.
the news came a day after vaccinators started administering fifth doses (also referred to as third boosters) to residents of long-term care homes and private seniors’ residences.
vaccines can be administered five months after the last dose, though those who have contracted covid should wait three months before getting a shot.
dr. luc boileau, quebec’s director of public health, has previously said that instead of counting doses, people should consider how long it’s been since their last vaccine when deciding whether to get a booster.
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quebecers will be more vulnerable to the virus in the fall, once school starts, people return to work after vacations and more time is spent indoors, legault noted.
he urged people to get the shot to protect themselves, vulnerable people and the health-care system.
though hospitalizations are falling, quebec’s health network is still under pressure as it tries to catch up with surgeries and other procedures delayed due to the pandemic, legault added.
as of monday, 4,109 quebec health workers were absent due to covid.
legault said the province’s public health officials are not recommending that any mandatory measures be implemented. quebec dropped vaccine passports in march; the mask mandates ended in may and june.
sitting next to legault, boileau was asked about the possibility of reinstating mask mandates and vaccine passports.
he said the situation is stable and there is no sign that any new variant is establishing itself in quebec.
“we’ll see if there are situations that require new measures, but from what we see at the moment, there is no reason to add any new restrictive public health measures,” boileau said.
no special measures are being recommended to politicians for the campaign leading to the oct. 3 provincial election, he added.
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with schools preparing to reopen, legault was asked about critics who say quebec is not doing enough to improve air quality in the buildings.
“the air is safe in our schools,” the premier responded, adding the government has followed all public health recommendations regarding the education system.
regarding the mass vaccination campaign, health minister christian dubé said 150 vaccination clinics will be open, including one at the olympic stadium that opened tuesday. pharmacies will also administer doses. walk-in clinics are also planned.
“we have the capacity to vaccinate anybody who wants to be vaccinated and we have the vaccine doses necessary,” dubé said, adding the province will be able to provide up to about 300,000 shots per week.
this week, britain became the first country to approve a covid vaccine that targets both the original and omicron variant of the virus. the so-called bivalent vaccine is made by moderna as a booster for adults.
dubé said quebecers should not wait for the new vaccine, noting it’s unclear when that shot might be approved in canada and how many doses quebec will get.
interest in covid vaccination has waned in quebec.
among quebecers five and older:
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  • 91 per cent got the first dose (starting december 2020).
  • 82 per cent got the second (starting in early 2021).
  • 56 per cent got the third (starting in the fall of 2021).
  • 19 per cent got the fourth (starting in the spring of 2022).
older quebecers are more eager to be vaccinated. for the third shot, 88 per cent of people 60 and older came forward. for the fourth jab, 53 per cent of people in that age group have been vaccinated.
dubé said many people did not get the third or fourth dose because they contracted the virus. “now we’re telling them: if you got covid, after three months, go and get another dose,” he said.
in its latest pandemic update, quebec reported:
  • 1,256 new covid cases were confirmed through pcr testing at its clinics on monday. case numbers are not representative of the situation since this type of testing is not available to all.
  • 36 additional deaths.
  • hospitalizations fell by 29 to 1,964.
watch the press conference:
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andy riga
andy riga

andy riga has moved around since starting at the gazette in 1991. business reporter. technology columnist. national assembly correspondent. transport reporter. producer for the ipad edition. covid live blogger and newsletter writer. today, he’s a reporter/feature writer who covers a bit of everything.

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