Quebec has become the first province to approve a fifth shot of the COVID vaccine for the elderly, with eligibility soon to be expanded to all adults.

The fifth dose (third booster) was approved for all those 75 and up earlier this week, while approval for those 60 and older will come on August 22 and approval for anyone 18 and older will come on August 29.

“I ask you to get your booster dose for three reasons: first for you, then for the vulnerable people around you and then for the health network personnel,” Quebec Premier Francois Legault said. 

Despite launching what they’re calling a “mass vaccination campaign,” the Quebec government is simultaneously claiming they have no intention of mandating the vaccine this time around — even though Legault and health minister Christian Dube are urging all residents to get another jab to prevent a similar situation as last winter.

“Fall is arriving, that means back-to-school, people are back from vacation, there’s more (social) interaction, more transmission, so it’s a good time to launch a massive campaign like we previously did,” Legault said.

The promise not to re-implement vaccine mandates is dubious, to say the least, as Quebec has a general election on October 3, and there probably isn’t anything more divisive or scorn-worthy than COVID lockdowns.

Moreover, interest in getting another jab has diminished significantly. While the government has the capacity to vaccinate 300,000 Quebecers every week, only 56% of the population over the age of five have rolled up their sleeves, most of whom have been elderly.

“It’s because a lot of people had COVID-19,” Dubé said. “A lot of them decided not to get a booster shot because of it.”

Additionally, while Dube said that nearly 80,000 have booked an appointment for a booster following the government’s announcement, again, nearly all are over the age of 60.

“Quebecers have responded to our call: nearly 80K appointments have been made since the announcement of the vaccination campaign on Tuesday, the majority of which are among those aged 60 and over,” tweeted Dube.

Whether the government reverses course immediately following the election amid waning interest in COVID anything remains to be seen, but it isn’t out of the question, given the government’s over-the-top response in the past.