Quebec okays use of AstraZeneca vaccine for 45+

UPDATED: Quebec is following the Canadian trend of lowering the eligibility age for receiving the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (COVISHIELD) to a younger demographic: 45+. Registration for the vaccine for the new age group (45 to 54) begins tomorrow morning, and there are also walk-in options (without appointment).

The announcement was made in a press conference this afternoon by Quebec Premier François Legault, who was accompanied by Health Minister Christian Dubé and public health director Horacio Arruda.

Détails vaccination AZ pour les 45+ ans:
????Rendez-vous : ouverture du site dès 8h AM partout au Qc (sauf Abitibi)
????Sans rendez-vous : on invite les gens à se rendre au https://t.co/Ep3GxVLGCu pour voir si des lieux de vaccination sans rendez-vous sont offerts près de chez-eux

— Christian Dubé (@cdube_sante) April 20, 2021

Arruda explained that the Quebec immunization committee chose the age 45 as the cutoff for the AstraZeneca vaccine due to the incidence of the virus in that group in Quebec specifically.

Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta expanded their AstraZeneca vaccination campaigns to the 40+ demographic on Sunday and Monday.

For more on COVID-19 in Quebec, please visit the Santé Québec website.

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