Quebec has made the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine available to the general public, age 45 and up, as of tomorrow morning. Previously, it was only available to those 55-79 years old or who met certain conditions such as suffering from chronic illness or being a front-line healthcare worker.
Quebec Premier François Legault made the announcement in an early afternoon press conference joined by Christian Dubé, Minister of Health and Social Services, and National Public Health Director Dr. Horacio Arruda. Arruda explained that while Ontario and Alberta lowered the age to get the AstraZeneca shot to 40, Quebec came to a different number after weighing COVID hospitalizations in a particular age group versus the risk of coagulation and blood clots, something that has occurred in a few cases worldwide, generally with younger women.
“The 45-year limit seems to be the right number for Quebec,” Arruda said, adding: “If we were in Ontario, for example, with a much greater incidence, well then, the risk of being hospitalized and of having complications is greater.”
There are 200 000 AstraZeneca shots currently available in Quebec and the province just added 800 000 potential new recipients to the list. So there may be a bit of a race to book appointments when the government’s booking website updates tomorrow morning.
