2023-05-02 15:04:41
The CISSS du Bas-Saint-Laurent announces the implementation of free vaccination against shingles on its territory. To be eligible for this free service, you must be 80 years of age or older or be an immunocompromised person 18 years of age or older.
Remember that this measure stems from an improvement to the Quebec Immunization Program announced a few weeks ago by the Ministry of Health and Social Services. The goal is to reduce the number of cases of shingles and the complications associated with it. This disease leads each year in Quebec to 600 hospitalizations and 10 deaths, approximately 80% of which occur in people aged 80 and over.
A tour of the CHSLDs of Bas-Saint-Laurent will be carried out by our vaccination teams in order to reach the people targeted by this campaign. Families of residents will be contacted shortly by vaccinators to obtain their consent. Vaccination will take place during the week of May 8, 2023.
In addition, appointment slots are offered in the territory’s vaccination centres. Appointments can be made now on the Clic Santé website or by calling 1 877 644-4545. Appointment slots will be made available gradually, depending on the arrival of the doses allocated for the Bas-Saint-Laurent territory. Some community pharmacies in the region will also offer the vaccine as part of the free program.
The vaccine may also be recommended for healthy people between the ages of 50 and 79, although it is not free for them. Information for making an appointment is available at cisss-bsl.gouv.qc.ca.
Shingles is a contagious disease caused by the reactivation of the varicella virus. This disease usually occurs in adults and older people who have had chickenpox before. The shingles vaccine is the best way to protect against this disease. Two doses, spaced two to twelve months apart, are required to provide long-lasting protection. A person can be vaccinated regardless of their history of shingles.
Source: CISSS du Bas-Saint-Laurent
1683040229
#Free #vaccination #shingles #vulnerable #clienteles