Covid Vaccine

WHAT’S NEW ABOUT COVID VACCINATIONS

Children 5- 11 years approved for Covid Vaccinations in Ontario

Parents can now book appointments at local vaccination clinics in the Northumberland Mall, Cobourg and Northumberland County through the provincial booking system.
Click here to make appointment through Provincial Booking System for any clinic in Ontario including those at the NFHT location in the mall.
Call 1-833-943-3900 (TTY for people who are deaf, hearing-impaired or speech-impaired: 1-866-797-0007)
For more information see Haliburton Kawartha Pineridge District Health Unit’s website.
For further information about children and the COVID-19 Vaccine click here for resources including videos, games, and resources designed for special needs children.

Third Doses – Booster Shots Adults

Ontario has expanded the list of people now eligible for third doses of COVID-19. The list now includes:

Anyone 18 years of age and older – after at least three months (84 days) from their second dose of vaccine
NFHT has added clinics in January, you MUST book through Provincial Booking System or call 1-833-943-3900.

To get a 3^rd dose of COVID-19 Vaccine, contact a pharmacy or visit COVID-19 pharmacy vaccine locations (ontario.ca) or visit COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics – Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (hkpr.on.ca). To book an appointment call 1-833-943-3900.

Contact your primary care provider if you are not able to access care at these locations (due to medical condition or complex care or support needs).

Important Updates About Covid Vaccinations

Booking Appointments: to book an appointment at the Cobourg Community Centre or other mass clinics call 1-833-943-3900.
Pop-up clinics are being organized by Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit, check their Facebook or website for dates. For more information please see this link.
Mixing Vaccines: Every person having received 2 doses of an approved vaccine (Moderna, Pfizer, AZ in any combination) is considered fully vaccinated and protected in Ontario.
Receipts of vaccination: can be obtained by calling 1-833-943-3900 or you can go online using information from your green photo health card (if you have an original red and white card you have to call) at https://covid19.ontariohealth.ca
Children 5yrs old to 11yrs, are eligible for a Pfizer 1st shot or after 8 weeks, a second dose of Pfizer. For answers about Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine for children click here.
Cancelling appointments booked at a mass vaccination clinic through the provincial booking system, including the CCC. You can either call 1-888-999-6488 or click on this link cancel vaccination appointment. To cancel appointments booked by the HKPR District Health Unit, leave a message at 1- 866-888-4577, extension 5020. Please keep in mind vaccine is thawed for these appointments and can not be frozen again, cancelling stops wastage.
if you want to volunteer with a covid vaccination program then please see all the info at https://northumberland.io/

About COVID-19 vaccines

Safe and reliable vaccines can help protect you and your family from COVID-19. They will be an important tool to help stop the spread of the virus and allow individuals, families and workers to safely resume normal life.

Click here to read the interview with Dr. Smith, the COVID-19 Vaccine Physician Lead for NFHT.

COVID-19 vaccination will:

work with your immune system to help keep you from getting COVID-19
be a safe way to help build protection
lower how much of the virus can spread in the population, which will help build herd immunity and stop the pandemic

Read the latest announcements from the Province of Ontario about COVID-19 vaccines.

Local Vaccination Information for Northumberland County

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit www.hkpr.on.ca/covid-19/ The HKPR Health Unit has several web pages about Covid-19 including a Q&A section, information on testing, local case counts and public restrictions. Specific information about Covid-19 vaccines and the local Northumberland County rollout plan can be found at www.hkpr.on.ca/2020/12/17/covid-19-vaccines/. HKPRDHU is routinely updating their website. The Ontario Health Team Northumberland has information on both Covid-19 testing and vaccination programs at www.ohtnorthumberland.ca.

Common Questions About Covid-19 Vaccines

In our resource list below we have webpages, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube links as well where you can find good information. A good summary article with lots of information is here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/covid-19-vaccine-pfizer-faq-1.5795486 This extensive webpage has excellent questions and answers from a reliable source. https://www.hamilton.ca/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines?utm_source=link.cep.health&utm_medium=urlshortener&utm_campaign=covid-vaccine

Can I talk to a local health professional about getting a COVID-19 vaccine? If you have specific questions related to the COVID-19 vaccine and would like to speak to a local health care provider, you are welcome to book a telephone appointment with the NFHT Pharmacist by calling 289-252-2139 or emailing info@nfht.ca.
What are the Health Canada approved vaccines? What is available in Northumberland County? Currently the approved vaccines are Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Janssen (Johnson&Johnson’s) vaccines. To find out which vaccine is being offered locally, please check with the HKPRDHU as they are continually updating what they are receiving.
Health Canada has approved a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children. Here is more information:
I have allergies, can I get a COVID-19 vaccine? If you have an allergy that causes an anaphylactic reaction or if you have ever been told by health providers to carry an Epi-pen, it is recommended that you speak to your healthcare provider about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Were the Covid-19 vaccines too rushed? Standards of efficacy and quality have not been compromised to expedite the approval of COVID-19 vaccines. What you should know about the safety of the approval process (video)
What is in the Covid-19 mRNA vaccines?

