We do not have COVID-19 vaccines in our office to administer to our patients.
If you will be 6 months of age or older on the date of receiving your COVID-19 vaccine, you are eligible to receive a Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccine (either Pfizer-BionTech or Moderna, depending on age). Ontario has made a preferential recommendation that individuals 12-30 years of age receive Pfizer-BionTech.
Please click here for more information on booster dose timing and eligibility. Click here to check the date you may be eligible for your booster dose.
Which vaccines are currently approved for use in Canada?
COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Novovax and Medicago are approved for use in Canada. All vaccines have been tested in large clinical trials to ensure they meet safety standards.
Please use the link below to compare current COVID-19 vaccines approved by Health Canada.
Who can get vaccinated?
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and Moderna vaccine is Health Canada approved for use in people 6 months of age and older.
The Novovax vaccine is Health Canada approved for use in individuals 18 years of age and older, while the Medicago vaccine is Health Canada approved for use in people 18 to 64 years of age.
The AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are approved for use in people 30 years of age and older in Ontario (NACI supported).
Consult with your health care provider if you:
- Have an autoimmune disorder or weakened immune system due to illness or treatment; this should be reviewed by your specialist who is monitoring and managing this condition
- Have a history of allergic reaction to PEG (polyethylene glycol), which is found in over the counter laxatives (e.g. Restoralax, Miralex, PEG 3350 etc.), Advil Liqui-gels and Tylenol Liquid gels
Your healthcare team will review benefits and risks for your unique situation.
Who should not receive the vaccine?
Vaccination is not currently recommended for:
- Individuals with a history of anaphylaxis after previous administration of the vaccine
- Persons with proven immediate or anaphylactic reaction to any component of the vaccine or its container, including polyethylene glycol
- Vaccination should be deferred in symptomatic individuals with confirmed or suspective COVID-19
- Acutely ill individuals
Can (or should) I get vaccinated if I already had COVID-19?
Some people may have had COVID-19 and recovered. It is still recommended that these individuals receive the vaccine. Current evidence suggests that re-infection with the virus within 90 days after initial infection is uncommon. However, although experts don't know for sure how long immunity lasts from an acute COVID-19 infection, the risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19 outweighs any benefit from "natural immunity". The COVID-19 vaccine will help protect you by creating an antibody response without having to experience acute symptoms from an infection.
Individuals with current COVID-19 infection or other active infections should wait until their infection is cleared. It is currently recommended that one should wait at least 90 days after a COVID-19 infection to receive their COVID-19 vaccine (including a booster dose).
Should I have the vaccine if I am pregnant/breastfeeding?
As per the SOGC (Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada), women who are pregnant or breastfeeding can be offered a COVID-19 vaccine at any time during pregnancy or post partum. Women who are pregnant are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Ontario.
As per the SOGC, "there is absolutely no evidence, and no theoretic reason to suspect that the COVID-19 vaccine could impair male or female fertility. These rumors are unfounded and harmful."
Should I have the vaccine if I have other health conditions?
People with stable health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), Hepatitis B or C and HIV, may receive COVID-19 vaccines.
If you have an autoimmune disorder or weakened immune system due to illness or treatment please speak to your specialist who is monitoring and managing this condition to ensure that your health status will not be impacted by the vaccine.
When will the COVID-19 vaccines be available to the general public?
Currently, vaccination is available to any individual who is 6 months of age and older.
What protective measures should I take before/after vaccination?
Even after receiving the vaccine, it will be important for everyone to continue with public health measures (e.g. wearing a mask, physical distancing and washing hands often) if and when they are not feeling well.
Will vaccination prevent me from getting COVID-19 in the future?
All COVID-19 vaccines currently approved by Health Canada have been shown to be highly effective at preventing COVID-19.
Based on current data from the vaccine clinical trials, all currently approved COVID-19 vaccines lower the risk of serious illness if you contract COVID-19. All currently approved vaccines are highly effective against hospitilization and death from COVID-19.
