How the COVID-19 vaccine works

• A vaccine trains the immune system to fight a certain bacteria or virus to prevent us from getting sick from it. 

• There are different types of vaccines, but they all work to strengthen our body’s natural defenses.

• When a virus invades the body, it multiplies and attacks, causing an infection. The first time the body encounters a virus, it can take many days to make and use the virus-fighting tools needed to beat the infection. 

• The immune system remembers what it learned about the virus and how to protect the body in the future.

•  Vaccines imitate an infection so that our body can be prepared if and when it encounters the virus in the future.

• The COVID-19 vaccines are the first time that messenger RNA (mRNA) knowledge will be used widely. This knowledge has been studied by researchers for many years.

• mRNA is like a messenger that tells your body how to make some of the proteins it needs to stop the COVID-19 virus from staying in your body. 

• Once you are vaccinated, your body’s immune system will activate and start producing fighter cells and antibodies against COVID-19.

• This is harmless and there is no possible way that our DNA can be changed.

• These vaccines do not contain the live virus and cannot give us COVID-19.

Yes. There are several steps involved in approving a vaccine in Canada. 

• Health Canada has to test the vaccine to see if it provides enough immunity (or protection) against the virus. 

• Vaccines are also tested rigorously for safety and possible side effects. Covid-19 vaccines that are approved for use have already been tested in large studies, with thousands of people of different ages, and with different medical conditions.

You can watch a video about this process here: COVID-19: How vaccines are developed (video) - Canada.ca

• Health Canada also continues to monitor the safety of vaccines closely, even after they become widely available.

• Canada is recognized globally for its high standards of safety and monitoring of drugs and vaccines. 

• All COVID-19 vaccines that will be used in Canada are safe.

Yes, evidence shows us that vaccines provide individual protection, especially against severe forms of the COVID-19 disease.

• Vaccination can also protect large portions of the population from becoming infected. It is very important to remember that no vaccine can protect everyone completely.

• In the big trial run, the Moderna vaccine has been about 94% effective after 2 doses are taken, which is promising.

• Even the first dose offers good protection. 

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

• A vaccine’s effectiveness depends on many factors, like storage, temperature, dosage, and the person being vaccinated.

• As the COVID-19 vaccines roll-out, researchers will continue to monitor people who participated in the early vaccine studies. Public health authorities will also monitor people who are vaccinated in this next phase. 

• Ongoing research and monitoring will provide a clearer picture of the vaccine’s effectiveness, and what kind of protection it provides.

• 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.

• They can be more common after the second dose of the vaccine than the first.

• 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.

• Experts say the COVID-19 vaccines already developed and approved, like the Moderna vaccine, will work against the currently identified variants of concern of the coronavirus.

• However, the effectiveness may be reduced for some variants including the South Africa variant. 

• Scientists are now working to precisely measure the effectiveness of currently authorized vaccines, including the Moderna one, against the most important variants. 

• For now, vaccines remain the most effective measure of protecting yourself against symptomatic and severe COVID-19, including the disease caused by the variants.

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

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

*Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a potential allergen known to cause Type 1 hypersensitivity reactions*

• Moderna is a U.S. company based in Massachusetts that began working on a COVID-19 vaccine in January 2020, based on previous coronavirus research. 

• Their vaccine was approved by Health Canada on December 23, 2020 after being rigorously reviewed for safety and effectiveness. 

• The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine was tested with more than 30,000 volunteers before it was approved for public use. 

• The vaccine continues to be monitored while it is distributed.

• The Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are both mRNA-based vaccines, a new type of vaccine that is based on decades of research. 

• Both vaccines are about 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 infection. 

• Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines include 2 doses, given on different days.

• The Moderna vaccine is approved for people aged 18 and older, while the Pfizer vaccine has been authorized for age 16 and older. 

• The Moderna vaccine can be stored easily and does not require super-cold transportation like the Pfizer vaccine. This means it is more accessible for our communities.

• The information from previous non-COVID vaccines and limited information from Moderna’s phase 3 trial show that likely most people develop good immunity against the disease starting at about 2 weeks after vaccination. 

• In Moderna’s trial, between 2-4 weeks after the first injection, those people who received the first vaccine dose were much more protected from developing COVID-19 that has symptoms (fever, cough, etc.) compared to those who received the placebo.

• The second dose ensures long-lasting protection.

• Public Health authorities in Quebec and Canada (and in other countries) are looking at how to best use the vaccine doses currently available and are determining the schedule for the second dose, given the need to protect as many people as quickly as possible.

• Vaccines provide an important layer of protection for people. They work with our body’s immune system to get us ready to fight off the virus and not get sick if we are exposed to it.

• We all have to continue with efforts to reduce our chances of being exposed to the virus in the first place, and reduce the risk of spreading the virus to other people.

• Prevention measures such as physical distancing, wearing a mask, and frequent hand washing help reduce our chances of getting the virus from a sick person.

• Even if you are not at high risk for 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.