If you don’t have a history of allergic reactions to vaccines, and aren’t immunocompromised, you should be prepared for side effects akin to a mild common cold infection, along with soreness on your arm. Ideally, you want the next one or two days after vaccination to be relatively chill; you can exercise but try to avoid rigorous activities.  

If you have a history of allergic reactions or are immunocompromised, we recommend you talk to your healthcare provider about how to best approach the situation. They may recommend you to take an additional booster dose, which you definitely should! 

Of the 4 approved vaccines by the Canadian government, Mordena and Pfizer are the most effective vaccines at 94.1% and 95% effectiveness for aged 16 to 18 and above, and are 100% effective for children aged 12 to 15. The other two vaccines (Astrazeneca and Johnson & Johnson), which are viral vector-based vaccines, are less effective at 62% and 66% respectively. These two vaccines are also only approved for people aged 18 or above. It’s important to note that according to clinical studies, people who got Astrazeneca or J&J as their first dose, and an mRNA vaccine as their second dose are just as immune as those who got two mRNA shots. 

The effectiveness % values were obtained from the official gov. Of Canada website, and do not take into consideration variants, dates, time after the shot, time between two shots for mRNA vaccines etc. These numbers are subject to change constantly as we gather more data and learn more about the pandemic. 

There will be side effects, that’s okay though - it’s normal; that’s just your immune system getting stimulated and revving up. Common side effects include redness and swelling at the site of injection, as well as mild headaches, joint pain, tiredness, and maybe a little fever. These side effects typically start to appear a few hours after vaccination, and they can last from hours to days. The side effects from the second dose are typically more pronounced than the first dose, that’s normal too! 

Rarely, more severe allergic reactions can happen, which is why we are recommended to stay at the clinic for 15 to 30 minutes in case anything bad happens. If you have had allergic reactions to previous vaccinations or are immunocompromised, please let your vaccinator know.

The main goal of the COVID-19 vaccines is to prevent the development of severe COVID-19 in the general Some of the vaccines are more effective than others. The mRNA vaccines - Pfizer’s Comirnaty and Mordena’s Spikevax vaccines offer the most protection after two doses compared to one dose of viral vector-based vaccines and are also approved for children from the age of 12 or above. However, viral vector-based vaccine and mRNA vaccine combinations can be just as effective as two mRNA shots. 

The first dose first elicits an immune response and helps your immune system recognize the virus. The second dose helps strengthen your immune system’s response against the virus and makes sure your body is as ready as it can be if you really get infected. The second dose is often called a booster shot because it boosts your immune system’s defences against the virus. A lot of vaccines 

Social distancing, masking and vaccinations don’t guarantee immunity to the virus, but we can take ALL the safety precautions to keep ourselves and others around us as protected as possible. Social distancing lowers the chances of you coming in contact with the virus in the air, the masks prevent the virus from gaining access to your noses and respiratory system. Even if they manage to get into the lungs, the vaccines have already made sure that the immune system is ready for the virus and is able to eliminate the threat in no time. 

Not everyone is vaccinated yet, and we should do our best to protect those who haven’t gotten their vaccinations. Vaccinated people can still get asymptomatic infections, which means you have the virus, but you exhibit no symptoms. The virus (SARS-CoV-2) is also known to mutate quite frequently, and our current vaccines may be less effective against strains like the delta variant, so it’s best to keep our masks on to add another layer of protection. 

It’s okay to mix and match the two vaccines, you can get Moderna as the first dose and Pfizer as the second, or vice versa. Both brands of vaccines operate nearly identically and stimulate the immune system in the same way. You can get an mRNA second dose even if your first shot was J&J or Astrazeneca! The authorization of mixing vaccinations in Canada may even be beneficial for people who don’t have access to one of the vaccines and allows us to get fully vaccinated as soon as possible. 

We don’t know for sure, but we have evidence that Pfizer and Mordena vaccines are still effective after 6 months. A study by The Lancet found that the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine dropped to 47% after the first 5 months, and a study by the New England Journal of Medicine found that the effectiveness of Mordena’s vaccine barely dropped, at 93% effectiveness after 5 months. 

Just because their effectiveness rates declined, doesn’t mean they stop working. The vaccines are still effective at minimizing the damage caused by the virus if we do get infected and will likely prevent major illness and hospitalization. However, as time passes, a 3rd booster shot may be recommended. 

Booster shots (commonly known as the second shot) are another dose of the vaccine after the initial shot that is meant to amplify your immune system’s response against the virus. You’ve probably gotten booster shots for diseases like Hepatitis B, MMR and Polio, so it's very likely that a second booster shot for COVID-19 is on the horizon. In fact, according to the CDC, people over the age of 65, or those with medical conditions are already eligible for another booster shot 6 months after the second dose.