Question 1

The COVID virus only really affects older populations. Why should I get my children vaccinated?

Accepted Answer

This is true; severe COVID requiring hospitalization is more common the older you get. Young children rarely have a severe illness requiring hospitalization. However, this does not mean it's impossible! We recently saw children under 4 admitted to the hospital after contracting the SARS-CoV2 virus. The virus doesn't discriminate; it infects and spreads between cells to grow, which can cause severe COVID. The more important reason to vaccinate children right now is that it acts as a shield that will help prevent infection and spread the virus. By doing this, fewer people can be infected by the virus, and its availability in the environment will go down. Therefore fewer people can spread the virus from person to person. This is one of the reasons why vaccinating Children will be vital to eliminate the spread.

Question 2

They made these vaccines fast; I'm alright taking it myself, but I don't want something novel injected into my children."

Accepted Answer

Everything is new at one point! New ideas and remedies emerge in response to a need. The polio vaccines were new at one time, and their use has essentially eradicated Polio across this world. These vaccines are different, with Pfizer and Moderna offering mRNA based vaccines. However, this technique is not really as new as we think since they have been in the pipework for the past 10 years, being studied for different illnesses. The COVID pandemic provided an urgent need for a vaccine immediately. People fail to understand that funding is one of the biggest obstacles in vaccine and medication development! It takes years to get enough funding to get different therapies and vaccines made in mass; however, with COVID, it was all hands on deck. There was funding coming from the left, right and centre. A lot of the clinical testing was also performed in parallel, where each development step was avoided. This allowed for the required research, with more on top following adverse vaccination events in Israel and other communities. We waited for more testing with children's vaccination before certifying the Pfizer mRNA vaccine for kids, which is dosed differently to account for their smaller size. The trials are still going on, and we want to ensure that as newer variants are emerging, how they affect the efficacy of the immunity garnered by vaccinations

Question 3

I felt terrible after getting vaccinated that I needed to take a few days off work. I thought that it was probably worse than getting COVID itself, so why would I put that strain on my kids?"

Accepted Answer

When we feel symptoms like fatigue, headaches, arm pain, and global pains, these are a good indication that our body reacts to the vaccine and creates an immunity. It is important to note that these are entirely typical symptoms and are not contraindications/adverse events to vaccination. Can it be very inconvenient? Absolutely. Especially if you have children who are finally going to school regularly and perhaps allow you to return to work. The symptoms typically last a day or two, so plan accordingly where possible if this is a worry for you. Get your children vaccinated later in the week so that you can have the weekend to take care of them if they need it and such that you don’t need to take time off of work.

Question 4

These vaccines can cause blood clots and heart conditions, right? I’ve read this everywhere, and it seems like a risk that is not worth taking, honestly. I am healthy, and so are my children; why take the risk with something I don’t know compared to the virus itself, which we learn more about, right?"

Accepted Answer

Yes. Blood clots have been reported following vaccination with the Astra-Zeneca vaccine. This is one of the main reasons we don’t offer this vaccine anymore unless explicitly recommended by medical health professionals in very particular situations. We are currently sticking with the Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines, which have no reported clotting effects (important: getting infected with COVID also carries an exponentially greater risk of blood clots). Regarding heart conditions, Myocarditis and Pericarditis are two of the illnesses reported to occur more frequently in younger populations, more in males than females, and more often following the second dose. It is important to note that these conditions are more common following complete vaccination with the Moderna SpikeVax compared to the Cominarty Pfizer vaccine. But yes, there are cases we have seen; however, here are some essential things to consider; the reported cases of Pericarditis and Myocarditis have been relatively mild and get treated with fairly conservative treatments. Also, COVID infection carries a much more frequent incidence of myocarditis, which has more severe complications along with the myriad of other health complications that can arise. If you still are unsure about yourself or your own children, follow up with your family physician or contact the Public Health nurse to get more clarification of your particular case.

Question 5

I’ve been hearing that people will be getting booster shots, which might become a yearly thing where you need another shot. Why so many?"

