The flu vaccination campaign has been launched across the province. Quebecers can book an appointment from Tuesday, and the sooner the better, as the flu season is expected to start early. Current trends suggest that the flu season will begin earlier this year. At a press briefing on Tuesday, Quebec Public Health Director Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh shared the latest figures from the Quebec Institute of Public Health (INSPQ), which show that the positivity rate for influenza tests was 2.7 per cent, representing a weekly upward trend. “Every year, we look at the number of positive tests out of all the tests carried out, and when this exceeds 1.96 per cent for two consecutive weeks, we say that the season appears to be well underway,” said Quach-Thanh. “So, it’s earlier than in other years. It’s not the earliest on record, but we can see that the figures are rising steadily, albeit gradually.” Furthermore, the flu vaccine reaches full effectiveness around two weeks after it has been administered. The government aims to vaccinate at least 80 per cent of people in the highest-risk groups, for flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Last year, this rate was around 60 per cent, Quach-Thanh noted. Already 100,000 appointments booked Within a few hours on Tuesday morning, more than 100,000 appointments had been booked for the autumn viruses. “That’s significantly more than last year. We’re seeing levels of demand similar to the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic – it’s enormous,” said Martine Leblanc-Constant, Director of Public Health Operations at Santé Québec. This year, only those most at risk of complications are eligible for the flu vaccine free of charge. For the general public, the cost ranges from $30 to $50. Free vaccination is available, in particular, to people aged 65 and over, pregnant women who are at least 13 weeks pregnant, and people living with certain chronic conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, or chronic heart or lung conditions. The protection rate of the flu vaccine varies from year to year. Its effectiveness depends on how well it matches the predominant flu strain, but sometimes a strain in the vaccine may differ from those currently circulating. The flu vaccine is nevertheless recommended by public health authorities, as it protects against the other strains included in the vaccine. Getting a flu shot therefore reduces the risk of contracting the virus, of passing it on to others, and also lowers the risk of hospitalization. The most common complications of flu are dehydration, caused by fever; pneumonia; bronchitis, particularly in babies under one year of age; sinusitis; and ear infections. To book an appointment, people can visit the Clic-Santé platform or contact pharmacies directly. The Canadian Press’s health coverage is supported by a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for this journalistic content. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 13, 2026.
