As Quebec vaccinations rise, health authorities open small clinics to improve access to Montreal communities

Montreal -

Over 75 percent of adult Quebecers have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. But in some areas of Montreal and Laval, that number isn't quite as high.

According to Quebec’s public health institute, 72.8 per cent of Quebecers age 12 and up have received one dose. In Montreal, that number sits at 70 percent, and below 43.8 per cent in Montreal North.

Now, regional health authorities are trying to bring lagging areas up to standard.

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“This is what we want to correct right now, and the best way to do that is be close to the population,” said Lucie Tremblay, vaccination director at CIUSSS Ouest-Central Montreal.

“We need to do all the work, go where people are, and make sure they get information.”

Montreal’s Côte-Des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-De-Grâce borough got its own pop-up vaccination clinic Friday, with no appointment necessary to get a jab.

“This is wonderful — to be able to vaccinate people close to where they live,” said Tremblay. “We're doing these pop-up clinics to make sure we are vaccinating the maximum number of people.”

The clinic only had a couple hundred Pfizer doses Friday, but that was enough for many to get a shot when they might’ve otherwise had trouble finding time.

“I was going to get an appointment, but with school and finals coming up, I didn't have time to do it,” said resident Brianna Brown. “Since the clinic is across street from my house, I could just pop in get the vaccine.”

But the arrival of the pop-up clinic isn’t just about improving access to shots — it’s also about getting information to residents, according to Borough Mayor Sue Montgomery.

“Our borough has a lot of vulnerable residents, people who may not speak English or French, who may not understand the implications of this,” said Montgomery. “So, it’s important to have these clinics.”