Immunization has saved more lives in Canada in the last 50 years than any other health measure.
What are COVID-19 mRNA vaccines?
The COVID-19 mRNA vaccines (Moderna (Spikevax) and Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty)) protect against infection from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19. The vaccines cause your body to produce antibodies that will help protect you from getting sick if exposed to the virus. The vaccines are approved by Health Canada. For more information, visit Immunize BC: How vaccines work.
Who should get the vaccines?
The vaccines are recommended for those 6 months of age and older. The vaccines are especially important for those at increased risk of infection or severe disease, including:
- People 65 years of age and older
- Residents of long-term care and assisted living facilities
- People with underlying medical conditions
- Pregnant people
- Health care workers
- First responders (police, firefighters, ambulance attendants)
Indigenous peoples may be at increased risk of serious illness from COVID-19 due to health inequities resulting from colonialism.
More information, including how to register for the vaccine, can be found on the Government of British Columbia’s website: www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/register.
If you had, or may have had, COVID-19 you should still get the vaccine. This is because you may not be immune to the virus or variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 and could get infected and sick again.
How are the vaccines given?
The vaccines are given by injection. People 5 years of age and older should get one dose. Children 6 months to 4 years of age and people with weakened immune systems may need more than one dose depending on their immunization history.
Getting all the recommended doses of vaccine is your best protection against COVID-19.
It is important to keep a record of all immunizations received.
What are the benefits of the vaccines?
Immunization is the best way to protect you against COVID-19, which is a serious and sometimes fatal disease. The vaccines provide strong protection against severe COVID-19 illness, including hospitalization and death. When you get immunized, you help protect others as well, including those who are unable to get the vaccine.
What are the possible reactions after the vaccines?
Vaccines are very safe. It is much safer to get the vaccine than to get COVID-19. The vaccines are not live virus vaccines and cannot give you COVID-19. Common reactions to the vaccines may include soreness, redness, swelling and itchiness where the vaccine was given. For some people, these reactions may show up 8 or more days after getting the vaccine. Other reactions may include tiredness, headache, fever, chills, muscle or joint soreness, swollen lymph nodes under the armpit, nausea and vomiting. Babies and young children may be irritable, sleepy and have a decreased appetite. These reactions are mild and generally last one to 2 days. If you have concerns about any symptoms you develop after receiving the vaccine, speak with your health care provider or call 8-1-1 for advice.
Rare cases of inflammation of the heart (myocarditis and pericarditis) have been reported after getting the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. These were most often seen:
- After a second dose of the vaccine when the time between doses was less than 8 weeks
- In males 12-29 years of age
- With a higher dose of the Moderna vaccine