Are the current COVID-19 mRNA vaccines safe for children? Currently, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are approved by Health Canada for those over 12 years of age.
I have already had COVID-19 do I now have immunity or do I still need a vaccine? It is uncertain how long immunity will last after infection with COVID-19. Those who have recovered from COVID-19 should still get the vaccine. Acutely ill individuals, as a precautionary measure, should not be vaccinated.
Can you explain a bit more about mRNA vaccines? mRNA (messenger RNA) teaches our cells how to make a protein that will trigger an immune response – it is not a live vaccine and cannot cause infection in the host. mRNA vaccines also cannot alter a person’s DNA. More information is available here and also in this PHO fact sheet.
MYTH BUSTING The World Health Organization has fantastic videos and easy to understand information for myth busting about COVID-19 and the vaccines. Click here. And another great article about common myths like those in the image below is here on the University of Waterloo’s news site.

Outside of the difference of vaccine handling, given both are mRNA vaccines, what difference is there between Moderna and the Pfizer vaccine? See this Public Health Ontario resource on mRNA vaccine with a table comparing vaccine candidates Moderna and Pfizer.
Is Covid just like Influenza? No. There are antiviral treaments for Influenza—there are no antivirals that can kill the Covid-19 virus. In the graphic below, doctors looked at what was happening in Toronto and clearly found patients with COVID-19 had significantly higher mortality rates, greater ICU use, and longer hospital stays than those with influenza.

COVID Apps

COVID Alert App: COVID Alert helps us break the cycle of infection. The app informs people of possible exposures before any symptoms appear. That way, we can take care of ourselves and protect our communities.
COVID-19 App and Symptom tracker: The app will let you receive the latest updates and trusted resources, and self-assess your symptoms.
COVIDTrends: is a tool that provides summary data about COVID-19 in your area. When you search by municipality (city, town), or by the first three characters of your postal code, data from your health region will appear.
Wellness Together Canada: Mental Health and Substance Use Support Wellness Together Canada provides free online resources, tools, apps and connections to qualified people when needed.

Resources about Covid-19 Vaccines

Websites

https://covid-19.ontario.ca/covid-19-vaccines-ontario Ontario provinical government website
https://www.hamilton.ca/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines?utm_source=link.cep.health&utm_medium=urlshortener&utm_campaign=covid-vaccine City of Hamilton has created an extensive Q&A section, including videos
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters World Health Organization
https://uwaterloo.ca/news/news/q-and-experts-busting-common-myths-about-mrna-vaccines Link to an article
http://www.unambiguous-science.com/vaccine-infographics-side-effects/ A Toronto pharmacologist breaks down the science without politicizing
For more information about vaccine safety and reporting in Ontario visit Public Health Ontario: Vaccine Safety or review how vaccine safety is monitored. For more information on vaccine manufacturing, safety, and quality control visit the World Health Organization webpage.

Twitter

@GovCanHealth (Health Canada & Public Health Agency of Canada)
@CPHO_Canada (Dr. Theresa Tam)

Instagram

@covidvaccinefacts – posts here are done by Canadian doctors and followed by our own staff at NFHT
@OnCOVID19 (Instagram) – World Health Organization, they post a lot of videos, information for all ages
@healthycdns – posts by Health Canada
@pandemicpregnancyguide – this is a Canadian resource recommended by the NFHT doctors and pharmacist

YouTube or videos

How vaccines are developed – Health Canada
COVID Vaccine Education Playlist (Dr. David Kaplan) – These are a series of very short 35 second or so clips that feature a health professional answering a question about Covid Vaccines in a very easy to understand way. Dr. David Kaplan is the Chief of Clinical Quality at Health Quality Ontario so all of these clips are in the Canadian context.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7k8dDCvrrc&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR2VTddFMgblPlPO1vUAHFHGFoh3iuKx6cyeyObZebjT0RKAagk94QD1mII For people who find science fun, cool, and interesting a recommendation from our Dr. Emma Smith.
Do you have questions about COVID-19 vaccines? Get the facts from local Northumberland experts during the third OHT-N COVID-19 Virtual Forum – www.ohtnorthumberland.ca

Facebook

@HKPRDHU Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit
@unambiguousscience recommended by our NFHT pharmacist for easy to understand science