Here are some of the Quebec health professionals who are now administering vaccines

With Quebec planning to inject millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the coming months, health professionals from widely different fields were asked to help administer them alongside nurses.

Montrealers over the age of 70 are currently eligible for the vaccine. And while the limited supply has stalled the number of available appointments, the province is preparing for a time when hundreds of thousands of doses will arrive each week.

The frequency of shipments is increasing, and there are now four vaccines that can be used in Canada. In addition to the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, Quebec is now distributing its first shipment of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine and the Johnson & Johnson shot was approved by Health Canada last week.

Julie Yip works part-time as an occupational therapist in Montreal. She said that signing up to administer vaccines was a great opportunity to help health-care workers whohave been fighting this virus for a year now.

"It's a really good feeling," she said, of giving Quebecers the vaccine,which has been proven to be highly effective in preventing hospitalizations related to COVID-19.

"We were in the heart of the pandemicbut now it's getting better."

Health-care workers are given a full day of training on how to perform the vaccination. The first half of the day is theoretical and in the afternoon they witness vaccinations and then administer the shots themselves.

Sarah Lemelin, a pharmacist, signed up to be a vaccinator last fall before it was clear that vaccines would also be administered in pharmacies.

She's now vaccinating older Montrealers at the Palais des congrs. With her pharmacy starting to administer vaccines later this month, her time will be split between the twosites.

She said she's still getting used to the pace of vaccinations administering dozens in one day.

"First of all, I was very nervous," she said. But like many other Quebecers, seeing vaccinations ramp up helps her feel hopeful.

"The more we vaccinate people, the faster we're going to get to a normal life. It's been a long time since my kids got a hug from grandma," she said.

WATCH | Dr. Caroline Kilsdonk explains why she wants to vaccinate Quebecers

Vets join the ranks of COVID-19 vaccinators

4 years ago

Duration 1:03

Veterinarian Dr. Caroline Kilsdonk is among those from different professions who are pitching in for the vaccination campaign. A welcome duty, she says, caring deeply about the elderly.

Dr. Caroline Kilsdonk, a veterinarian, said she realized how much she enjoyed interacting with seniors when she and her dogs would take part in pet-assisted therapy for those in palliative care.

She says veterinarians have experience dealing with patients of all shapes and sizes.

"That's just another size and shape of patient," she said of her new task vaccinating humans. "And the wonderful thing about these new patients for us is that they talk."

It had been about 20 years since she had professionally administered a vaccine she focuses on teaching and on animal behaviour now but she said the training calmed her nerves.

"It's a bit like riding a bike, you can't forget it," she said.

For Paul-Guy Duhamel, a dietitian and lecturer at McGill University, being trained to vaccinate Quebecers gave him the ability to interact with people once again.

He said with all his teaching being done over video chat, he's having fun being around others, even for the brief amount of time it takes to give them their vaccine.

"The first time is always kind of odd and bizarre," he saidof handling the syringe. As part of his training, he practised on an orange before moving on to human patients.

"I wouldn't say it's easy but it's pretty straightforward."

Helping administer vaccines in the West Island, he says he makes sure to take the time the patient needs to talk after getting their shot.

He often hears about people looking forward to being able to eat at restaurants or travel again, but one story stands out: a woman who was excited to finally hold her grandchild for the first time.

"I have reconnected with that feeling of being useful in my community," Duhamelsaid.