COVID-19 Vaccine

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COVID-19 vaccine

Vaccines are safe, effective and the best way to protect you and those around you from serious illnesses like COVID-19.

The Province’s three-phase vaccination program is now in Phase 1. This phase prioritizes health care workers, essential caregivers, long-term care home and retirement home residents, First Nation communities and urban Indigenous populations, including Métis and Inuit adults. As more supply becomes available, the Province will move to Phase 2 as early as March 2021.

Vaccination clinics across the province are not open to the general public at this time. COVID-19 vaccination for the broader community will not be available in Waterloo Region until summer or fall 2021 when the province launches Phase 3. Currently, Region of Waterloo Public Health and health care providers cannot schedule vaccine appointments for the general public and COVID-19 vaccine clinics do not maintain wait lists.

Learn more about Ontario's three-phased vaccine distribution plan.

COVID-19 vaccines

Safe and reliable vaccines can help protect you and your family from COVID-19. They will be an important tool to help stop the spread of the virus. The province is leading distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario. For more information, please visit COVID-19 vaccines for Ontario.

Health Canada have authorized two COVID-19 vaccines for use in Canada - Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Several other vaccines are currently at various stages of regulatory approval by Health Canada. Vaccine manufacturers were encouraged to apply through the interim order process, which allowed Health Canada to start the review process much sooner than usual. This allows them to submit all new data and evidence as it becomes available, instead of waiting until all studies are completed.

The federal government dedicated more scientific, financial and human resources to complete these reviews, so that they were done as quickly as possible.

Health Canada’s independent evaluation of scientific and medical evidence for safety, efficacy and quality of COVID-19 vaccines has been maintained, and Health Canada will make publicly available any safety and efficacy evidence used to issue expedited authorization.

When will vaccine be available in Waterloo Region?

The Province’s three-phase vaccination program is now in Phase 1. The first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Waterloo Region in December 2020. This supply was used to vaccinate for people who are at higher risk for COVID-19, as identified by the Government of Ontario.

Phase 1 prioritizes health care workers, essential caregivers, long-term care home and retirement home residents, First Nation communities and urban Indigenous populations, including Métis and Inuit adults.

Phase 2 of the plan is expected to begin as early as March 2021 in Ontario, depending on availability of vaccines. The following groups will receive vaccines in Phase 2:

older adults, beginning with those 80 and older and decreasing in five-year increments over the course of the vaccine rollout
people who live and work in high-risk congregate settings (for example, shelters, community living)
frontline essential workers, including first responders, teachers and other education staff and the food processing industry
individuals with high-risk chronic conditions and their caregivers

Once the COVID-19 vaccines are widely available to the community in Phase 3, which will start as early as summer 2021, the goal is for everyone in Waterloo Region to be able to get vaccinated if they want to.

Vaccination clinics across the province are not open to the general public at this time. Currently, Region of Waterloo Public Health and health care providers cannot schedule vaccine appointments for the general public and COVID-19 vaccine clinics do not maintain wait lists.

As phases launch, communication about where and when residents can receive the vaccine will be shared broadly. The goal is to ensure every single person in Waterloo Region who wants to be vaccinated, is able to be. This is the best way to ensure everyone is protected from the virus in the future. Members of the public are asked to continue to follow public health guidelines to help reduce the risk of the virus spreading in our community.

Visit the Waterloo Region COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force page for more information.

How does the vaccine work?

Vaccines reduce risks of getting a disease by working with your body’s natural defences to build protection.

Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are an mRNA vaccine. This vaccine tells your body's cells to make "spike proteins." The spike proteins are specific to the virus that causes COVID-19. Your immune system will respond to the spike proteins by making antibodies that will fight off infection. Your new antibodies will break down the spike proteins and get rid of them. In clinical trials the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was shown to be 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 beginning one week after the second dose. And, the Moderna shown to be 94% effective in preventing COVID-19 beginning 14 days after the second dose.

The vaccine does not contain the virus and so it cannot give you COVID-19.

Who will get a vaccine?

At this time, the Government of Ontario is prioritizing vaccines for people who are most vulnerable to severe illness from COVID-19 or at increased risk of being exposed to the virus.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is currently authorized for use in people 16 years of age and over. And, the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is currently authorized for use in people 18 years of age and over. Further clinical trials are underway with children of all age groups, so the vaccine could be approved for use in children in the future.

Where can I get the vaccine?

The Province’s vaccination program is in Phase 1 for health care workers in hospitals, long-term care homes and retirement homes, other congregate care settings and remote Indigenous communities. Waterloo Region has begun vaccinating health care workers, long-term care homes’ staff and residents. These clinics will not open to the public at this time.

