The government announced on December 31 that it would henceforth use all the doses of vaccine received on Quebec soil in order to immunize as many people as possible in priority groups.
Since the start of the vaccination campaign in Quebec, in mid-December, a reserve had been kept in order to offer a second dose to people who had already received the first. With the new strategy, these doses are no longer reserved for them and the appointments postponed.
Thousands of vaccines have thus been released and will notably be taken to hospitals to protect health workers.
Hold the line
In Quebec, the University Institute of Cardiology and Pneumology (IUCPQ), as well as the CHU de Quebec, will be able to vaccinate staff as of Sunday. According to an internal note obtained by Radio-Canada, the IUCPQ will have access to 1480 doses to immunize its caregivers.
We will therefore carry out a massive vaccination of employees in hot units as well as critical care trajectories.
, wrote CEO Denis Bouchard in the letter sent to staff on 1is January. Employees in intensive care and operating theaters, for example, will be vaccinated as a priority.
Health care workers are being hit hard by COVID-19 in this second wave of the pandemic.
Photo: Radio-Canada
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Bernard Cantin, head of the cardiology service at the IUCPQ, recalls that the second wave is hitting healthcare workers hard. COVID-19","text":"Ce qui nous handicape en ce moment, ce sont les personnes qui sont absentes, en congé de maladie pour cause d'immunosuppression, ou parce qu'elles ont contracté la COVID-19"}}" lang="fr">What is crippling us right now is the people who are absent, on sick leave due to immunosuppression, or because they have contracted COVID-19
, he explains in an interview with Radio-Canada.
It’s not the locals, it’s the staff that we miss.
The CHU de Québec is experiencing exactly the same problem. As of December 31, more than 200 employees were on the sidelines, half of whom contracted COVID-19.
Decrease the pressure
According to data made available by Public Health, the available vaccines (Moderna, Pfizer) are 90% effective two weeks after administration. One of the hopes of this staff vaccination is to reduce the pressure on the health network and to provide services to the population.
If everything goes as planned, Bernard Cantin believes that the IUCPQ can come back%rather than 50 to 70% as is currently the case “,” text “:” in a 90% operating mode rather than 50 to 70% as is currently the case “}}” lang = “fr” >in a 90% operating mode rather than 50 to 70% as is currently the case. The consequences of load shedding, such as cancellations of surgeries, will thus be reduced and the supply of services largely restored.
With nearly 1,500 doses, it pretty much covers all of our nursing staff
, he believes. I think we will be able in the coming weeks to return to a much more normal operating mode.
The vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech (left) and Moderna.
Photo : offerte par Pfizer|Eduardo Munoz/Pool/Reuters
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4000 additional doses
For the Capitale-Nationale only, 4000 additional doses of vaccine will be administered over the next few days
, according to the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale.
Other doses of vaccines are expected soon. The number of doses will be confirmed over the next few days and as soon as they are obtained.
, specifies spokesperson Mélanie Otis.
In addition to health care workers, the CIUSSS will continue its campaign in living environments for seniors.
As for the second dose of the vaccine, it remains important and above all it allows long-term protection
. The CIUSSS ensures that it will be administered within the time limits prescribed by public health in order to ensure maximum immunization coverage.
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