ANSWER:

The bivalent vaccine provides protection against two strains of the COVID-19 virus and is approved for people aged 12 and older.

Because these vaccines provide the broadest protection possible, they are recommended by public health for everyone in that age group. 

Children aged 5 to 11 are eligible to receive a booster dose of the original COVID-19 vaccine, which is approved and recommended for them.

Children 6 months to 4 years of age are not currently eligible to receive a booster dose.

ANSWER:

In general, pregnant individuals have the same antibody response to a vaccine as non-pregnant individuals. This means they can generate the same number of protective antibodies after being vaccinated. There is an initial period of inflammation after being vaccinated, as the immune system responds to a foreign substance. This is non-specific and accounts for the fatigue, headache and occasional low-grade fever that can follow any vaccination. In general, pregnant individuals have a slightly decreased inflammatory response and often report fewer side effects.

ANSWER:

Manitoba public health officials, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC) recommend that breastfeeding and/or pregnant individuals in any trimester, should get vaccinated against COVID-19 with an mRNA vaccine. 

NACI notes that no specific safety signals have been detected related to pregnancy or during breastfeeding with mRNA vaccines. Over 15 studies have found no increased risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, still birth or birth defects in people who received the vaccine.  Those who are trying to become pregnant do not need to avoid pregnancy after vaccination with an mRNA vaccine, and those who are breastfeeding should continue to breastfeed after vaccination. 

Emerging evidence suggests comparable protection from the COVID-19 vaccine among pregnant and non-pregnant individuals. The evidence also suggests that:

• the mRNA vaccine itself does NOT cross the placenta
• antibodies that develop in response to the vaccine DO cross the placenta providing protection against COVID-19 for the infant after birth. The level and duration of protection that this provides to the infant is currently unknown.
• antibodies ARE present in breastmilk following maternal vaccination with an mRNA vaccine.
• mRNA from the vaccine is NOT found in breastmilk four to 48 hours after vaccination.

For more information about the risks and benefits of the mRNA vaccine, refer to the mRNA vaccine factsheet for adolescents and adults, available at:  www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/vaccine/resources.html.

ANSWER:

While people can have less severe symptoms from omicron, people can still get very sick or require hospitalization. Omicron is also more contagious than other variants which means it’s easier to infect others—many of whom could be at higher risk of severe outcomes.

Booster doses are now available that help to specifically target omicron, which means these vaccines provide the broadest protection possible against more strains of COVID-19. Public health recommends all eligible people get this vaccine, called a bivalent booster.  To find a vaccine appointment near you, use the online vaccine finder.

ANSWER:

Receiving two different vaccines for your first and subsequent doses is commonly called a “mixed vaccine schedule.” This is not a new approach for vaccines – similar vaccines from different manufacturers are used when there are changes in vaccine supply or immunization programs. This happens with influenza, hepatitis A and others.

Data specifically looking at mixed COVID-19 vaccine schedules, suggests that receiving different mRNA vaccines or receiving a dose of AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD followed by a dose of either Pfizer or Moderna, is safe and effective. Getting the same vaccine for the first and subsequent doses, or a mixed vaccine schedule, are both considered valid and equivalent.

ANSWER:

The side effects of the vaccine for youth and children are generally the same as the side effects for adults. This can include pain at the injection site (upper arm) or feeling more tired than usual. Headache, achy muscles or joints, or fever and chills are also possible. These side effects are usually temporary and generally clear up within 48 hours.

If you have questions about your child’s vaccination, talk to your family doctor or pediatrician.

ANSWER:

No. Continue taking any prescribed medications or vitamins as per usual. There is no need to adjust medications prior to getting your vaccine. If you are concerned or have additional questions, please contact your healthcare provider.

ANSWER:

No. Please advise your immunizer when you arrive that you have a history of fainting when getting a needle. Your immunizer can help prevent this from happening, or provide appropriate support if you begin to feel faint.

ANSWER:

The short answer is: Yes. None of the science was skipped but the additional financial investment, focused attention and international collaboration helped fast track a lot of the administrative barriers. 

Here is the longer answer:

Development

Normally, years can be spent advocating for a new intervention, compiling foundational research, seeking funding, recruiting people for clinical trials, getting the approvals in place, and dealing with all of the administration that goes along with the work.  

With COVID, all the critical steps, such as the underlying science, and the clinical trials where the vaccines were tested on animals and people who agreed to participate, all happened as they needed to. 

But here are some reasons it was faster than usual. With the COVID19 vaccines, we were not starting from scratch. While this coronavirus is new, it’s not the only one we’ve dealt with. There are hundreds of coronaviruses – we’ve studied them, and we’ve responded to them before. It only took about two weeks to map the genome of COVID-19, and that told us what kind of vaccine would need to be developed to stop it.

The scale of international partnership and collaboration was unprecedented – there were and still are numerous vaccines in development all at the same time, being led by different companies, in different countries, using different types of vaccines. 

