Quebec Public Health Isn't Ruling Out The Possibility Of More COVID-19 Vaccine Doses
As we approach what Premier François Legault, at least, has described as a "more normal life," Quebec public health isn't ruling out the possibility of more COVID-19 vaccine doses in the future.
"We're going to have to renew the immunity of the population, hoping that we renew it not through infections but by vaccination," interim National Public Health Director Dr. Luc Boileau said Wednesday.
"It's plausible that there will be other vaccination propositions in the future."
Boileau made clear he's not currently in a position to commit to the idea of more COVID-19 vaccine doses but said public health experts are constantly examining the possibility, especially for residents who are particularly vulnerable to the disease.
In the meantime, the public health director once again encouraged Quebecers to get their third dose.
In terms of active hospitalizations, he said, "we're just about in the same place, the same situation we were on December 21," when the government announced a new wave of restrictions to counter the spread of Omicron.
"The difference is that since that date [...] there have been four million Quebecers who have benefited from the effect of the booster shot."
He added that officials estimate that "at least" two million residents, or around 25% of the population, had COVID-19 since the beginning of December.
That means that between 40% and 50% of the population has had the disease since the beginning of the pandemic, he said.
But the third dose, Boileau concluded, is nevertheless "the best way to defend ourselves against Omicron, to combat Omicron and come to a more normal life."