When more vaccines become available, it is expected that Ontario will continue to expand the vaccine program. For more information on the phased vaccine program and priority groups, please visit COVID-19 vaccines for Ontario.

Is it effective?

There are differences between the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccine. Select a vaccine below to learn more:

Pfizer-BioNTech

Two doses of the vaccine are required for full protection, given 21 days apart. It can be given to people 16 years of age and older, including older adults. After completing the two-doses, it may take another seven days to achieve maximum protection against COVID-19. At this time, there is no information on the long-term protection with this vaccine. In clinical trials, the vaccine was 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 beginning 1 week after the second dose. This means that people may not be fully protected against COVID-19 until at least 7 days after the second dose.

Moderna

Two doses of the vaccine are required for full protection, given one month apart. It can be given to people 18 years of age and older, including older adults. After completing the two-doses, it may take another 14 days to achieve maximum protection against COVID-19. At this time, there is no information on the long-term protection with this vaccine. In clinical trials, the vaccine was 94% effective in preventing COVID-19 beginning 2 weeks after the second dose. This means that people may not be fully protected against COVID-19 until at least 14 days after the second dose.

There is a small chance that you may still get COVID-19 after being vaccinated. As such, it is very important to continue with public health measures such as physical distancing, wearing a mask, and staying home if you are sick. Health care and other staff must still wear personal protective equipment (PPE) even after they have been vaccinated.

Side effects

Some people may experience side effects from the vaccine, but they will likely be moderate and resolve after a few days. Some of the symptoms are part of the body’s response to developing immunity.

Common side effects that have been reported in the clinical trials for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine include:

Very common ≥10% (more than 1 in 10 doses)	Common 1-10% (1 in 100 to 1 in 10 doses)	Uncommon 1% (1 in 100 doses)	Very rare
Pain at the injection site Headache Feeling tired Muscle or joint pain Fever or chills	Redness and swelling at the injection site	Enlarged lymph nodes	Serious allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis

In rare cases, serious allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) can occur. Allergic reactions can be treated and are usually temporary. Vaccine side effects will continue to be monitored as people receive the vaccine. If you have a reaction to the vaccine, it is important to contact your health care provider who will report the side effect directly to public health. As part of the surveillance work, public health will keep track of the reported side effects and adjust its guidance as required.

Precautions

Delay getting vaccinated if you have a fever or are sick with COVID-19 symptoms
If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to have a baby*
Avoid trying to get pregnant for at least two months after getting both doses of the vaccine
If you have an autoimmune disorder or a weakened immune system due to illness or treatment*
People with a bleeding disorders or who are on blood thinner medications should consult their health care provider before getting vaccinated

* These groups were not part of the initial clinical trial of the vaccine COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your health care provider first to inform your decision making process.

Do not get this vaccine, if you

are under 16 years of age Pfizer-BioNTech / 18 years of age Moderna
have allergies to any vaccine ingredients, including polyethylene glycol
have a severe reaction to a previous dose of this vaccine

Protect yourself and others

The spread of the virus will slow down or stop when a large percentage of the population becomes immune to COVID-19. This is known as herd immunity.

In most cases, 80 to 95% of the population must be immune to a disease to stop its spread and achieve herd immunity.

Until vaccines are widely available, we all must continue to:

Avoid social gatherings with those outside your immediate household
Limit non-essential trips outside your home
Practice physical distancing
Wear a face covering
Wash your hands often with warm water and soap or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
Avoid enclosed, poorly ventilated spaces and crowded places
Stay home when you are sick

Resources

What you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine (video - Region of Waterloo Public Health)
COVID-19 about vaccines (PDF - Ministry of Health)
COVID-19 vaccine after care sheet (PDF - Ministry of Health)
COVID-19 vaccine availability and rollout (PDF - Ministry of Health)
COVID-19 vaccine ethical framework for distribution (PDF - Ministry of Health)
COVID-19 vaccine fact sheet (PDF - Region of Waterloo Public Health)
COVID-19 vaccines for Ontario (web page - Province of Ontario)
COVID-19 vaccination guidance for prioritizing health care workers (PDF - Ministry of Health)
COVID-19 vaccination recommendations for special populations (PDF - Ministry of Health)
COVID-19 vaccine safety (web page - Province of Ontario)
Getting a COVID-19 vaccine in Ontario (web page - Province of Ontario)
Resources for Health Professionals (web page - Region of Waterloo Public Health)