Phase 2 is underway in Waterloo Region. Eligible priority groups in Phase 1 and Phase 2 can pre-register. Vaccines will be available to the general population in Phase 3. Visit the Government of Ontario website for more information on getting a COVID-19 vaccine in Ontario.
The Ontario government has launched a province-wide registration system. For now, Waterloo Region will continue to use the Region’s booking system. We encourage residents in eligible priority groups to pre-register online. We work through pre-registrations in order of eligibility. Providing an email or text will speed our ability to contact you. It may take 4-6 weeks before we contact you to book an appointment.
Vaccine Pre-registration for Priority Groups
Waterloo Region COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force
Vaccine Communications Toolkit
Vaccination clinics in Waterloo Region
On this page
- COVID-19 vaccines
- When will vaccines be available?
- Who will get a vaccine?
- How do the vaccines work?
- Are the vaccines effective?
- Side effects
- Precautions
- Protect yourself and others
- Resources
- Translated resources
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 four COVID-19 vaccines for use in Canada: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson). 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. For more information, download this infographic about vaccine development and approval in Canada.
Until extensive immunization is achieved, public health measures will continue to be essential to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in Waterloo Region.
When will vaccines be available?
It will take time before there's enough vaccine for everyone in Canada. This is why the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization have identified priority populations for the first doses of the vaccines.
Vaccines will be available to the general public in Phase 3 of the Government of Ontario's three-phase vaccination program.
As more supply becomes available, communication about where and when residents can receive a vaccine will be shared broadly.
Pre-registration is currently open to all groups in Phase 1 and some groups in Phase 2. Pre-registration allows us to invite eligible people to book appointments quickly and easily. The information you provide will be used at a later date to contact you and reserve your vaccination appointment.
- Five types of clinics are being planned in Waterloo Region to ensure vaccine is available in the most appropriate and accessible location as quickly as possible. For more information about vaccination clinics, visit our COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics in Waterloo Region page.
- Refer to the Waterloo Region COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Plan and the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Placemat for more information about vaccine distribution in Waterloo Region.
- Visit our COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force page for local distribution news.
Where can I go to get my COVID-19 vaccine? (Infographic)
Who is included in each Phase?
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Pre-registration is available for all Phase 1 groups:
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Pre-registration is available for the following Phase 2 groups:
Visit the Province’s website for more details about Phase 2 in Ontario. |
| Phase 3: As early as July 2021 |
Pre-registration has not yet started for Phase 3. Visit the Province’s website for more details about Phase 3 in Ontario. |
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.
- Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is currently approved for use in people 12 years of age and over.
- Moderna and Janssen COVID-19 vaccines are currently approved for use in people 18 years of age and over.
- Ontario has expanded the age eligibility for AstraZeneca to those 40 years of age and older. This vaccine can be received at participating pharmacies.
Further clinical trials are underway with children of all age groups, so the vaccine could be approved for use in children in the future.
The vaccines are free and will be accessible to everyone in Canada as supply becomes available over the course of 2021.
How do the vaccines 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 mRNA vaccines. 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.
Both the AstraZeneca and Janssen COVID-19 vaccine are viral vector-based vaccines. This vaccine uses a harmless virus (in this case, the adenovirus) as a delivery system. The vector virus used is not the virus that causes COVID-19. When a person is given this vaccine, the vector virus contained within the vaccine produces the spike protein. This protein is found on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19. This protein will not make you sick. It does its job and goes away. Through this process, the body is able to build a strong immune response against the spike protein without exposing you to the virus that causes COVID-19.
The vaccines cannot give you COVID-19.
Learn more about safety after authorization.
Are the vaccines effective?
