Your questions answered about Quebec's vaccination campaign

Quebec's vaccination campaign is ramping up, with theprovince starting to administer shots to the general population.

Here are answers tokey questionsaboutthe province's evolving vaccination plan. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Who is up next?

Vaccinations are being administered differently depending on the region or local health authority.

In Montreal,Laval and the province's North Shore region,those aged 70 and older can now book an appointment to get their shot.

In most other regions, including theMontrgie, vaccines are only available to those 80 and over for now, as well as to people aged 70 and over who act as a primary caregiver acare worker, partner or child who spends at least three days a week with the eligible senior.

In Quebec City, the Lower Saint-LawrenceandAbitibi-Tmiscamingue, the vaccination campaign starts March 8.

Several other regions will begin vaccinations that day, too, like the Gasp. Others, such as the Eastern Townships and the Saguenay, are scheduling appointments forthe week of March 15.

Those born later will be eligible in the weeksto come.

Vaccination operations are also stillunderway at private seniors' homes and in remote communities.

How do I get an appointment?

Appointments can be made through the online portal quebec.ca/covidvaccineor by phone at 1-877-644-4545. Officials are encouraging people to go online if they can as that will be the most efficient way to reserve a spot.

You can only get the vaccine if you have an appointment.

Health officials are askingresidents to arrive at their designated vaccination sites no earlier than five to 10 minutes before their appointment, in order to avoid creating lineups and gatherings of people.

Only oneperson is allowed to accompany a senior being vaccinated and they need to wear a mask and respect public health guidelines when doing so.

What is the order or priority?

The priority groups as proposed by Quebec's immunization committee, the CIQ,are listed below:

1. Vulnerable people and people with a significant loss of autonomy who live in residential and long-term care centres (CHSLDs) or in intermediate and family-type residences (RIRTFs).
2. Workers in the health and social services network who have contact with users.
3. Autonomous or semi-autonomous people who live in private seniors' homes (RPAs) or in certain closed residential facilities for older adults.
4. Isolated and remote communities.
5. People 80 years of age or older.
6. People 70 to 79 years of age.
7. People 60 to 69 years of age.
8. Adults under 60 years of age who have a chronic disease or health problem that increases the risk of complications of COVID19.
9. Adults under 60 years of age who do not have a chronic disease or health problem that increases the risk of complications, but who provide essential services and have contact with users.
10. The rest of the adult population.

Who is on the medical priority list?

Adults under 60 years of age who have a chronic disease or health problem that increases the risk of complications of COVID19. The Health Ministry says it has not yet determinedhow criteria are measured and that it will be advising the population once it has.

Who is considered an essential worker?

The Health Ministry says it is still working to determine the list of workers who will have access to vaccination, namely those who are "providing essential services and who are in contact with users."

Where will I get my vaccine?

Montreal health authorities have, in recent weeks, announced plans to turn arenas, office buildings and, yes, the Olympic Stadium into mass vaccination sites.

Eligible Quebecers will also soon be able to book appointments to get a vaccine from their local pharmacy. Starting the week of March 15, Health Minister Christian Dub said as many as 350 pharmacies in Montreal will be taking appointments.

The province has reached an agreement with about 1,400 pharmacists across the province to administer vaccines. The goal is for pharmacies in the province to have given two million doses by the end of July.

Other regions, including Montrgie, the Eastern Townshipsand the Quebec City region, have their own plans in the works, some of which have not been finalized.

The provincial appointment website will direct eligible vaccine recipients to their nearest vaccination point based on home postal code. Once again, it can be found here:quebec.ca/covidvaccine

Can I pay for a vaccine to get it faster?

In Quebec, COVID-19 vaccines are provided exclusively by the public health network. A vaccine cannot be purchased from a private source. Any phone call or email offering a vaccine for a fee is fraudulent, the Health Ministry advises.

Have health workers who administerthe vaccine already had it?

According to the health authorities for the west and north parts of the island of Montreal,staff who are administering the vaccine have already had access to it.

When willI get my second dose?

The Quebec government has decided to delay the second in the two-dose protocol for up to 90 days in order to maximize the number of people who can be injected immediately. But even one dose provides substantial protection.

According to the provincial public health research institute, a single dose has proven to be about 80 per cent effective so far after between 14 and 21 days meaning a vaccinated person is 80 per cent less likely to get COVID-19 than an unvaccinated person.

Those resultshavebeen confirmed by data in Israel and Scotland. Quebec has confirmed everyone who is vaccinated will get a second dose, but there is a substantial body of evidencefrom other vaccines suggesting a lengthier delay than the 21 or 28 days prescribed by vaccine makers may actuallyconfer longer lasting immunity.

How effective are the vaccines against variant strains?

It depends on the vaccine, and the strain.

Recent clinical data shows that B117, the strain identified in the United Kingdom, has "no significant effect on neutralization" when it comes totheModerna vaccine. Other studies have reached broadly similarconclusions for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is based on the sametechnology. The B117variant is by far the most prevalent in Quebec so far.

The news is less positive for the B1351 variant, isolated in South Africa. Laboratory studiessuggest efficiency may bereduced by as much as two-thirds. Only two cases of the B1351have been confirmed in Quebec to this point.

However,pharmaceutical companies are working on booster shots and tweaks to the vaccine formulas.

Will the vaccine stop me from spreading the virus to loved ones?

This is one of the questions the vaccine trials didn't answer, but based on newly-published research conducted in Israel, it appears the answer may be yes.