How to get COVID-19 vaccinations in Montreal and Quebec

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Last updated May 4, 2022.

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Quebec is vaccinating the general population against COVID-19. Vaccination is strongly encouraged, but remains voluntary.

Eligibility for vaccination

Currently, all Quebecers ages 5 and over can book appointments for a first dose. Parental consent is required for those under the age of 14, and one must be present for the vaccination at vaccine clinics.

Vaccines are not yet approved for children ages 0-4, but pharmaceutical companies are working on getting their vaccines approved.

Second doses can be administered four weeks after the first (but eight weeks is recommended), and a third dose can be administered three months after the second. Quebec is currently recommending all adults get three doses of vaccine.

For details on booster dose eligibility, see “third dose” and “fourth dose” below.

Vaccine types

These are the COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in Canada:

• Comirnaty by Pfizer-BioNTech (mRNA vaccine, ages 5+)
• Spikevax by Moderna (mRNA vaccine, ages 6+)
• Vaxzevria by AstraZeneca (viral vector vaccine, ages 18+)
• Janssen COVID-19 vaccine (viral vector vaccine, ages 18+)
• Nuvaxovid by Novavax (protein-based vaccine, ages 18+)
• Cofivenz by Medicago (plant-based virus-like particle vaccine, ages 18-64)

All approved vaccines are administered the same way, by injecting a small dose into muscle tissue into the upper arm.

Currently, almost all vaccines being administered are Comirnaty or Spikevax. The AstraZeneca vaccine was administered to part of the population, particularly those 55-64, in early 2021, but concerns about the possibility of blood clots led Quebec and other provinces to stop administering that as a first dose, and recommending those who took it take an mRNA vaccine for their booster shots.

Procedure for first dose

You or a child you’re seeking to vaccinate who is at least 5 years old, and has not had COVID-19 in the previous four weeks, can get a first dose of a vaccine anywhere in Quebec, either through reservation or at a walk-in clinic.

To book a vaccine appointment, go to quebec.ca/vaccincovid or call 1-877-644-4545.

On the website:

1. Once on the Clic Santé page, you can switch to English in the top right
2. Under “Select a service” choose “COVID-19 Vaccine – 1st dose” (for people 12 and over) or “COVID-19 Vaccine – 1st dose – 5 to 11 years old” depending on the age of the person being vaccinated, then press the blue “Choose this service” button (you may need to scroll down)
3. Enter your postal code so locations are sorted by distance from you
4. Click the blue “search” button
5. Look for a location near you (the distance will be marked on the right and they should be listed starting with the closest locations). Sites without available appointments should have a grey background. Those with appointments available should note if they’re within the next seven days or after seven days.
6. Click “Book appointment”
7. Answer the screening questions
8. Choose an appointment date from the calendar (dates with a circle next to them) and then one of the available appointment times that appear
9. Click “continue”
10. Fill out your information and submit the form

Go to the site for your appointment, no more than five minutes before the scheduled time. At your appointment, you will be given a vaccine and then a date for your second dose.

You will receive a piece of paper with vaccination information, and later you will receive an email or text message with your proof of vaccination.

Walk-in clinics

Some vaccine centres offer vaccinations without an appointment, but demand remains high and availability is quickly exhausted. Many sites reserve walk-ins only for first or second doses because of demand for boosters.

The list changes often, so check out the web page for your region:

• Bas-Saint-Laurent
• Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean 
• Capitale-Nationale (Quebec City)
• Mauricie-et-Centre-du-Québec
• Estrie
• Montreal
• Outaouais
• Abitibi-Témiscamingue
• Côte-Nord
• Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine
• Chaudière-Appalaches
• Laval
• Lanaudière
• Laurentides
• Montérégie 

Procedure for second doses

When you get a first dose of the vaccine, an appointment will be automatically scheduled for a second dose at the same place.

To rebook your second vaccine dose, go to clicsante.ca and under “Select a service”, choose “COVID-19 vaccine – 2nd dose”. Fill in your RAMQ number (on your health card) and phone number. The system will allow you to choose a new date at least four weeks after your first dose, if there are appointment slots available (new slots are added on a regular basis). When you book a new appointment, the original appointment will automatically be cancelled. You can rebook your appointment multiple times if you find a better one later.

If you cannot rebook your second dose because the portal does not recognize your first one or you do not have a RAMQ number, you can repeat the process using the “COVID-19 vaccine – Troubleshooting” service and set up an appointment to correct your record at a vaccination centre, or get vaccinated at a walk-in clinic.

If you do not rebook your second dose, you can keep your original appointment.

Third dose

Quebec is recommending a third dose of vaccine for all Quebecers ages 18+, and those 12+ with specific risk factors, at least three months after a second dose. This now includes those who contracted COVID-19 after a second dose.

To book a third dose, follow the same procedure as a second dose but choose “COVID-19 vaccine – 3rd dose” on the Clic Santé website.

Fourth dose

A second booster dose can be administered to any adult 18+, but is so far only recommended for people in long-term care, those ages 60+, and those who are immunocompromised. Vaccinations in long-term care were organized by the facility, while the rest can book a fourth dose through ClicSanté.

Everyone must wait three months between their third and fourth dose.

