Category: COVID-19

Looking for advice on how to prepare your kid or teen for their COVID-19 vaccine? Look no further!

We had a chat with the amazing Dr. Kate Birnie, a clinical psychologist and the Assistant Scientific Director at @kidsinpain about how parents can help their kids manage needle anxiety.

Dr Katie Birnie talks: Kids & Vaccines

Did you know that 20 to 50% of kids and teens experience needle anxiety?

Dr. Katie Birnie talks: Immunizers and Vaccines

Did you know veterinarians get more training about pain than people doctors do?

Are you young and healthy? You should get vaccinated!

Even if you are healthy you can:

– Get COVID-19
– Become severely ill with COVID-19
– Spread COVID-19 to others (even when you are asymptomatic)

Getting the shot greatly lowers your risk of getting COVID-19, becoming severely ill, or developing long term symptoms.

It also helps protect your loved ones and community.

Have questions about spike proteins? Misinformation about a recent study on SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins has been circulating, but the science doesn’t add up!

The spike proteins our cells make once vaccinated:

1. Are different than the spike proteins on the surface of the virus
2. Do not accumulate in organs.
3. Do not get into breast milk/chest milk.
4. Do not impact fertility.
5. The spike proteins are bound to the surface of the cell. They aren’t wandering around!

Spike proteins produced by vaccination against COVID-19 are not toxic. Vaccines are safe and effective!

Chloroform is dangerous, the Moderna vaccine is not.

SM-102 is a harmless ingredient in the Moderna vaccine. There’s a safety data sheet circulating online that shows that when SM-102 is MIXED WITH CHLOROFORM, it’s dangerous for humans.  The people spreading this myth want you to think SM-102 is dangerous, so they forget to mention the part about chloroform. Chloroform is often used to dissolve research chemicals. But it gets cleaned away if the product will be used for people.

Chloroform IS dangerous to consume, but it’s not in the vaccine. If it was, it would have to be listed as an ingredient (which it’s not). You can find the ingredient lists here: https://tinyurl.com/SUFIngredientLists.

Remember: pause, reflect, check the source, and read the whole article before sharing.

“I got vaccinated. What’s next?”

@healthycdns has a roadmap: As more people get vaccinated, we will start to open up. The exact timing and criteria for reopening will be up to each province.

SPRING: For the next few weeks while COVID rates are still high and our immunity is building through vaccinations, keep up those same public health measures you’re used to.

SUMMER: When more people are fully protected, we can start to open up again. That can start with outdoor activities. @healthycdns says the target to look for is when 75% of eligible people have one dose and 20% have two.

FALL: The Public Health Agency of Canada says when 75% of eligible Canadians have had a complete vaccine series, that’s when indoor activities will start to open up again.

Your vaccine questions, answered.

Dr. Claire Trottier is an Assistant Professor at McGill University, where she teaches immunology and microbiology. We asked her your questions about vaccines.

Dr. Lisa Richardson is an internal medicine doctor in Toronto, the vice-chair of Culture & Inclusion at @uoftmedicine, and a leader in Indigenous Health at @uoftmedicine and @wchospital.

Dr. Gigi Osler (@dr.gigiosler) is a surgeon in Winnipeg, Manitoba and a past president of the Canadian Medical Association (@CMA_Docs). Today she’s answering some of your vaccine questions.

Debunking WORKS!

We need everyone (that means you too!) to get involved. @caulfieldtim has the low-down on how to stop the spread of dangerous misinformation.

Share this with your friends and family and let’s work together against misinformation.

Disagreeing with people you love can be tough.

Here’s @science.sam with great evidence-based tips on how to have productive conversations with your friends and family about vaccines. Be the science champion in your circle.

Let’s make the internet a better place.

Join us by putting #ScienceUpFirst.

The COVID-19 vaccines do NOT impact fertility. 

COVID-19 overwhelms our health systems and can cause death and long-term disease. The vaccines to prevent it are safe.

“If I already had COVID-19, do I need to get a vaccine?” YES.

The “natural immunity” you get after recovering from COVID-19 is inconsistent. Research is still looking at how long it lasts, and how many people gain immunity (not all do!).

Unlike COVID-19, the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and consistently effective. Dr. Asher Williams explains why.

People who are pregnant or lactating can get vaccinated. People who became unexpectedly pregnant in vaccine trials did not report any adverse events, and thousands of pregnant people have since been vaccinated without adverse events.

COVID-19 mRNA vaccines can’t change your DNA. Dr. Asher Williams tells us why ➡️
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mRNA vaccines can’t change your DNA. This is because:
1️⃣ DNA makes RNA, which makes proteins. Not the other way around!
2️⃣ mRNA degrades quickly after it does its job
3️⃣ aaaaand your DNA is safety in your cell nucleus.

“Long-term” side effects for vaccines, while rare, happen sooner than you may think! That’s how we know they’re safe AND effective.

FAQ on vaccines | YES you should still get vaccinated, even if you already had COVID-19.
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“Natural immunity” aka getting sick with COVID-19 and recovering – isn’t perfect. It varies from person to person AND it’s not as strong as the immunity built from vaccination.
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Newer studies tell us that just 1 dose of a COVID-19 vaccine could be enough of a booster for people who have recovered from COVID-19. BUT we still need to test this further.
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Soooo ask your healthcare provider and local public health unit. They can help you figure out when is best to get vaccinated after a COVID-19 infection.

Can a COVID-19 vaccine make me sick with COVID-19? Nope!

Swipe through to learn why, according to @cdcgov.

What’s the difference between the COVID-19 vaccines? #ScienceUpFirst

Here’s a 101 on the types of COVID-19 vaccines that have been approved in Canada (Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna) and vaccines currently under testing or approval (Novavax, Oxford/AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson).

The differences are interesting but they all work to do the same thing: reduce the number of cases, harm, and death from COVID-19. The best vaccine is the one immediately available to you!

The COVID-19 vaccines were developed in under a year! That’s UH-mazingly fast! But here’s why you DON’T need to worry about it being ~too fast~

The COVID-19 vaccines were developed quickly *without* compromising safety. The timeline was sped up ‍♂️by doing steps in parallel instead of sequentially, plus global collaboration.

Adverse events from vaccines, while EXTREMELY rare (~1-2 in a million for flu vaccine), usually happen within months to weeks following vaccination (any major issues would’ve shown up by now).

Researchers didn’t start from scratch! They’ve been studying related coronaviruses for YEARS.

RNA-based therapies (like Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech) have benefited from 3+ decades of rigorous research.

SO… “long story short,” the COVID-19 vaccines have been a *long* time coming, which allowed them to be created safely in a *short* amount of time.