Getting vaccinated against COVID-19

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.

The 2nd dose of the Moderna vaccine boosts immunity. 

• This means the 2^nd dose helps your body better prepare to fight an infection if you are exposed to the virus. 

• Tests done on the Moderna vaccine show that it is 94% effective after 2 doses. 

• The Cree Health Board recommends that people who have taken a 1^st dose also take a 2^nd dose.

• 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 vaccines are available.

Yes. Anyone who is eligible for the Moderna vaccine can still get vaccinated with a 1^st dose, even during the 2^nd dose campaign. 

Quebec’s recommendation for the Moderna vaccine is that the 2^nd dose be given up to 16 weeks after the 1st dose.  

• People who have received a 1st dose are protected from severe forms of the COVID-19 disease. 

• The 2^nd dose increases that layer of protection, once people receive it.

• Precautionary measures, like vaccination, physical distancing, wearing a mask and frequent hand-washing, will continue to protect us from COVID-19 variants.

• The most common side effect symptoms are soreness/redness/swelling/warmth around the site of needle entry.

• Headache, fatigue, generalized body aches, mild fever or chills are also common after vaccination.

• The immune system is activated by the vaccine (so that it is ready to fight future COVID-19 infection), and some people experience symptoms during this process.

• More than half of people who get vaccinated can expect to feel one or more of these things.

• These reactions are usually mild or moderate, and clear up within a few days.

• Most people have stronger reactions to the 2nd dose than the 1st dose. Some people have no reaction at all.

• People can take common medications, like Tylenol (as per instructions), to reduce some of these feelings.

• Serious reactions to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are very rare.

• Everyone coming for vaccination will be asked about any personal history of severe allergy, and the healthcare staff providing vaccines will be prepared to treat any allergic reactions.

• Even if you are not at high risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19, vaccination reduces your risk of developing the disease, and decreases the risk of severe COVID-19 related illnesses.

• Vaccines are an important tool to prevent disease and fight the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

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

• If you are concerned about the side effects that can occur after receiving the vaccine, please consider there is a difference between a few days of flu-like symptoms and full-blown COVID-19 severe illness that might make breathing so difficult you could need to be hospitalized far away from home and even be kept alive by a respirator.

• If you have questions about your specific risk of COVID-19, or if you worry that you are ineligible to get the vaccine, please talk to your doctor.

• The 1^st dose provides protection against severe forms of COVID-19. 

• The Cree Health Board recommends that people who took the 1^st dose should be vaccinated with the 2^nd dose, to increase the vaccine’s effectiveness and provide long-lasting protection.

• It takes some time after getting your vaccine for your body to build up the necessary immunity.

• After getting the 2^nd dose, your body builds maximum protection after one week. 

• We do not know how long this protection will last, since this is a new (novel) disease and new vaccine. Medical researchers are gathering new knowledge about the vaccine and how long it offers protection.

Yes. 

• Community vaccination sites will have Red Zones in place, with all necessary safety precautions to vaccinate people who are in isolation.  

• If a person has COVID-19, they need to wait until they recover before they take the vaccine. The recommendation is that they wait up to 3 months. 

• It is also recommended that people who had COVID-19 only receive one dose of the vaccine.

• If people are at camp already, and have road access to their home community, we encourage them to come and get their 2^nd dose during the 2^nd dose campaign. 

• If people are at further camps accessible by airlift, they can wait to get their 2^nd dose when they return. 

• The 2^nd doses will still be available after Goose Break.

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

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  Polyethylene glycol (PEG) or Tromethamine 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 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.

• People with diabetes are at higher risk of severe infection if they contract COVID. The Cree Health Board strongly recommends that people living with diabetes get vaccinated.

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.

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.