The COVID-19 vaccines currently approved are all highly effective at reducing the risk of serious illness, hospitalization, and death, and will help with the control of COVID-19 in the community. There are differences between the authorized vaccines. Select a vaccine below to learn more:
| Pfizer-BioNTech |
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The vaccine is given by an injection into the muscle of the arm. Two doses of the vaccine are required for full protection. 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 in about 44,000 participants, the vaccine was 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 beginning 1 week after the second dose. Contact your healthcare professional if you have any questions about the product. |
| Moderna |
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The vaccine is given by an injection into the muscle of the arm. Two doses of the vaccine are required for full protection. 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 in about 30,000 participants, the vaccine was 94% effective in preventing COVID-19 beginning 2 weeks after the second dose. Contact your healthcare professional if you have any questions about the product. |
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AstraZeneca |
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The vaccine is given by an injection into the muscle of the arm. Two doses of the vaccine are required for full protection. It takes about 2 weeks to develop significant 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 62% effective in preventing COVID-19 beginning 2 weeks after the second dose. Contact your healthcare professional if you have any questions about the product. |
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Janssen |
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A single dose of the vaccine is given by injection into the muscle of the arm. It takes at least 2 weeks to develop significant protection against COVID-19. At this time, there is no information on the long-term protection with this vaccine. In clinical trials in about 43,000 participants, the vaccine was 66% effective in preventing COVID-19 beginning 2 weeks after vaccination. Contact your healthcare professional if you have any questions about the product. |
Ontario is following the recommendations of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) and extending the time between the first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to 16 weeks. The 16-week interval applies to the vaccines currently approved by Health Canada that require two doses. This means that more people will be protected sooner.
The following groups will continue to be booked for their second dose at the manufacturer’s interval:
- Residents of long-term care or retirement homes
- Residents of Elder Care Lodges
- Residents of assisted living facilities
- Remote and isolated First Nations Communities
| Medical exceptions |
Individuals with medical exceptions to the 16-week second dose interval require documentation from their treating specialist or primary care provider. Individuals with medical exceptions include:
Bring the completed Medical Exceptions to Extended Interval Form to each vaccination appointment. |
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 vaccines, 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 |
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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. Adverse reactions will continue to be monitored as people receive the vaccine. If you are experiencing a serious or adverse reaction to the vaccine, do not call public health, please seek medical attention by a health care provider. Health care providers will report directly to public health. As part of the surveillance work, public health will keep track of the reported adverse reactions and adjust its guidance as required.
Precautions
Before your vaccination appointment, review the following statements and follow the directions.
| I am currently pregnant or breast/chestfeeding |
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The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends that if a risk assessment with a health care provider deems that the benefits outweigh the potential risks, and if informed consent includes discussion about the absence of evidence on the use of COVID-19 vaccine then a complete series of COVID-19 vaccine may be offered to individuals who are pregnant or breast/chestfeeding. |
| I am immunocompromised |
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The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends that if a risk assessment with a health care provider deems that the benefits outweigh the potential risks, and if informed consent includes discussion about the absence of evidence on the use of COVID-19 vaccine then a complete series of COVID-19 vaccine may be offered to individuals who are immunosuppressed due to disease or treatment or suffering from an autoimmune disorder. |
| I have had an allergic reaction to a previous dose of a COVID-19 vaccine or an allergic reaction to one of the ingredients in any of the available COVID-19 vaccines (e.g. polyethylene glycol [PEG]). |
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Individuals who have had a severe allergic reaction or a suspected allergic reaction within 4 hours of receiving a previous dose of COVID-19 vaccine should be referred to an allergist/immunologist for consultation and to discuss options for future vaccinations. If this applies to you, you will not be able to receive COVID-19 vaccination at a mass immunization clinic. Please contact 519-575-4400 to cancel your scheduled appointment. |
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I have had an allergic reaction within 4 hours and/or anaphylaxis that occurred with a different vaccine or injectable medication that does not contain a component of COVID-19 vaccine. |
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Please contact your treating health care provider to have a discussion about COVID-19 vaccination. Your health care provider may refer you to an allergist/immunologist for consultation. After this consultation you may decide:
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I have had an allergic reaction to a food, drug, venom, latex or other allergen not related to COVID-19 vaccine OR I have allergic rhinitis (e.g. seasonal allergies), asthma or eczema. |
| You may receive COVID-19 vaccination but will be asked to wait 30 minutes after vaccination to monitor for adverse effects. No documentation or consultation with your health care provider is required. |
| I am receiving anticoagulant therapy (blood thinners) or I have a bleeding disorder. |
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You may receive COVID-19 vaccination if your condition/treatment is under control and you are able to receive injections or have blood work. After immunization, you will be asked to apply firm pressure to the injection site for 5-10 minutes. If you are not able to receive injections or have blood work, please contact 519-575-4400 to cancel your scheduled appointment and consult with your health care provider about options for vaccination. |
| I have received another vaccine in the past 14 days. |
| You may not receive COVID-19 vaccination until 14 day have passed since receiving another vaccine. Please call 519-575-4400 to rebook your appointment. |
Visit our COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics in Waterloo Region page to learn more about what to do before, on the day of, and after your vaccination appointment.
