Quebec is reviewing its vaccination strategy as vacationers return to work. Public Health now recommends the booster dose for all adults, as long as they received their last dose at least five months ago.
This summer, the national director of public health in Quebec, Luc Boileau, repeated several times that Quebecers had the choice of whether or not to receive this fourth dose – third for those who had contacted COVID-19. On Friday, at a press conference in Montreal, the discourse changed.
“We encourage people: regardless of their age, they can get a booster dose,” said Dr. Boileau.
Unless they have contracted COVID-19 in the last three months, Quebecers who received their last dose more than five months ago should therefore go to Clic Santé to make an appointment, suggests Public Health. “It’s available now,” said Dr. Boileau. Some adjustments were requested in the vaccination centers. »
About a month before the start of the school year and despite the fact that “a rise in cases” is expected in the fall, Quebec will not adjust its recommendations for children and adolescents. “We are going to talk to the people in charge of the [Comité sur l’immunisation du Québec] for this purpose. They are not recommending us to put in more effort than what is already there. […] We are not currently planning any other measures for the return to class, ”said Dr. Boileau on Friday.
For the moment, assures the national director of public health, the “stable” trend continues, which could be accompanied by a drop in cases in the coming weeks.
Fewer hospitalizations
Quebec reports Friday 16 new deaths linked to COVID-19, in addition to a drop in hospitalizations.
There are currently 2,176 hospitalizations, including 738 due to COVID-19, a decrease of 46 from Thursday. Sixty-eight people are in intensive care, one less than the day before. Thirty-one of these patients are in intensive care with COVID-19.
A total of 6,334 health care workers are absent for reasons related to COVID-19, such as preventive withdrawal or isolation.
The death toll stands at 15,945.
The Ministry of Health reports 1,460 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 1,145,558 since the start of the pandemic. However, the number of cases listed is not representative of the situation since access to screening centers is restricted to priority clienteles.
A total of 266,855 rapid tests have been self-reported so far on the government platform, including 222,934 positives. For Thursday, 348 tests were declared, including 307 positive.
The Ministry of Health indicates that 13,323 analyzes were carried out on Thursday and that the positivity rate was 12.4%.
Among those aged 5 and over, 91% received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, 56% received a third dose and 18% obtained a fourth dose. Among those aged 60 and over, 50% sought their fourth dose.
With The Canadian Press