For further information on Ontario’s vaccine roll out please visit: Public Health Ontario (PHO) – COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Plan covid 19 vaccines as soon as they are available.

COVID-19 Vaccines

Which vaccine is HS Medical offering?

Registration for Eligible Patients

Updated Nov 5, 2021

Our clinic is currently not offering the COVID-19 vaccine. Please check back on the website or register for Avocare to get communication updates.

Who can get the vaccine?

Registration and Preregistration

TORONTO COVID-19 VACCINE CRITERIA (12+) *Updated November 5, 2021

City of Toronto Mass Immunization Clinics and other locations:

Who is eligible?
- Age 12 & older
- How to book? https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/ or call 1-833-943-3900

Look out for pop-up and mobile clinics in your community or reach out to your city councillor for local updates.

Mid-west Toronto Ontario Health Team Region COVID-19 3rd Dose Pfizer Vaccine Clinic

Who is eligible?
- 70+ who reside in the Mid-West Ontario Health Team region (must bring proof of residence, no OHIP required)
- The clinic is by appointment only. For more information and to book, click here.

Pharmacy Vaccination:

Who is eligible?
- Age 12 & older

How to book? https://covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations

Prioritization

For further information on Ontario’s vaccine roll out please visit: Public Health Ontario (PHO) – COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Plan

covid 19vaccines as soon as they are available.

What vaccines are available in Canada?

Moderna

Type: mRNA vaccine

Administration: Two intramuscular injections given 28 days apart

Storage: -25oC to -15oC

Efficacy: 94% effective in preventing COVID-19 in previously uninfected individuals based on clinical trials

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/Moderna.html

Pfizer-BioNTech

Type: mRNA vaccine

Administration: Two intramuscular injections given 21 days apart

Storage: – 80oC to – 60oC

Efficacy: 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 in previously uninfected individuals based on clinical trials

AstraZeneca-Oxford

Type: Adenovirus vector vaccine

Administration: Two intramuscular injections given 4-12 weeks apart

Storage: 2oC to 8 oC

Efficacy: 62% effective in preventing COVID-19 in previously uninfected individuals based on clinical trials and 100% effective in preventing severe disease, hospitalisation and death

Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe?

General

The COVID-19 vaccines are safe. With over 1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Canada, the rate of serious adverse reaction (including anaphylaxis) is 0.009% (Health Canada, February 2021)

Common Side effects

The common side effects include:

- -pain at the injection site
- -muscle pain
- -fever
- -headache
- -fatigue

Studies show that these normally resolve within 1 week of vaccination.

The Centre for Effective Practice has developed handouts that list common side effects and unusual symptoms following vaccination with Moderna and Pfizer. We encourage you to: Access the after-care handout for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

Who can receive the COVID-19 vaccine?

General Population

The Moderna vaccine can be given to those 18 years of age or older

The Pfizer-Biotech vaccine can be given to those 12 years of age or older

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine can be given to those 18 – 65 years of age (but may change with more data)

Pregnancy

Pregnant individuals are able to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at any point in their pregnancy. Many people who are pregnant have gotten very sick from COVID-19 requiring hospitalization and critical care. Getting vaccinated is safe and an important way to be protected in pregnancy.

Contact our office to speak to your your doctor or if you have questions about getting vaccinated and to understand benefits of getting the vaccine compared to the risks of getting the COVID-19 infection. For many people, getting a COVID-19 vaccine is the safest choice.

The Society of Obstetricians & Gynecologists of Canada also recommends pregnant people get vaccinated in pregnancy. Many pregnant people who get COVID-19 can have mild symptoms. However, especially with the new variants spreading in Ontario, some can get very sick and develop respiratory complications that need care in the hospital. Giving birth too early in pregnancy (preterm birth) may be more common.

Vaccines can protect against these variants and lower the risk of severe illness while pregnant. All COVID-19 vaccines are safe in pregnancy and are being used around the world.

If you are planning on becoming pregnant, it is recommended to get both doses of the vaccine ahead of pregnancy (where possible) when it’s available to you. There is no evidence that fertility problems are a side effect of any vaccine.

If you are pregnant or become pregnant soon after getting the first dose of the vaccine you will have to decide if you should get the second dose. The decision should be made by looking at the risks of not being completely vaccinated during pregnancy.

While COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials did not include people who were pregnant or breastfeeding, many people who are pregnant and have been vaccinated are being followed to ensure the vaccine continues to be safe.

Pregnant and breastfeeding patients were excluded from the initial clinical trials; however recently Pfizer-NBiotech and Moderna have started clinical trials for pregnant patients.

A consensus statement by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada:

“Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should be offered vaccination at anytime if
they are eligible and no contraindications exist.”

Children

Currently the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is indicated for those aged 12 to 17 yrs of age and older. There are clinical trials currently being conducted by Pfizer and Moderna and hope is that a paediatric vaccine will be available by the end of 2021.