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. Experts do not know what percentage of people would need to get vaccinated to achieve herd immunity to COVID-19.
While experts learn more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide under real-life conditions, it will be important for everyone to continue practicing public health measures to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
It is important that you continue to follow public health measures after you are vaccinated:
- Avoid gatherings with people that live outside your home.
- Limit trips outside your home to essentials (e.g. groceries, medical appointments, work).
- Stay 2 metres away from people you do not live with.
- Wear a mask or face covering that covers your nose and mouth.
- Wash your hands often with warm water and soap or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid indoor spaces and crowded places.
- When you are sick, stay home and isolate from others in your house.
Resources
Availability and distribution
- Waterloo Region COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Plan - February 12, 2021 (Region of Waterloo)
- Waterloo Region Five Types of Clinics - February 12, 2021 (Region of Waterloo)
- Waterloo Region COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Placemat (Region of Waterloo)
- Waterloo Region COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force (Region of Waterloo)
- Ontario COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Placemat (Province of Ontario)
- COVID-19 vaccine ethical framework for distribution (Province of Ontario)
- COVID-19 vaccines for Ontario (Province of Ontario)
- COVID-19 vaccination guidance for prioritizing health care workers (Ministry of Health)
- COVID-19 Vaccine Bulletin (Region of Waterloo)
Guidance and safety
- COVID-19 about vaccines (Ministry of Health)
- COVID-19 how vaccines are developed (video) (Government of Canada)
- COVID-19 vaccine development and approval in Canada (infographic) (Government of Canada)
- COVID-19 vaccine after care sheet (Region of Waterloo)
- COVID-19 vaccine fact sheet (Region of Waterloo Public Health)
- COVID-19 vaccination recommendations for special populations (Ministry of Health)
- COVID-19 vaccine safety (Province of Ontario)
- Getting a COVID-19 vaccine in Ontario (Province of Ontario)
- Recommendations on the use of COVID-19 vaccines (National Advisory Committee on Immunization)
- Resources for Health Professionals (Region of Waterloo Public Health)
Translated resources
- Go to the top of the page you want to translate.
- Click the plus sign beside the word “Translate” and select one of the many languages available.
- This translates the website to the language you select. (Note: This feature does not extend to PDF downloads or other websites we link to for more information.)
- Video: "How to use the Google Translate feature"
- The Province of Ontario also has a COVID-19 communications resources page with resources in multiple languages, including resources on vaccine facts and vaccine safety.
- The Public Health Agency of Canada have developed a COVID-19 vaccine tip sheet that is available in French, Arabic, Korean, Punjabi, Spanish, Tamil, Ukrainian, Tagalog, Simplified Chinese, German and many other languages.
- Learn more about COVID-19 vaccine and download the tip sheet in one of many languages on the Government of Canada What you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine for Canada web page.
- Download this information as a PDF:
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