Proof of vaccination

A paper proof of vaccination will be given to you each time you receive a vaccine dose. A digital proof of vaccination including a special QR code is also sent by email or text message, and a new one will be sent with each dose.

If you have been vaccinated and have not received a digital proof of vaccination, you can request one online at covid19.quebec.ca/PreuveVaccinale. If that method does not work, you’ll need to book an in-person appointment through Clic Santé’s troubleshooting service for an official to correct your file.

The QR code is used as proof of vaccination for accessing some non-essential services or businesses (two doses are necessary for now, but that may change). You can download the QR code file to a smartphone or other device, print it out and present it as needed, or use the VaxiCode app.

The app may indicate that your vaccine QR code is out of date. This means the code will still work in Quebec but may not work for travel in Canada outside Quebec. You can download the separate proof of vaccination for inter-provincial travel or download a new Quebec QR code that will work for both.

Lottery

Quebec gave away cash prizes and scholarships to encourage people to get vaccinated by Sept. 1. Williams Carrière won the $1 million grand prize, while others won $150,000 prizes or scholarships. A full list of winners is available on Quebec’s health ministry website. There are no plans for future lotteries.

Registration of foreign vaccinations

Quebecers who got their COVID-19 vaccine in the United States or another province can register that vaccination, but must do so in person. To do so, they can book an appointment on Clic Santé and choose “COVID-19 vaccine – Troubleshooting” when selecting a service. They will be able to book an appointment at one of the designated vaccine centres that handle vaccines received outside Quebec.

Bring identification and proof of vaccination. If a second dose is needed, it can be administered at the same time.

Vaccine centres

Here is a list of mass vaccination centres that have been announced by local health authorities on the island of Montreal. Some accept walk-ins for first and second doses, but because of demand for boosters, making an appointment is strongly recommended. This list does not include local pharmacies, corporate vaccination centres or mobile/pop-up clinics that are also administering the vaccines:

CIUSSS West-Central Montreal

Covers Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Westmount, Côte-St-Luc, Montreal West, Town of Mount Royal, Outremont, Parc-Extension, the western part of the downtown Ville-Marie borough and a small part of the Plateau Mont-Royal borough.

• Décarie Square shopping centre (6900 Décarie Blvd.) — Walk-ins daily (for adults) from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• 7101 Parc Ave., Parc-Extension — Walk-ins daily (for adults) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Goldman Herzl Family Practice Center (5790 Côte-des-Neiges Rd.)

Temporary and ephemeral clinics are listed at ciussswestcentral.ca.

CIUSSS de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal

Covers St-Léonard, St-Michel, Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles, Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Anjou, Rosemont and Montréal-Est.

• CLSCs in the sector offer vaccines by appointment only Mondays to Saturdays

Temporary and mobile walk-in clinics are listed at ciusss-estmtl.gouv.qc.ca.

CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal

Covers Ville-Marie, the Sud-Ouest, Verdun and most of the Plateau Mont-Royal.

• CLSC de la Visitation (1705 de la Visitation St.) — walk-ins weekdays 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., weekends 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Saint-Charles Church (2115 Centre St., Pointe-St-Charles) — walk-ins weekdays 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., weekends 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• CLSC Sainte-Catherine (66 Ste-Catherine St. E.) — walk-ins weekdays 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Site Berri Centre-Sud (955 de Maisonneuve Blvd. E.) — walk-ins daily 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

There are several other temporary walk-in clinics listed at ciusss-centresudmtl.gouv.qc.ca.

CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal

Covers Montreal North, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Saint-Laurent and La Petite-Patrie.

• Place Bourassa (11201 Lacordaire Blvd., Montréal-Nord)— walk-ins weekdays 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., weekends 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Vanier College (300 Sainte-Croix Ave., Saint-Laurent)— walk-ins weekdays 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., weekends 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Mobile and part-time walk-in clinics are listed at ciusssnordmtl.ca.

CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal

Covers Baie-d’Urfé, Beaconsfield, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Dorval, Kirkland, Pointe-Claire, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Senneville, as well as the boroughs of Lachine, LaSalle, l’Île-Bizard-Sainte-Geneviève and Pierrefonds-Roxboro.

Walk-ins are available only for first or second doses, and only for ages 12+.

• Dollard St-Laurent Arena, LaSalle (707 75th Ave.) — walk-ins daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Centre RioCan Kirkland (3212 Jean-Yves St., Kirkland) — walk-ins daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Temporary and mobile clinics are listed at ciusssouestmtl.gouv.qc.ca.

CISSS de Laval

Covers the city of Laval.

• Place Sports Experts (4855, Louis-B.-Mayer St.) — see website for walk-in schedules
• SmartCentres Laval Est (5080 Robert-Bourassa Blvd.) — see website for walk-in schedules
• Galeries Du Moulin (1235 Montée du Moulin) — see website for walk-in schedules
• Carrefour Laval (3003 le Carrefour Blvd.) — walk-ins daily during mall opening hours
• Centre Laval (1600 le Corbusier Blvd.) — walk-ins daily during mall opening hours

Temporary and mobile clinics are listed at lavalensante.com.

Montérégie 

Temporary, mobile and part-time clinics are listed at santemonteregie.qc.ca.

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