Launched almost a month ago, the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 and influenza is in full swing. According to the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS), more than 728,000 Quebecers had received, as of Sunday, a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and nearly 870,000, a dose of the flu vaccine. Quebec indicates that more than 770,000 other appointments have also been made by citizens wishing to be vaccinated soon.
Vaccination against COVID-19 and the flu is “popular” in pharmacies, according to Benoit Morin, president of the Quebec Association of Pharmacist Owners. “We could open more beaches than that, but unfortunately, we have to wait to receive the stock,” he said. My fear is that the campaign will run out of steam a little. Demand is currently higher than supply. »
The Quebec Association of Pharmacy Distributors affirms for its part that “pharmacists receive sufficient vaccines against COVID-19”. “Additional deliveries are planned in the weeks of November 20 and 27, which will bring the number of total doses received to a level close to the number of doses of influenza vaccines that are available,” specifies its general director Hugues Mousseau.
According to him, the “main challenge” of vaccination against COVID-19 for the 1,473 participating pharmacies is the “supply time” of vaccines. “We would have greatly benefited from being able to receive these doses earlier in October so as to better plan the vaccination campaign in pharmacies and allow them to open the beaches accordingly,” he thinks.
According to data from the MSSS, nearly three-quarters of people who were vaccinated this fall or who have made an appointment so far are aged 60 and over. This is one of the main target groups for the vaccination campaign.
Public Health recommends that seniors, pregnant women and people who are immunocompromised, on dialysis or living with a chronic illness get vaccinated as soon as possible if their last dose against COVID-19 was six months or more ago. Healthcare workers should do the same so as not to help spread the virus among patients.
In the province, 1,508 people with COVID-19 are currently hospitalized, including 43 in intensive care.