Administration of the 4th dose | A vaccination campaign “in the boxes” for the fall

(Quebec) Public Health gives the green light to expanding the administration of the fourth dose of vaccine to Quebecers aged 60 and over. A vaccination campaign for the general population is also “in the pipeline” for the fall.

Fanny Levesque
The Press

Quebecers aged 70 and over will be able to make an appointment to roll up their sleeves a fourth time this Wednesday. Those aged 60 and over will be able to do so from April 11. Public Health recommends a minimum delay of three months after the third dose, while protection tends to decrease after “five to six months”.

The objective of this extension is to prevent “complications” in the most vulnerable clienteles and in people whose protection is likely to be weaker because of the interval. “The people we are currently vaccinating are people who are approaching […] more than three months after the third dose”, explained the clinical expert in support of the scientific management of the pandemic, Jean Longtin.

If the time is not for planning a vaccination campaign in the general population, it could come in the fall, said the D^r Longtin, who accompanied the acting national director of public health, Dr.^r Luc Boileau, Tuesday. “There will surely be a vaccination campaign, but in the fall. We cannot predict, but it is certain that it will be in the boxes, ”said the D^r Longtine.

The groups called at this time will be established by the Committee on Immunization of Quebec, like all the other stages of vaccination since the start of the pandemic.

According to INSPQ epidemiologist Gaston De Serres, it is “quite probable” that we will see an increase in cases in the fall, as has happened during the last two years of the pandemic and that it is therefore “likely” that a vaccination campaign will be organized at the start of the school year to “target high-risk groups”.

“It is not decided because it will depend on the evolution of the virus or the arrival even of a newcomer”, he nuanced. Moreover, it is “premature” to speak of a vaccination campaign among adolescents and young adults, according to Mr. De Serres. This campaign could instead serve to increase protection among vulnerable groups if vaccination coverage is not sufficient, he says.

The mask: an “acceptable constraint”

Public Health confirmed on Tuesday what had already been circulating for several days: the mask will remain compulsory in public transport and public places throughout the month of April. The mask was supposed to come off in mid-April, but the arrival of the sixth wave is forcing authorities to reconsider their decision. Quebec is expected to experience an increase in cases and hospitalizations, according to forecasts from the National Institute of Excellence in Health and Social Services.

“It is an acceptable constraint in the current situation. There are other jurisdictions [qui l’ont retiré et] who would like to bring it back […] we have this opportunity to still have the mandatory mask which is just postponed for a few days, two weeks for the moment, and the intention is not to keep it forever, ”explained the D^r Boileau.

Public Health will reassess its instructions on the mask in the coming weeks. It would be “unlikely” to bring it down before the end of April when Quebec finds itself in a “pandemic growth situation” with the sixth wave. A slowdown could occur over the next two weeks, said the D^r Boileau.

An estimated three-quarters of reported COVID-19 cases in the province emerge from the BA.2 variant, which is 30% to 40% more contagious than the Omicron strain.

Despite the sixth wave and the increase in the number of healthcare workers absent from the network due to COVID-19, there is no question of adding health instructions. “We have no intention of adding measures, such as closures”, decided the D^r Boileau. But he recalls that the pandemic “is not over and [qu’]we must remain vigilant”.

“Not everyone gets a cold with this virus, whether it’s Omicron or BA.2. There are people who unfortunately develop illnesses, symptoms and go to the hospital to receive critical care and even die. So it’s a serious disease, “said Dr.^r Boileau, echoing the words of the Premier of Quebec, who contracted COVID-19 two weeks ago.

Monday, François Legault, who is triple vaccinated, underlined the strong vaccination coverage in Quebec. “That helps, I experienced it last week. Even if you catch it, it gives you a cold, more or less,” he said.

Balance sheet on the rise

The rise in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations continued Tuesday in Quebec, as the province reported 2,615 new infections and 31 additional deaths. These new deaths bring the daily average calculated over seven days to 14. The trend is up 33% over one week. The new cases bring the daily average to 2,879. The trend is thus up 39% over one week. These numbers, however, likely reflect only a portion of total infections, due to limited access to PCR testing.

In the health network, there was a marked increase of 72 hospitalizations for regular care on Tuesday, which stems from 219 new entries and 147 exits. To date, 1,479 patients are therefore hospitalized in connection with the disease, including 69 in intensive care. This is a figure that has remained stable in this plan in 24 hours (15 entries, 15 exits).

With the collaboration of Lila Dussault, Henri Ouellette-Vézina and Pierre-André Normandin, The Press