East of Montreal | The second doses of AstraZeneca that go very fast

Henri Owlet Vizina
Journalism

“Really, the response was very good. It was full of people. We had lines from 5:30 in the morning in the stadium, and from 6:30 in the morning at Martin-Brodeur Stadium. The enthusiasm is evident, with the good weather,” a CIUSSS spokesperson in East cheered Montreal Island, Christian Mercury.

In total, all five hundred potions that were available without an appointment were served at Martin-Brodeur at the end of the morning. In the Olympic Stadium, 1,200 vaccines have been emptied or are about to expire, at around 2 pm.

However, CIUSSS immediately confirms that other doses without AstraZeneca appointment will be available over the next few days, until Tuesday. At the Olympic Stadium, 1,200 new doses will be available on Sunday, while 250 doses are expected at Martin Brodeur Stadium.

Obviously, these are only the second doses, as in mid-May Quebec chose to boycott the administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine as the first dose. This decision “is based on the recommendations of the Immunization Commission of Quebec (CIQ),” the Ministry of Health (MSSS) explained, explaining that “nearly all the doses available in Quebec have been consumed over the years. Weeks,” and that “the administration of the first dose progresses rapidly in people who Age 45 and over, the age group for which the AstraZeneca vaccine is offered. ”

For other vaccines, including those for Pfizer and Moderna, appointments continue as usual over the weekend, Merciari said.

30 days delay is allowed

Meanwhile, at the national level, the Canadian Ministry of Health announced on Saturday that it had agreed to a 30-day delay from the expiration date “in two batches.” [MT0055 et MT0056] AstraZeneca Vaccines “, from May 31, 2021 to May 1^{he is} July 2021. The approval is said to be “based on scientific evidence”.

And confirms the federal organization that “this change will allow provinces and territories to use their current stocks and the Canadian population to obtain doses of this basic vaccine.”

Initially, Health Canada has approved a six-month shelf life for the AstraZeneca vaccine. But on May 27, the agency said it had “received a document from AstraZeneca containing data on product stability and data from mathematical models that showed that the quality, safety and efficacy of the two batches in question would last for an additional month, or seven months in all.”