MONTREAL -- Young people aged 12 to 17 years old cannot, for the time being, move up their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine earlier than eight weeks between their first and second doses on the Clic Sante website.
The Quebec Immunization Protocol specifies that the second dose is necessary and currently the recommendation is to wait eight weeks between the two doses for this age group, the Ministry of Health said in an email.
The eight-week interval is recommended "to maximize the effectiveness of the vaccine."
However, the ministry is expected to receive an opinion from the Comité d'immunisation du Québec (CIQ) in the near future regarding the possibility of offering the second dose four weeks after the first, and harmonize with what is done for adults, says the ministry, which promises to communicate the information at that time.
Currently, only Pfizer's vaccine is approved for 12-17 year olds.
Despite the delay, several parents reported that they were able to get their teenagers a second dose earlier than expected at a walk-in clinic.
The health department has not yet responded to questions from The Canadian Press about this possibility.
-- this report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 6, 2021.
