An immunization centre in Montreal that opened to teens over the weekend had to order more Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines on Sunday after experiencing “exceptional demand” from the 12 to 17 age group.
Carl Theriault of the Integrated Health and Social Services University Network for West-Central Montreal said that while appointment booking for youth aged 12 and up formally starts on Tuesday, officials at the walk-in clinic at Bill-Durnam arena decided to begin accepting teens over the weekend.
READ MORE: Quebec records under 500 new COVID-19 cases as vaccinations top 4.9 million
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He said the word quickly spread, resulting in a Sunday morning lineup that stretched around the block. Most of the demand appeared to be coming from young people and their families, he added.
“There were a lot of people, it spread a lot on social media,” he said.
Theriault said the clinic ran out of doses by 9 a.m. but has ordered 500 extra for both Sunday and Monday.
By 1:45 p.m., even those extra doses had all been distributed, the health authority said in an update. The clinic reopens for appointments on Monday with extra doses available, it added.
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Meanwhile, the number of new COVID-19 cases in Quebec dipped below the 500 mark on Sunday for the first time since September, with 477 new infections.
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