Québec health and social services minister Christian Dubé provided an update on COVID-19 vaccination efforts across Québec on April 22.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is now available to Québec residents age 45 and older.
People with chronic illnesses and a very high risk of complications from COVID-19 are being vaccinated in hospitals. Increased dose deliveries over the next few weeks now allow vaccination to be expanded to two additional groups, before opening to the general population.
As a first step, people with chronic diseases who are under 60 years old will be able, as of April 23, to make an appointment at a vaccination centre or at a pharmacy by going to Québec.ca/vaccinCOVID. This expansion will make it possible to offer the vaccine, over the coming weeks, to approximately 300,000 additional people with chronic diseases under the age of 60.
As of April 28, anyone with a motor, intellectual, speech or language disability, visual, auditory or sensory condition, or linked to an autism spectrum disorder will be able to also obtain a vaccination appointment at Québec.ca/vaccinCOVID. The vaccination can be done at a vaccination clinic or in a pharmacy. One caregiver per person belonging to these individuals may also register to be vaccinated. Approximately 250,000 people, and as many caregivers, will be able to obtain their first dose.
These two groups of people represent 1 million Québec residents in total, including the 200,000 people announced during the previous week who are in hospitals and whose vaccination has started. As a result, 800,000 new people are added to the current vaccination. Vaccination of the general population of Québec will begin at the end of May.
