Flu, COVID-19 vaccination campaign begins Tuesday

Quebec's annual vaccination campaign against the flu and COVID-19 is slated to start officially on Tuesday.

The first wave of vaccinations began a few days ago in some residential facilities, including CHSLDs and seniors' residences (RPAs).

Quebecers can make an appointment for vaccination on the Clic-Santé website.

At a recent press conference, National Director of Public Health Dr. Luc Boileau pointed out that people most at risk of developing complications, and those living with them, should strongly consider getting vaccinated.

This includes vulnerable groups like seniors over 60, pregnant women, immunosuppressed people and those with chronic illnesses.

The Quebec government says it will open some 150 vaccination points of service.

Still, it has no plans to recreate the mass vaccination site set up at Montreal's Olympic Stadium during the worst of the COVID-19 crisis.

Both vaccines will also be available in pharmacies, and the Association des bannières et des chaînes de pharmacies du Québec (ABCPQ) has announced that they will be offered free of charge in 1,473 pharmacies across the province.

The launch of this year's campaign coincides with the arrival of new vaccines developed to counter the multiple variants of COVID-19, including the XBB.1.5 sub-variant, which is on the rise.

Chair of the Comité sur l'immunisation du Québec, Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh, points out vaccination does not prevent one from catching the disease.

However, it does offer protection for six months against complications, hospitalization and death.

The vaccination campaign will be funded entirely from the $270 million envelope allocated to it in the Quebec government's last budget.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 9, 2023.