How to get COVID-19 vaccinations in Montreal | Montreal Gazette

Quebec is vaccinating the general population against COVID-19. Vaccination is strongly encouraged, but remains voluntary.

Currently, all Quebecers ages 5 and over can book appointments for a first dose. Parental consent is required for those under the age of 14, and one must be present for the vaccination at

vaccine clinics.

Vaccines are not yet approved for children ages 0-4, but pharmaceutical companies are working on getting their vaccines approved.

Second doses can be administered four weeks after the first (but eight weeks is recommended), and a third dose can be administered three months after the second. Quebec is currently

recommending all adults get three doses of vaccine.

For details on booster dose eligibility, see “third dose” and “fourth dose” below.

All approved vaccines are administered the same way, by injecting a small dose into muscle tissue into the upper arm.

Currently, almost all vaccines being administered are Comirnaty or Spikevax. The AstraZeneca vaccine was administered to part of the population, particularly those 55-64, in early 2021, but

concerns about the possibility of blood clots led Quebec and other provinces to stop administering that as a first dose, and recommending those who took it take an mRNA vaccine for their

booster shots.

You or a child you’re seeking to vaccinate who is at least 5 years old, and has not had COVID-19 in the previous four weeks, can get a first dose of a vaccine anywhere in Quebec, either

through reservation or at a walk-in clinic.

To book a vaccine appointment, go to quebec.ca/vaccincovid or call 1-877-644-4545.

Go to the site for your appointment, no more than five minutes before the scheduled time. At your appointment, you will be given a vaccine and then a date for your second dose.

You will receive a piece of paper with vaccination information, and later you will receive an email or text message with your proof of vaccination.

Some vaccine centres offer vaccinations without an appointment, but demand remains high and availability is quickly exhausted. Many sites reserve walk-ins only for first or second doses

because of demand for boosters.

The list changes often, so check out the web page for your region:

When you get a first dose of the vaccine, an appointment will be automatically scheduled for a second dose at the same place.

To rebook your second vaccine dose, go to clicsante.ca and under “Select a service”, choose “COVID-19 vaccine – 2nd dose”. Fill in your RAMQ number (on your health card) and phone number.

The system will allow you to choose a new date at least four weeks after your first dose, if there are appointment slots available (new slots are added on a regular basis). When you book a

new appointment, the original appointment will automatically be cancelled. You can rebook your appointment multiple times if you find a better one later.

If you cannot rebook your second dose because the portal does not recognize your first one or you do not have a RAMQ number, you can repeat the process using the “COVID-19 vaccine –

Troubleshooting” service and set up an appointment to correct your record at a vaccination centre, or get vaccinated at a walk-in clinic.

If you do not rebook your second dose, you can keep your original appointment.

Quebec is recommending a third dose of vaccine for all Quebecers ages 18+, and those 12+ with specific risk factors, at least three months after a second dose. This now includes those who

contracted COVID-19 after a second dose.

To book a third dose, follow the same procedure as a second dose but choose “COVID-19 vaccine – 3rd dose” on the Clic Santé website.

A second booster dose can be administered to any adult 18+, but is so far only recommended for people in long-term care, those ages 60+, and those who are immunocompromised. Vaccinations in

long-term care were organized by the facility, while the rest can book a fourth dose through ClicSanté.

Everyone must wait three months between their third and fourth dose.

A paper proof of vaccination will be given to you each time you receive a vaccine dose. A digital proof of vaccination including a special QR code is also sent by email or text message, and

a new one will be sent with each dose.

If you have been vaccinated and have not received a digital proof of vaccination, you can request one online at covid19.quebec.ca/PreuveVaccinale. If that method does not work, you’ll need

to book an in-person appointment through Clic Santé’s troubleshooting service for an official to correct your file.

The QR code is used as proof of vaccination for accessing some non-essential services or businesses (two doses are necessary for now, but that may change). You can download the QR code file

to a smartphone or other device, print it out and present it as needed, or use the VaxiCode app.

The app may indicate that your vaccine QR code is out of date. This means the code will still work in Quebec but may not work for travel in Canada outside Quebec. You can download the

separate proof of vaccination for inter-provincial travel or download a new Quebec QR code that will work for both.

Quebec gave away cash prizes and scholarships to encourage people to get vaccinated by Sept. 1. Williams Carrière won the $1 million grand prize, while others won $150,000 prizes or

scholarships. A full list of winners is available on Quebec’s health ministry website. There are no plans for future lotteries.

Quebecers who got their COVID-19 vaccine in the United States or another province can register that vaccination, but must do so in person. To do so, they can book an appointment on Clic

Santé and choose “COVID-19 vaccine – Troubleshooting” when selecting a service. They will be able to book an appointment at one of the designated vaccine centres that handle vaccines

received outside Quebec.

Bring identification and proof of vaccination. If a second dose is needed, it can be administered at the same time.

Here is a list of mass vaccination centres that have been announced by local health authorities on the island of Montreal. Some accept walk-ins for first and second doses, but because of

demand for boosters, making an appointment is strongly recommended. This list does not include local pharmacies, corporate vaccination centres or mobile/pop-up clinics that are also

administering the vaccines:

Covers Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Westmount, Côte-St-Luc, Montreal West, Town of Mount Royal, Outremont, Parc-Extension, the western part of the downtown Ville-Marie borough and a

small part of the Plateau Mont-Royal borough.

Temporary and ephemeral clinics are listed at ciussswestcentral.ca.

Covers St-Léonard, St-Michel, Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles, Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Anjou, Rosemont and Montréal-Est.

Temporary and mobile walk-in clinics are listed at ciusss-estmtl.gouv.qc.ca.

Covers Ville-Marie, the Sud-Ouest, Verdun and most of the Plateau Mont-Royal.

There are several other temporary walk-in clinics listed at ciusss-centresudmtl.gouv.qc.ca.

Covers Montreal North, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Saint-Laurent and La Petite-Patrie.

Mobile and part-time walk-in clinics are listed at ciusssnordmtl.ca.

Covers Baie-d’Urfé, Beaconsfield, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Dorval, Kirkland, Pointe-Claire, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Senneville, as well as the boroughs of Lachine, LaSalle,

l’Île-Bizard-Sainte-Geneviève and Pierrefonds-Roxboro.

Walk-ins are available only for first or second doses, and only for ages 12+.

Temporary and mobile clinics are listed at ciusssouestmtl.gouv.qc.ca.

Temporary and mobile clinics are listed at lavalensante.com.

Temporary, mobile and part-time clinics are listed at santemonteregie.qc.ca.

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This story was originally published February 18, 2021 at 9:31 AM.