The second dose: Moderna can replace Pfizer

Quebec has announced that people vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine will be able to offer their second dose with the Moderna vaccine.

Approximately 2.6 million doses of Moderna vaccine are expected during the weeks of June 28 and July 5.

“Thanks to these additional deliveries, it will be possible from tomorrow to come to a clinic without an appointment and receive the Moderna vaccine, regardless of the vaccine used in the first dose. At the same time, work is underway on the appointment scheduling platform to allow the vaccine to be changed when the appointment is submitted. Residents will be informed when the appointment is submitted. This function shall be available online and accessible,” the Ministry of Health said.

“In a recent opinion, the Commission on Immunization of Quebec (CIQ) indicated that the profiles of the two vaccines are very similar and that it is very likely that the long-term protective effect will be good in a mixed schedule. That is, in a scenario using a single dose of each vaccine. Based on the available data on Vaccine interchangeability The same vaccine is recommended for the second dose if the same mRNA vaccine is readily available in the vaccination clinic.However, CIQ states that when the second dose is given, if the mRNA vaccine used in the first dose is not readily available, a person may receive a different vaccine from mRNA The mRNA vaccines will then be considered interchangeable and the two doses received will be considered valid.This is also in line with NACI guidelines.

More details will follow.