MONTREAL -- As of this Friday, people aged 60 and over have the opportunity to have their appointment for their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine moved up.

They can go to the Clic Santé website to make the change, as long as they respect an eight-week interval between the two doses. People who received their first dose at a pharmacy are encouraged to contact that same pharmacy to receive their second dose.

As of Thursday evening, projected vaccination coverage for Quebecers aged 60 to 64 stood at 89 per cent, including appointments already booked.

Earlier this week, Health Minister Christian Dubé noted that the advance option was only available to those who had received a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, as only enough doses of that vaccine had been delivered to allow for the advance.

On Wednesday, federal Minister of Public Services and Procurement Anita Anand confirmed that Canada will receive seven million doses of the Moderna vaccine by the end of June, with shipments beginning next week.

The Quebec government's strategy calls for the second dose to come from the same manufacturer as the first. The only exception is for people who received the first AstraZeneca vaccine, who have the option of receiving that vaccine again or requesting a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna product.

Since Monday in Quebec, a new age group has been permitted to change their second appointment every business day. In doing so, the appointment that was made on the day the first dose was administered is automatically cancelled when the second appointoent in made on Clic Santé.

On Thursday evening, Dubé announced that the projected vaccination coverage of Quebecers aged 12 to 17 had surpassed that of 18 to 29 year olds and was on the verge of catching up with that of 30 to 34 year olds, including appointment scheduling. Based on this data, the health minister believes that teens are on track to enjoy a normal return to school this fall.

He again urged young people aged 18 to 29 to get vaccinated to reach a 75 per cent rate that will ease health measures in educational, work and recreational settings.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 11, 2021.