Quebec COVID-19 vaccine clinics offering 2nd Pfizer doses, even if it's technically not your turn
Quebecers who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 with a single dose, but are technically not yet eligible to register on Clic Santé for their second, can still walk into a clinic and test out their luck.
The only rule is that eight weeks must have passed between the first and second dose.
"I was just in line at Bill Durnan Arena and the walk-in clinic is giving tickets to anyone for a second dose," Eugene Negrii told CTV News, adding he took a chance to see if he would be let in.
The 44-year-old says he got his second dose without any questions asked about his age.
"The lady who gave me my shot said, 'well, it's supposed to be for older or vulnerable people, but they're kind of letting anyone in -- but don't go telling your friends,'" he said.
According to Quebec's health ministry, it is, in theory, possible for people to advance their second doses, depending on the arrival of the vaccines.
"Currently, the announcement of the advancement of the second dose has been made with the confirmation of several shipments of Pfizer vaccine by the federal government," Robert Maranda, a spokesperson with the Quebec Health Ministry, told CTV News. "For people who wish to receive their second dose of AstraZeneca vaccine, they can go to a walk-in clinic."
This is, however, not the case for people who have been vaccinated with Moderna; they'll have to wait until a time slot becomes available online because there aren't enough vaccines available.
"We, therefore, invite this population to visit Clic Santé regularly to find out if time slots have been added," Maranda said. "In the event of a change in the procedure, announcements will be made in due course."
The province announced it is expecting 21,700 doses of Moderna to arrive this week, and even more next week.
"As soon as they are received, the vaccines are sent to the regions and quickly deployed in the field," Maranda notes. "We are not withholding any dose."
The Health Ministry is reminding people who received AstraZeneca as a first dose, but want a different vaccine for their second dose, that they must wait 16 weeks before being inoculated.
Advancement of the second dose is not mandatory and people are invited to keep their original scheduled dates, should they so choose.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Luxury cruise line selling world cruise suite for US$1.7 million
Luxury operator Regent Seven Seas Cruises is raising their price tag to eye-watering levels, with a suite on an upcoming 140-day world voyage costing US$1.7 million.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
A Filipino villager is nailed to a cross for the 35th time on Good Friday to pray for world peace
A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
'Oppenheimer' finally premieres in Japan to mixed reactions and high emotions
'Oppenheimer' finally premiered Friday in the nation where two cities were obliterated 79 years ago by the nuclear weapons invented by the American scientist who was the subject of the Oscar-winning film. Japanese filmgoers' reactions understandably were mixed and highly emotional.