Public Health continues to hammer home the importance of the third dose. However, Quebec has still not authorized it for adolescents with chronic illnesses. A 16-year-old Estrienne wants to receive hers without delay, especially since the federal government recommends her for young people in her condition.
Léane Gendron Vachon suffers from chronic lung disease and severe asthma. For an hour a day, the 16-year-old must take hypertonic saline therapy to get the secretions out of her lungs.
Because of her health condition, Léane was able to get her first two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine before other young people her age. She is looking forward to being eligible for the third dose. “Public Health does not want to give him his booster dose and his second vaccine dates back seven months,” laments his father Brunon Vachon.
“We live in anxiety, a lot of anxiety,” says Léane’s mother, Sylvie Gendron. Our daughter is vulnerable. It’s very important that she gets her third dose, it’s almost a matter of life and death.”
Last Friday, Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended a booster dose for young people aged 12 to 17 with cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease, uncontrolled asthma and of cystic fibrosis.
For the moment, no recommendation in this direction in Quebec, but the Ministry of Health indicates by email that “it is expected that the Quebec Immunization Committee (CIQ) will discuss this question at its next meeting. Subsequently, the CIQ experts will issue their recommendations.”