Quebec adults will be able to take advantage, from Thursday, of Moderna’s bivalent vaccine against COVID-19, which is more effective against the Omicron variant, said Public Health, which hopes that its arrival will encourage vaccination as part of the comeback.
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“The message remains the same. It is important to receive the doses of vaccine against COVID recommended for your condition, to be the best protected possible”, however warned the Dr Luc Boileau, national director of public health, at a press briefing on Wednesday.
In addition, children and adolescents aged 5 and over are now eligible for the mass vaccination campaign, but with the old vaccine, the new one having been approved only for those 18 and over.
The Dr Boileau recalled that the vaccines which are already available, and which will continue to be, are “very effective” in preventing hospitalizations and deaths linked to COVID-19.
People whose last vaccine dates back more than five months or who have not had COVID in the last three months should take advantage of the booster dose, according to Public Health.
“We are entering the fall gradually, and the risks of having an increase in the circulation of current variants or new variants are always increasing”, warned the Dr Boileau.
In this regard, Public Health has noted a decrease in COVID cases and hospitalizations, despite the start of the new school year. Fewer absences would also be recorded in the health network.
“The development of the situation is therefore very favourable, which is very positive for us. We follow all this as usual, ”revealed the Dr Boileau, who warns, however, that cases of COVID could increase, with the drop in temperature and the return of indoor activities.