Moderna, AstraZeneca recipients in Quebec can advance their second dose appointments
All Quebecers who have received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine can now advance the date of their second dose — regardless of the type of vaccine that was in their first shot — when it’s their turn to do so.
Starting Tuesday, people 50 and over who received the Moderna or AstraZeneca shot will be eligible to visit the Clic Santé website to change their date for a second dose, as long as at least eight weeks have passed between the two shots.
Previously, only people who received a first Pfizer shot were eligible to advance the date of their second dose.
The age limit to change appointments for second doses will be lowered by five years each day this week through Friday. This means people 45 and older can request a sooner second dose beginning Wednesday. Choosing a sooner date for a second dose remains optional and people are free to keep the original appointment date they were given after their first dose.
For recipients of the AstraZeneca vaccine, they can choose to get an mRNA vaccine (Moderna or Pfizer), if it’s available, or a second dose of AstraZeneca when they show up for their second appointment at a vaccination centre.
Daniel Paré, director of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Quebec, said people who may have experieced errors booking a second dose online are invited to try again over the next few days as officials try to address the glitches on the government portal.
3/4 OF NEW CASES FROM UNVACCINATED PEOPLE: MINISTER
Health minister Christian Dubé once again urged everyone who is eligible to get their shots, telling reporters at a COVID-19 news conference that three quarters of new cases in Quebec are from people who have not been vaccinated.
He said he is hoping people take advantage of the vaccines that are now readily available to avoid a fourth wave after the summer.
“If we don’t want this to happen in September, let’s make sure that you get vaccinated,” he said. “We have millions of vaccines that are available and we have all the vaccination centres that are available.”
“The big advantage is to have the vaccination, which we didn’t have last summer,” he added.
So far, just under 70 per cent of Quebecers are now partially vaccinated with one dose, while the current daily average of vaccinations given hovers around 91,000 shots in the past seven days. Approximately 1 million second doses have also been administered in Quebec to date.
More doses are on the way as the vaccination campaign continues to ramp up, with 654,080 doses of Moderna expected this week. A total of 511,290 doses of the Pfizer vaccine also arrived in Quebec on Monday while another 30,000 are scheduled to arrive later this week.
PROOF OF VACCINATION PORTAL
Starting Wednesday, a new self-service portal will be accessible for people to download a digital version of proof of vaccination. The QR code can be downloaded by visiting the site for those who have not already received the digital proof via email or text message.
The government said it is still in talks about how the electronic proof of vaccination will be used.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
'Trees going up like Roman candles' as wildfire season starts early in B.C.
Susanne Langan first noticed the Burgess Creek wildfire from her home in British Columbia's Cariboo region on Saturday afternoon as a distant, thin column of smoke.
3 children injured after truck and school bus collide in Russell, Ont.
Three children and a driver were taken to hospital after a school bus and a truck collided on Route 400 in Russell, Ont.
Search for missing kayakers off Vancouver Island expands into U.S.
Authorities on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border resumed search efforts Monday to find two men who went missing while kayaking off Vancouver Island over the weekend.