Lia Lévesque, The Canadian Press
MONTREAL — Even if the general vaccination campaign against COVID-19 is “evolving well”, Quebec is ahead of its campaign for citizens aged 18 and over. Also, Public Health expects the new “bivalent” vaccine to be available within two weeks.
Doctor Luc Boileau, national director of public health, made the announcement on Wednesday at a press conference in Montreal.
Thus, people aged 18 and over will now be able to make an appointment for their vaccination against COVID-19, he specified.
And despite the start of the school year, these days, “I’m not expecting a disaster”, said Dr. Marie-France Raynault, senior strategic medical adviser at the Ministry’s Directorate General for Public Health, alongside Dr. Boileau.
Quebec will therefore not change the rules that have already been enacted, namely that wearing a mask will no longer be necessary at school.
“We don’t believe it’s necessary. It has advantages, but also disadvantages on the issue of child development,” argued Dr. Boileau.
In the event of an infection, isolation for five days is always necessary, followed by another period of five days with wearing a mask and limiting contact.
Two boxes of tests will once again be available for young people in primary and secondary school, during the start of the school year.
Quebec is also betting on the future updated “bivalent” vaccine. “We know that there is a new vaccine, bivalent, which should be available in less than two weeks,” said Dr. Boileau.
When it becomes available, this bivalent vaccine will then replace the current vaccines, without having to sell off the inventories of unused vaccines, he indicated.
“We should have enough doses to cover our people at risk,” he added.
Public Health is once again insisting on vaccination against COVID-19 to better fight this virus collectively and individually. It’s also about preventing complications and long COVID as well.