Pfizer recipients can advance 2nd dose appointment with Moderna vaccine: Quebec officials
People who were vaccinated against COVID-19 with Pfizer as their first shot and don’t want to wait for additional doses to arrive to advance their second shot appointment can choose Moderna instead, Quebec health officials say.
The provincial immunization committee (CIQ) advises that Pfizer recipients can get their second shot with Moderna since both vaccines are mRNA vaccines and can be mixed.
With a delay in shipments from Pfizer, choosing Moderna will be welcome news to those who wish to advance the date of their second dose since a surplus of Moderna doses are on the way.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health and Social Services announced a new shipment of 2.6 million doses is expected between June 28 and July 5.
This means, as of tomorrow, people can go to a walk-in clinic and receive a Moderna shot regardless of the first type of vaccine they got, according to a news release from the ministry of health.
However, people still need to wait a minimum of eight weeks between their first and second doses, regardless of the vaccine they receive.
“At the same time, work is underway on the appointment scheduling platform to allow for the change of vaccine when an appointment is moved up. The public will be informed when this function is online and accessible,” the statement read.
The release also stated that “if the mRNA vaccine used in the first dose is not readily available, a person may receive a different mRNA vaccine.”
The health ministry says there is no indication that mixing vaccine types (Pfizer and Moderna, for example) will produce more significant side effects. The usual side effects of the vaccines, such as headaches, fatigue, chills, and pain in the arm) can be expected to last less than three days.
On Tuesday, daily new infections of COVID-19 remained below 100 for the second straight day, with 80 per cent of the eligible population in Quebec having received their first dose. Approximately 20 per cent of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated with two doses.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
The UN warns Sudan's warring parties that Darfur risks starvation and death if aid isn't allowed in
The United Nations food agency warned Sudan's warring parties Friday that there is a serious risk of widespread starvation and death in Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan if they don't allow humanitarian aid into the vast western region.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.