Quebec pharmacists inviting people to use pharmacies for vaccinations to avoid ER overcrowding

FILE - A flu vaccine is displayed at a pharmacy in New York, on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon, File)

Faced with pressure on emergency departments due to respiratory viruses and a new measles outbreak, the Association québécoise des pharmaciens propriétaires (AQPP) is calling on the public to get vaccinated in pharmacies across the province.

On Tuesday, Quebec public health confirmed that 11 cases of measles had been reported in the Laurentians, Montreal and Laval. This is the second measles outbreak in Quebec since the start of 2024; the first, which lasted four months, totalled 51 cases.

Babies under the age of one, unvaccinated pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of developing complications from measles. Complications include pneumonia, ear infections, persistent diarrhoea, loss of sight or hearing, and in 1 in 3,000 cases the disease can lead to death.

The AQPP is inviting adults born since 1980 who have not received two doses of measles vaccine, and anyone else not considered protected, to get vaccinated free of charge at pharmacies.

Flu viruses will be circulating more and more in Quebec over the coming weeks. The influenza epidemic was declared in the country at the end of December, and the peak of the season has not yet been reached. The AQPP said that there is still time for Quebecers to protect themselves against respiratory viruses by getting a free vaccination from a pharmacist.

These health professionals can also give antiviral treatment to people who test positive for the COVID-19 or influenza viruses and who are at risk of complications.

The province’s emergency departments were still very busy on Tuesday.

By early afternoon, the occupancy rate for all emergency rooms was 133 per cent. In an effort to relieve overcrowding, the AQPP points out that it is possible to consult a pharmacist for a number of minor conditions, such as shingles, allergic conjunctivitis, acne, certain fungi, haemorrhoids, heartburn, Lyme disease, and so on.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 15, 2025.