Accepted Answer

So currently, complete vaccination is classified as 2 shots of any of the COVID vaccines and provides 95% (Pfizer) but does wane to around 84% 6 months following complete vaccinations. However, it is essential to know that there is robust protection from severe COVID, which weakens only to about 97% 6 months following. These numbers are incredibly high, which is fantastic; however, this virus is very different from what we have seen before. It can transit rapidly and mutates with a propensity, unlike any other viruses we have known. Because of this, having the most robust possible immunity against it is imperative in our fight to keep people healthy, safe, and out of the ER room. As such, those susceptible populations now have been offered booster shots of the vaccine to ensure that as we go forward and are exposed to more variants, these people have a robust immunity. With that, we see why continued vaccination may be considered down the road. As the virus mutates, we want to ensure adequate immunity in the community. The recommendation is that if it's been 6 months since your second dose, go out and get the booster. In the meantime, we should focus on getting every eligible person fully vaxxed!

Question 6

Look, I see people telling me how these vaccines are poisonous in social media, and the science behind them is fabricated. How do I trust what you say, not like a doctor or scientist?"

Accepted Answer

You are right. I am not a health care professional. I have time to sit back on Instagram and make these informative videos as our health care workers continue to work on the front lines to battle this virus. I’m not a decorated scientist either. I did not do any of the research that I reported myself. However, I have a breadth of nearly 6 years of post-secondary knowledge focused on molecular biology and physiology. Through my degree and research, I understand the importance of using the available research to make an informed decision. This research comes from peer-reviewed knowledge and the advice of physicians in our community and scientists who conduct unbiased analysis on all available data on these vaccines. We aren’t relying on the voice of a select few individuals who validate our fears and simply act to fester doubt. It is difficult to avoid these people, especially as we begin vaccinating our children, who we care deeply about. We know how effective and safe these vaccines are and how they continue to alleviate the strain on our health care system and keep more people around our dinner tables. We do also understand that there are rare conditions that arise. The science community is continuing to research these, so even if we don’t have the answers on them right now, we are actively working on finding out everything we possibly can, but from the depth of research we’ve done, we know that for the vast majority/nearly all people the vaccine provides a layer of protection that will get us to the tail end of the pandemic. If you ever have any questions, you can always feel free to connect with your family physician or contact the public health nurse.

Question 7

This new variant, the Omicron variant. How worried should I be?"

Accepted Answer

You should never be worried; however, always be aware! Some of the preliminary reports establish that the variant is of concern as there are incidences of reinfection of those who have already had infections. This is like the rates observed at the resurgence with the delta variant; however, these isolated recordings are still preliminary. There does not appear to be an immune escape at this time. The best thing you can do right now that we have omicron in the environment is to get fully vaccinated! Regardless of everything else, the immunity afforded by vaccination will forever provide a layer of infection that won’t be entirely escaped by any of the emerging variants. This new variant seems to be transiting at a rate not seen before; therefore, we are alarmed to a certain extent. However, we are not looking at it entirely as a new variant.

Question 8

Omicron is said to have very mild symptoms and the rate of hospitalization is dramatically lower. I’ve been fully vaccinated, and the outcome projections are very much on my side. Why should I go through the hassle of going out waiting in line and spending half a day to get the same immunity I would have I just contracted the virus?"

Accepted Answer

Emerging data show that the omicron variant does not impose as significant a burden on those infected to support its rapid movement within the environment. Even though the variant can bypass the protection against contraction, there is still a layer of protection that prevents exacerbations. However, we fail to realize how this fails to account for a population-based view of virus impact. Although a smaller proportion of the population is getting severely ill, the rapidly appreciated transmissibility means more people can get sick, becoming susceptible to virus contraction. We are seeing the effects of this locally already as ICU admissions have been steadily rising because of more people overall contracting the virus. Additionally, acutely the effects of the virus seem to pose symptoms that can resolve without interventions. This does not preclude the possibility of developing Covid with lingering symptoms, which can risk developing other comorbidities such as myocarditis, fibrotic lung disorders, and declines in mental health. By getting your booster shot when it is your turn, what you can do is drastically decrease the risks associated with nosocomial contraction of the virus.

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