Quebecers now must prove they have been vaccinated in order to access some non-essential services including restaurants and bars. Businesses are required to ask their patrons to show proof of vaccination and a piece of matching photo ID each time they visit their establishments.
Exceptions to the Rule
Some people will likely be granted exemptions including those who participated in a vaccine trial in the development of Medicago Covid-19 vaccine in the winter of 2020 to the spring of 2021 in Quebec. But as Medicago is not one of the four approved vaccines the Quebec passport app will accept, trial participants fall into a grey zone. Quebec’s Health Minister Christian Dube is looking at making an exception for the 300 or so Quebecers that participated in the 2020 – 2021 Medicago study and currently don’t qualify for the province’s vaccine passport.
Medicago’s Ongoing Vaccine Trials
Phase 3 of the Medicago vaccine trials should be completed by the fall of 2021. At that time the company is planning to provide its vaccine trial data to provincial health authorities. If all goes according to plan, Medicago will be able to produce a made-in-Quebec vaccine for use sometime in 2022.
Quebec’s Vaccine Passports
Quebec is using Vaxicode, an app that became available to iOS users last week. Glitches to the rollout have included Android users having to wait days longer before being able to access the VaxiCode app on Google Play. There is also the issue of those who do not have smartphones such as seniors. These folks will have to print paper copies of their passports and carry them around with their photo ID. How long merchants will be required to ask to see vaccine passports and ID, remains to be seen.
Elaine Allan, BA, MBA
Technology and Business Blogger
Vancouver, BC, Canada