Getting vaccinated against COVID-19

• The Cree Health website (creehealth.org) and social media (@Creehealth) will provide community information, including dates and location of vaccination clinics. 

• Local radio stations will also be used as a way to quickly update communities on the status of vaccinations.

• Each CMC will have a different approach for notifying people that it is time for their 2nd dose. When the second dose becomes available, we will share information on the website, social media and radio.

The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine includes two (2) separate injections (shots) given on different days. 

• All people in Eeyou Istchee who are eligible for the vaccine will eventually get two (2) doses of the vaccine for long-term protection.

• Public Health officials are looking at how to optimize the vaccine doses currently available and are determining the best schedule for the second dose, given the need to protect as many people as quickly as possible.

• Currently, only people 80 years old and older can have access to a 2^nd dose, if there are leftover doses on a given day.

• The Cree Health Board does not currently have authorization from the Quebec Ministry of Health (MSSS) to give 2^nd doses from the shipment of 1^st doses.

• The Cree Health Board is unlikely to receive a shipment of 2^nd doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine until at least March 2021.

• Although the vaccine was initially approved to be given with a 2^nd dose administered 4 weeks after the 1^st dose, the Quebec Immunization Committee has advised that it is safe to delay the 2^nd dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for up to 90 days after the 1^st dose.

• The Cree Health Board is issuing specific guidance for special situations in which 2^nd doses could be administered, if vaccine doses would otherwise be wasted.

• Even with one dose, the vaccine protection is high against severe disease and death from COVID-19.

• Vaccination schedules often change as more research is done and more knowledge is gained.

• Read more about the 2^nd dose in Quebec.

No, the vaccine is not mandatory, but it is recommended. 

• Vaccination is safe, effective, and an important way to protect yourself.

• No vaccine is mandatory in Canada.

• Vaccination is always a personal choice.

• The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is approved in Canada for adults over the age of 18. 

• There is not enough clinical data about COVID-19 vaccination in youth under 18 years of age or in pregnant women. 

• If you are pregnant, please discuss with your doctor. Until more information becomes available about the safety of mRNA vaccines in pregnant women, the Quebec vaccination protocol (PIQ) does not recommend routine vaccination of pregnant women for COVID-19. 

• If you show any sign of active illness such as fever, cough, etc. you should not get vaccinated but instead, call your CMC for an appointment to get vaccinated at a later date.

• People with a history of severe allergic reaction to a specific ingredient of the COVID-19 vaccine, Polyethylene glycol (PEG), should not receive the vaccine. 

• You should not get the vaccine if you have had a severe allergic reaction to any of the Moderna vaccine ingredients.

The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine contains the following ingredients:

· messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)

· lipids (SM-102)

· polyethylene glycol (PEG) 2000 dimyristoyl glycerol (DMG)

· cholesterol

· 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC)

· tromethamine

· tromethamine hydrochloride

· acetic acid

· sodium acetate

· sucrose

The Quebec vaccination protocol (PIQ) does not recommend routine vaccination of pregnant women for COVID-19 until more information becomes available about the safety of the Moderna vaccine for pregnant women.  

• This is because pregnant women were not included in clinical trials for COVID-19  vaccines, so it is unknown what effects the vaccine can have on pregnant women or their unborn children.

• However, as a pregnant woman, you can decide for yourself if you would like to receive the vaccination. You can make an informed decision after consulting with your healthcare professionals, Elders or Traditional Healers.

You may consider receiving the vaccine if you:

• Have a high risk for more severe complications from COVID-19. (For example, if you have certain chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, unhealthy weight or asthma); or

• If you have a high risk of exposure to the infection (for example during an outbreak). 

You can reach Elders and Traditional Healers for support and to discuss any questions you might have.

Breastfeeding women are eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine according to the Quebec Immunization Protocol (Protocole d'immunisation du Québec, PIQ).

• If you are breastfeeding, discuss your options with your healthcare provider. 

• You do not need to stop breastfeeding at any point before or after vaccination.

• There is no data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in breastfeeding women from clinical trials. That being said, the Quebec Immunization Committee (Le Comité d’immunisation du Québec, CIQ) considers the pros of vaccination to be greater than the cons for breastfeeding women who are among the priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination, like the women health care workers (in contact with vulnerable patients) and women who are at high-risk for developing severe infection.  

• Up to now, there have been no known safety issues associated with inactivated vaccines among breastfeeding women.

According to the Quebec Immunization Committee (Comité sur l’immunisation du Québec, CIQ), the benefits of vaccination with the COVID-19 vaccine outweigh the risks for immunocompromised people. 

• However, the immune response to the vaccine may be reduced in people with suppressed immune systems. 

• An informed decision will be made with the person to be vaccinated or their representative if they are unfit.

• People with a history of severe allergic reaction to any of the ingredients of the vaccine – like Polyethylene Glycol - should not receive the vaccine.

• People with any other type of allergy should not be worried about getting the vaccine, so far allergic reactions to mRNA vaccines are rare.

• For extra safety, the vaccination teams will be equipped with everything needed in case of a severe allergic reaction and the first responders will be close by if needed.

• Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) is a non-medicinal ingredient in the vaccine that is also found in some laxatives.

The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine contains the following ingredients:

• messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)
• lipids (SM-102)
• polyethylene glycol (PEG) 2000 dimyristoyl glycerol (DMG)
• cholesterol
• 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC)
• tromethamine
• tromethamine hydrochloride
• acetic acid
• sodium acetate
• sucrose

Learn more about the vaccine from Immunization Protocol Quebec (Protocole D’immunisation du Québec) 

If you have food or pollen allergies, like an allergy to peanuts, seafood or you get hay fever, you are NOT at greater risk for developing an allergy to the vaccine.

• For extra safety, the vaccination teams will be equipped with everything needed in case of a severe allergic reaction and the first responders will be close by if needed.

Yes, they can. 

• There is no trace of gluten in vaccines. 

• The Canadian Celiac Association recommends that people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance receive the vaccine.

Other vaccines could interfere with the COVID-19 vaccine. The recommendation is to:

• Receive the COVID-19 vaccine 2 weeks after any other vaccine, and wait 1 month (4 weeks) before receiving any other vaccine.

There have been no studies to date regarding alcohol, cannabis, or recreational drug use and the COVID-19 vaccine.

No. Being diabetic or on dialysis will not make someone more vulnerable to side effects.

• Just like any other individuals receiving the vaccine, they might have some side effects such as pain at the injection site, mild fever, or fatigue.

• People with diabetes are at higher risk of severe infection if they contract COVID-19, so the vaccine is strongly recommended.

• People with diabetes may wish to closely monitor their blood glucose levels after they are vaccinated so that they remain comfortable if they do experience mild side effects.

The COVID-19 vaccination is administered like other vaccines, through an injection in your upper arm.

• If you have ID, bring it with you.

• You do not need to fast.

• Wear a short-sleeved shirt.

Once we have a more detailed schedule for the vaccination campaign, we will be able to provide instructions for people in this situation.

Yes, this is a possibility, based on information we’ve received from the Quebec Health Ministry (MSSS).

If you do not get vaccinated against COVID-19, you will have to rely on other precautionary measures – such as physical distancing, hand hygiene, and wearing a mask – as your only protection against COVID-19.

• Precautionary measures like physical distancing, hand hygiene, and wearing a mask can protect you by limiting the chances you are exposed to the virus in the first place, however, only vaccination can protect you if and when you are exposed. 

• The more people that are vaccinated, the safer we all become.