Quebec receives first shipment of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
Vaccine easier to transport, does not need to be stored at ultra-cold temperatures
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The first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines developed by Moderna has arrived in Quebec.
Health Minister Christian Dubé made the announcement on Twitter Wednesday evening, and said they would be administered next week.
This new vaccine will be used in remote regions, notably for Indigenous people living in the north of the province.
The Moderna vaccine will allow more flexibility in how the vaccinations are rolled out. The vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech must be stored in ultra-cold temperatures and was shipped in containers holding about 1,000 doses each — making transporting the vaccine to small long-term care homes difficult.
Residents of long-term care facilities, the people who care for them and those in isolated communities are among the first to receive the vaccine.
Health Canada approved the Moderna vaccine for use in the country last week. More than 25,000 Quebecers have been vaccinated so far.
With files from La Presse Canadienne
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