Vaccine Education Session

Overview

The coronavirus (COVID-19covid 19) vaccine does not cause a coronavirus infection. It helps to build up your immunity to the virus, so your body will fight it off more easily if it affects you.

This can reduce your risk of developing coronavirus and make your symptoms milder if you do get it.
Vaccination is expected to be an effective way to prevent the spread and reduce the impact of COVID-19covid 19. The effectiveness and immune response of the vaccine is being monitored as the vaccine is rolled out.

Only vaccines that Health Canada determines to be safe and effective will be approved for use in Canada and available in Ontario.

After independent and thorough scientific reviews for safety, efficacy and quality, Health Canada has approved four vaccines for use in Canada:

• Pfizer-BioNTech – expected to be 95% effective after two doses
• Moderna – expected to be 94% effective after two doses
• AstraZeneca (AstraZeneca and COVISHIELD) – expected to be 64% effective after two doses
• Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) – expected to be 66% effective after one dose

The vaccines:

• were tested on a large number of people through extensive clinical trials
• have met all the requirements for approval, including safety
• are monitored for any adverse reactions that may occur after vaccination and appropriate measures will be taken

Learn more about the vaccines from Health Canada’s website.

How do COVID-19 Vaccines work?

The two types of messenger RNA vaccines (called mRNA vaccines) approved for use in Canada are : Pfizer & Moderna

mRNA vaccines are a new type of vaccine. They don't use live virus to trigger an immune response. Instead, they teach your cells how to make a protein that will trigger an immune response. Once triggered, your body makes antibodies. These antibodies help you fight the infection if the real virus does enter your body in the future.

Researchers have been studying and working with mRNA vaccines for quite some time. For example, they've been studied for use in flu, Zika, rabies and cytomegalovirus (CMV). Researchers have also used mRNA to trigger the immune system to target certain cancer cells.

mRNA vaccines can be developed faster than traditional methods because they're made in a lab using materials that are easily available. Once developed, large-scale clinical trials are carried out to show that the vaccine is safe and effective.

As with all vaccines, you gain protection from an mRNA vaccine without having to risk the serious consequences of getting sick from the virus.

You can't get COVID-19 from the vaccine itself.

Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) is a molecule that provides cells with instructions for making proteins. mRNA vaccines contain the instructions for making the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. This protein is found on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19.

The mRNA molecule is essentially a recipe, telling the cells of the body how to make the spike protein.

COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are given by injection, usually into the muscle of the upper arm.

After the protein piece is made, the cell breaks down the instructions and gets rid of them. The mRNA never enters the central part (nucleus) of the cell, which is where our DNA (genetic material) is found. Your DNA can't be altered by mRNA vaccines.

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.

How do COVID-19 Vaccines work?

The two types of viral vector-based vaccines approved for use in Canada are : AstraZeneca & Janssen

These types of vaccines use a harmless virus (in this case, the adenovirus) as a delivery system. This vector virus is not the virus that causes COVID-19. You can't get COVID-19 from the vaccine itself.

Adenoviruses are viruses that cause the common cold. There are many different types, including those that cause colds in humans and those that infect other species. Scientists have been using these viruses for decades to deliver the instructions for proteins.

Once injected into your body, the adenovirus in the vaccine produces the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. This protein doesn't make you sick. It does its job and then goes away.

Through this process, your body can mount a strong immune response against the spike protein without exposing you to the virus that causes COVID-19.

Vaccine Safety

Only vaccines that are proven to be safe, effective and of high quality are authorized for use in Canada. The COVID-19 vaccines have been rigorously tested during their development and then carefully reviewed by Health Canada.

The vaccines can't give you COVID-19 because they don't contain the virus that causes it. The vaccines also can't change your DNA.

What are the benefits of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine?

The vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and those around you from serious illness related to COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccinations work with your immune system to prepare your body to fight the virus if you are exposed. In the event that you do contract COVID-19, the vaccine may make your symptoms milder than if you hadn’t had the vaccine. The vaccine may also reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19 altogether (Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2021-2021). 

What are the potential risks of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine?

• Serious side effects following a COVID-19 vaccine are rare, and are generally much lower than the risks associated with catching COVID-19 .
  
  
• Common, mild side effects may include: pain, bruising, and swelling at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscles and joint aches, chills, and a mild fever (Ministry of Health, 2021).
  
  
• Emergency medical attention should be sought immediately if any of the following symptoms occur: hives, facial or mouth swelling, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, severe drowsiness, fever over 40 degrees celsius, numbness, tingling, or seizures. 
  
  
• Risks associated with the Moderna and Pfizer BioNTech vaccinations:
  • Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle)
  • Pericarditis (inflammation of the sac in which the heart sits in the chest)
  • Most cases are mild and resolve quickly
  • Symptoms are typically observed one week following vaccination
  • Symptoms of myocarditis and pericarditis: chest pain, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and a rapid heartbeat
    
    
• Risks associated with the AstraZeneca vaccination:
  • Vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (VITT)
  • The condition is serious but very rare
  • Symptoms of VITT include: chest pain, shortness of breath, pain or swelling of the legs, skin bruising (other than at the site of injection,) persistent abdominal pain, red or purple spots or blisters on or below the skin, severe or sudden headache, blurred or double vision, confusion, seizures, or difficulty speaking or moving. (Ministry of Health, 2021)