the covid-19 vaccine
Vaccines are safe, effective and the best way to protect you and those around you from serious illnesses like COVID-19.
Vaccines work with your immune system so your body will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed. This can reduce your risk of developing COVID-19 and make your symptoms milder if you do get it.
Who is currently being immunized?
The immunizations are being rolled out in phases throughout the province, and as more vaccines become available, the eligible groups will change to include younger age groups, and lower risk populations.
To see if you are now available, please visit the Simcoe Muskoka Health Unit website by clicking the button below.
How effective are the vaccines?
What about the risk of blood clots with the astra zeneca vaccine?
There are a lot of people who have concerns about the Astra Zeneca vaccine. How effective is it? Is it more risky than the other vaccines? What about the risk of blood clots? Take a moment to read through this informative package about the vaccine and the reported risks.
What about the other risks?
How common are side effects of the COVID vaccine compared with other risks that we are exposed to on a daily basis?
pregnant and breastfeeding patients
Here is a good handout from the Center of Maternal and Child Health that discusses the vaccine for this important patient population.
what kind of vaccine is the covid-19 vaccine
The vaccines that are being used in Canada are classified as Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines.
mRNA vaccines have been studied for over 30 years and have been used as novel therapies to treat certain cancers. However, this is the first time that mRNA has been developed into a vaccine.
The mRNA vaccine will teach our cells how to make a protein that will trigger an immune response without using the live virus that causes COVID-19. Once triggered, our body then makes antibodies. These antibodies help us fight the infection if the real virus does enter our body in the future.
When a person is given the vaccine, their cells will read the genetic instructions like a recipe and produce the spike protein that is often seen in pictures of COVID-19.
After the protein piece is made by your body’s immune system, the cell breaks down the instructions and gets rid of them.
The cell then displays the protein piece on its surface. Our immune system recognizes that the protein doesn’t belong there and begins building an immune response and making antibodies.
Read more about the COVID-19 vaccination here on the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) website.
when will it be your turn?
The Ontario Government has a schedule of who will be getting immunized first, including health care workers, higher-risk people, and those in long term facilities. But based on the Ontario Government website, vaccines will be widely available for anyone who wants to be immunized starting in August 2021.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women were not included in trials for the currently available vaccines. However, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada has stated that “the documented risk of not getting the COVID-19 vaccine outweighs the theorized and undescribed risk of being vaccinated during pregnancy or while breastfeeding and vaccination should be offered.” The Ontario Ministry of Health guidance states that pregnant women should discuss risks and benefits with their family physician or primary healthcare provider.
Patients that have an autoimmune or immunodeficiency condition, or are immunosuppressed due to disease or treatment, we will discuss the benefits and risks of vaccination given your particular situation and come to a decision together. People with these conditions were not included in the trials for the currently available vaccines, although vaccination may be a good idea for you to reduce your risk of getting a COVID-19 infection.
How effective is the vaccine and are there any side effects?
The vaccines have been shown to be 94-95% effective after two doses.
Keep in mind that it will take a few weeks for your body to build immunity after getting a COVID-19 vaccination. As a result, it's possible that you could become infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or after being vaccinated.
A COVID-19 vaccine can cause mild side effects after the first or second dose, including:
Pain, redness or swelling where the shot was given
Fever
Fatigue
Headache
Muscle pain
Chills
Joint pain
These are normal side effects and are caused by your immune system getting ramped up to recognize the unique identifying “spike” on the surface of the virus. This is completely normal and does not mean you are getting sick with COVID-19. Typically, these side effects will appear within two or three days of receiving either the first or second dose of the vaccine.
After you have the vaccine, can you stop wearing a mask or social distancing?
If you have had finished the series of vaccinations, you will still have to follow the rules of social distancing, mask wearing, and hand washing to minimize the potential of spreading the virus by contact. These practices are essential and should be continued until further directed by governing bodies in Ontario.