Normally, this would not be possible due to the financial risks. With COVID, governments took on the financial risk and told the companies that even if their vaccines needed to be thrown away because they didn’t work, they would still be compensated for their work.  This allowed more companies to do work a lot faster and to try new ideas. For some of these ideas, the groundwork was already laid. Viral vector vaccines like AstraZeneca have been used for decades in Canada and around the world.

mRNA vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna are a newer technology, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been tested or studied.  Human trials of cancer vaccines using the same mRNA technology have been taking place since 2011. In fact, Moderna already had an influenza mRNA vaccine developed before this pandemic started. While the message in the vaccine changed, we already had the envelope to deliver it. 

Even the trials were faster because it was so easy to recruit participants and because there was so much virus in the community – it didn’t take very long to find out if the vaccine could fight the circulating virus.

The science was not rushed, but all the administrative work around the science was fast-tracked. This is because the whole world was on board with one goal in mind, a COVID19 vaccine that is safe and will help us out of this pandemic.

Health Canada Approval

The approvals also happened faster than usual. Like all vaccines, Health Canada reviews the safety and effectiveness of all COVID-19 vaccines that will be used throughout the country.  Canada is recognized around the world for its high standards for drug and vaccine review, approvals and monitoring systems. 

These vaccines followed the same process as any other vaccine. All prescription medications and vaccines are required to complete three trial phases before approval.  

Phase 1 uses a small number of participants to look at safety.  It tests various doses of the product to see what side effects occur and how they affect participants.  

Phase 2 trials are a bit larger and typically include a larger variety of participants.  They look at the immune response to the vaccine to ensure that it works the way it should.  

Finally, Phase 3 trials are larger, with thousands of participants.  This trial starts to look at how well the vaccine actually prevents infection. 

All three of these phases were done and completed just as they needed to be. Again, what changed here was the pace. 

Normally Health Canada requires companies to submit all of their data from Phases 1, 2 and 3 at the same time for evaluation. But in this case, Health Canada reviewed each trial as it was completed.  

Companies didn’t need to wait their turn to have their applications reviewed, Health Canada did them in real-time.  This meant that less time was required at the end of Phase 3 in order to get approval because Phase 1 and 2 had already been reviewed. 

The science behind these vaccines is solid. They are safe, effective, and built on technology that we know and understand.

ANSWER:

All vaccines are required to complete three clinical trial phases before they are approved. Phase 1 trials use a small number of participants to look at safety. During this phase, various doses of the vaccine are tested to see what side effects occur and how these side effects affect participants. Phase 2 trials are a bit larger and typically include a larger variety of participants. This phase looks at the immune system’s response to the vaccine to ensure that it works the way it should. Finally, phase 3 trials include thousands of participants. This phase starts to look at how well the vaccine prevents infection. 

COVID-19 vaccines are following the same approval process as any other vaccine approved for use in Canada. The difference with COVID-19 vaccines is that Health Canada is using a fast-tracked process that allows manufacturers to submit data as soon as it becomes available. This allows teams of Health Canada experts to start the review process from each trial as soon as it is completed instead of waiting for all 3 phases of clinical trials to be completed before starting the review.

Canada has one of the best vaccine monitoring systems in the world, and we use the information we gather in Canada, and from other countries, to guide our decisions. Health Canada will only approve a vaccine for public use if there is sufficient clinical data showing the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness. 

ANSWER:

If you or your child are 5 years of age or older:
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends that COVID-19 vaccines can be given at the same time as, or at any time before or after, other vaccines.

If your child is 6 months to 4 years of age:

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends that the Moderna vaccine primary series for children ages 6 months to 4 years should not routinely be given on the same day as other vaccines.  It is advised to wait 14 days between receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines.

ANSWER:

All vaccines are trying to achieve the same thing – immunity to COVID-19. Many vaccines will be evaluated and put through clinical trials to find out if they are both safe and effective. 

Not every vaccine that is developed will be approved. Having many different vaccines in development increases the chances that there will be one or more that will be shown to be safe and effective.

The scale of international partnership and collaboration in the development of COVID19 vaccines was unprecedented – there were and still are numerous vaccines in development all at the same time, being led by different companies, in different countries, using different types of vaccines. 

Normally, this would not be possible due to the financial risks. With COVID, governments took on the financial risk and told the companies that even if their vaccines needed to be thrown away because they didn’t work, they would still be compensated for their work.  This allowed more companies to do work a lot faster and to try new ideas. There are still several more vaccine types that are looking very promising.  We expect there will be more vaccine types in the near future.  

ANSWER:

Studies have shown that the COVID-19 vaccine’s effectiveness does wane over time, as it does with other vaccines. With new variants like Omicron becoming widespread, it is more important to get a booster dose to recharge your immune system and increase the effectiveness of your vaccine.

ANSWER:

You should be vaccinated even if you have had or suspected you have had COVID-19. Experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting re-infected after recovering from COVID-19. Although rare, we know that some people have been re-infected with the virus. Recent studies show that the vaccine is likely more effective at protecting against future infection than the “natural” immunity you get from an infection.  This is because the vaccine triggers a broader immune response than the actual virus does. 