Why are these vaccines safe, considering how quickly they were developed?
mRNA vaccines (e.g. Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines) have been used for almost 30 years in animal models for Influenza, Zika, Rabies, CMV and cancer treatments. As mRNA vaccines can be quickly adapted to provide instructions to the body to produce an antibody target for a new virus, these vaccines are able to be developed much quicker than in the past.
Similarily, viral vector vaccines (e.g. AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines) have been well studied and in recent years were used to respond to Ebola outbreaks.
No steps were missed or skipped in developing, testing, approving and producing any of the vaccines. Independent scientists were required to thoroughly review all data before the vaccines could be approved as safe and effective.
These vaccines were produced quicker than before, not due to missed or skipped steps, but due to unprecendent collaboration and funding from around the world to invest in this effort. Unlike previously, governments from around the world invested in having companies plan all the steps of the vaccine process, from the beginning, to build up their manufacturing capacity from the start.
Typically, vaccine clinical trials need 6,000-8,000 people for the approval process. The Pfizer-BioNTech trial included over 45,000 people worldwide, the Modernal trial over 30,000, the AstraZeneca trial over 20,000 and the Johnson & Johnson trial approximately 43,000. No safety concerns were identified in these trials.
How do COVID-19 vaccines work?
The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are mRNA technology vaccines. They contain instructions (mRNA) to tell our cells to make a protein specifically found on the surface of the COVID-19 virus. These proteins are called "spike proteins", and although harmless to us, trigger our body to start making antibodies. These antibodies are what protect us from illness if we are exposed to COVID-19.
The mRNA (instructions) from the vaccine are destroyed by our own cells within 2-3 days of receiving the vaccine, and thus cannot be inserted or integrated into our DNA. Additionally, humans do not make the specific enzyme protein needed for mRNA to be inserted into our own DNA.
The AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson vaccine is a viral vector vaccine. Viral vector vaccines used a modified version of a non-live virus to serve as a vector (container) to deliver instructions (gene/genetic material) to make a protein specifically found on the surface of the COVID-19 virus. These proteins are called "spike proteins", and although harmless to us, trigger our body to start making antibodies. These antibodies are what protect us from illness if we are exposed to COVID-19.
As per the CDC, the genetic material does not inegrate into our DNA. The vaccine does not cause infection with COVID-19 or the virus used to make the vector.
The Novovax and Medicago vaccines are protein based vaccines. These vaccines work by providing our body with the spike protein, normally found on the surface of the COVID-19 virus. The spike protein is given to our body in a "virus-like-particle" that is not the COVID-19 virus. The spike protein is not able to cause infection or replicate in our body, but does allow our body to develop antibodies against COVID-19.
The vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Novovax and Medicago) do not contain the (live COVID-19) virus so they cannot give us COVID-19.
What are the current known vaccine side effects?
Like any medicine, some people may experience side effects after receiving the vaccine. Common side effects such as muscle aches, a sore arm or mild fever may occur, and typically last for only a few days. You will likely be asked to remain at the location you received your vaccine for 15 minutes after the vaccine is given. The healthcare team at the vaccination clinic is always prepared to treat any reactions, if they occur.
The AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been associated with rare cases of a clot, called Vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (VITT). There has been excellent education provided to healthcare providers, provincially and locally, on how to diagnose and treat VITT in the rare event it occurs.
The mRNA vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) have been associated with rare cases of myocarditis (inflammation of the muscle of the heart) and pericarditis (inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart). In both myocarditis and pericarditis, the body’s immune system is causing this inflammation in response to a trigger. Current available information indicates that these cases have occurred mainly in adolescents and young adults, more often in males than females, and more commonly after the second dose. Typically symptoms will develop within a few days of receiving the vaccine. Most cases are mild and based on reports by Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada we are not seeing higher rates of myocarditis or pericarditis than we would normally expect in the general population.
Please inform your healthcare provider if you have any unusual symptoms after receiving the vaccine, including:
- A high fever (greater than 40ºC/104ºF).
- An allergic reaction (rash, hives, itching, throat swelling, difficulty swallowing/breathing)
- Severe vomiting, diarrhea and/or headache
- Chest discomfort or palpitations
- Reactions that are severe or that do not go away, requiring a visit to a doctor or hospitalization