[UPDATE] The criteria are known

The Quebec government launched the official website for the corporate vaccination campaign on March 19. During a press briefing, Minister Christian Dubé announced the qualification criteria for participating companies. Here they are:

• Be able to vaccinate 15,000 to 25,000 people (employees, families, local population) over a three-month period.

• Have the physical location to vaccinate, respecting health measures (whether the company premises or loaned premises).

The government is also inviting companies that can to lend the medical and qualified personnel they employ for this unprecedented operation.

By using the medical and qualified personnel already employed by companies in the province, Quebec aims to vaccinate up to 25,000 people in each of these hubs in 10 to 15 weeks, starting next May.

The government's objective is to be able to count on 25 to 50 vaccination centres from the private sector, thus making it possible to reach 70,000 more injections per day for the period from May to June.

For more information: quebec.ca/vaccinationentreprise

Why should businesses have a role to play in the mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign?

“For a year, businesses have been on the sidelines waiting. They now have the opportunity to play a proactive role and participate in the war effort against COVID-19. The government is showing openness to collaboration between the private sector and the health network. When we get to vaccinating the lifeblood of Quebec's workforce, businesses will be able to contribute by vaccinating their employees and their families, and even the teams of the companies around them. We could have very active months of June and July and ensure that by the start of the school year, the campaign is over.”

Which companies have shown interest?

“We have already collected the names of about a hundred companies ready to lend a shoulder to the wheel. The list remains confidential, but there are several large companies like CAE and National Bank that have said so publicly. Companies in the manufacturing and aviation sectors and large SMEs with hundreds of employees, for example, could easily play a key role in this campaign. We can think of this procedure in an industrial park in the region, among others. If a hundred companies offer vaccination, we will have a combination of public network-pharmacies-private companies. Obviously, the choice will be entirely up to employees to get vaccinated or not.”

What is the role of the FCCQ in this operation?

“The Federation acts as a transmission belt between the government and the network of 130 chambers of commerce in Quebec. In the coming weeks, we will continue our efforts to identify companies that wish to participate in the vaccination campaign. The results are communicated regularly to the Ministry of Public Health. It will then be up to them to select the participating companies and contact them.”

What message do you want to convey to entrepreneurs and employers? What would be the benefits of participating?

"By participating in the campaign, employers ensure that their employees are vaccinated and thereby reduce the risk of absenteeism. It is also a social gesture that has a far-reaching impact. Let us remember that it is completely unusual to see companies take part in such a major vaccination campaign. For companies to be so directly involved in the health and well-being of Quebecers is unheard of."

To access the online form, click here .

For any questions about the vaccination campaign, businesses can also contact vaccination@fccq.ca