Experts are still learning more about how long vaccines protect against COVID-19 in real-world conditions. In the meantime, experts agree that the vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and so it is recommended that people who have had COVID-19 in the past be immunized.

ANSWER:

As is the case with any vaccine, there could be side effects. This happens because the vaccine triggers your immune system to start fighting. Side effects are generally mild and might include tenderness at the site of the injection, a low fever, aching joints, a headache or lethargy. However, none of these symptoms should last more than a week or lead to a high fever. If this happens, contact your health care provider.

A more serious side effect could be a severe allergic reaction–also known as anaphylaxis. 

If you’re concerned about allergies or side effects, talk to your primary health care provider or call Health Links-Info Santé at 204-788-8200 in Winnipeg or 1-888-315-9257 toll-free elsewhere in the province.

ANSWER:

Yes. Many pharmacies and medical clinics are now offering the COVID-19 vaccine.  For a complete list of locations and which vaccine is currently available, use the interactive map at https://manitoba.ca/covid19/vaccine/finder.html.

ANSWER:

No. The Manitoba government covers all costs for the COVID-19 vaccine. Please bring your Manitoba Health card or other form of identification, to your appointment.

ANSWER:

Yes. Anyone residing in Manitoba is eligible, regardless of immigration status including: refugee claimants, migrant workers, international students, dependent children of temporary residents, and undocumented residents. These individuals should bring some form of government-issued photo ID, such as a passport, in order to get the vaccine.

ANSWER:

Public health sets the recommended minimum interval between first and second doses. Any second dose given after that time is considered valid and the person would be considered fully immunized. This is also true for a young person who might receive a pediatric dose (10 mcg), turn 12, and then get an adolescent/adult dose (30 mcg) after the recommended interval.

ANSWER:

Public health recommends that everyone receive all of the COVID-19 vaccines they are eligible for, following the recommended schedule. Parents and caregivers should not delay a vaccination to wait for their child’s next birthday.

The Pfizer vaccine is recommended for children aged 5 to 17 because of the lower risk of inflammation of the heart and the lining of heart (myocarditis/pericarditis) with this vaccine.

ANSWER:

While most infected children and youth have mild symptoms and are less likely to get severely ill from COVID-19, some may:

• require hospitalization for complications, such as difficulty breathing.
• experience longer-term effects if they do get infected.
• get a rare but serious complication called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). This is a condition that can occur several weeks after COVID-19. MIS-C involves inflammation in the body that can affect the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes or gastrointestinal organs. Symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and skin rash.

Getting children in your care vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine will increase their protection against severe COVID-19 illness.

ANSWER:

No cases of myocarditis/pericarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle/lining around the heart) occurred in the trials for children in this age group. Current data suggests that the risk of myocarditis/pericarditis in children aged 5-11 years old is lower than adolescents and young adults. The risk is likely even lower in infants and younger children. There is ongoing monitoring to detect any safety signals that may arise from this vaccine.

ANSWER:

Public health recommends that everyone receive all of the COVID-19 vaccines they are eligible for, following the recommended schedule. Parents and caregivers should not delay a vaccination to wait for their child’s next birthday.

The Moderna vaccine is currently available for children 6 months to 5 years of age. If your child receives it as their first dose, they will get the same vaccine for their second dose, even if they turn 5. A Pfizer vaccine is currently authorized for children 6 months to 4 years of age. However, it is not yet available in Manitoba until the National Advisory Committee on Immunization makes recommendations on its use.

If your child is already 5 years old, the Pfizer vaccine is recommended for them.

ANSWER:

Yes, they can receive their second dose at least 28 days after their first dose of the vaccine. Protection against COVID-19 is better with longer intervals between doses. It would be best to speak to your child’s doctor to discuss the benefits and risks of getting the second dose earlier than the recommended interval.

ANSWER:

Yes, it is recommended that immunocompromised children receive the vaccine because they are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID. They may have a diminished immune response to the vaccine, so it is recommended that they receive three doses.

ANSWER:

The current recommendation is to wait 14 days in between a COVID vaccination and any other vaccines. This is a precautionary measure so that if your child experiences any side effects, it will be easier to understand which vaccine is the cause.  However, parents and caregivers can still choose to have these vaccines given at the same time or within that timeframe. If you have concerns or questions, please speak with your health care provider.

ANSWER:

There are different ways to help prepare children for vaccination, depending on how old they are:

• Infants and younger children can be breastfed or given a bottle just before and during vaccination.
• If your child is older, let them know ahead of time that they are getting a vaccine. Discuss with them on what to expect in simple terms. Help them choose a toy or a game that can best help them to relax.
• Topical numbing creams are available to reduce pain at the injection site
• Follow the CARD guidelines: Comfort, Ask, Relax, Distract
• Review ProtectMB.ca resources for additional tips for parents and tips for kids