Introduction
On December 14th 2020, the first COVID -19 vaccines were administered in Canada (source). This would be the beginning of an extensive vaccination campaign that would see nearly 80% of the population in Canada complete the initial recommended series of vaccinations. (source)
Since December 2020, guidance around the spacing between the first and second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and information related to booster doses has come out in media releases that can be difficult to follow. The goal of this article is to outline the current guidance so that you can make the best choice for yourself in regards to vaccinations and help the people we support attain accurate information. The information outlined below is exclusively from the governments of Canada, Ontario, and Saskatchewan unless otherwise specified. Links to the sources will be provided.
Primary Series
Most COVID-19 vaccinations begin with 2 doses. These initial doses are called a primary series. The doses do not need to be from the same manufacturer (Moderna/Pfizer) however they have and will most often be the same type of vaccine, typically mRNA. There was an approved Health Canada exception to this rule for those who had received the Astra-Zeneca vaccine when there was a supply shortage of mRNA vaccines.
At this time, anyone choosing to start their immunizations now would most likely receive an initial mRNA vaccine (Pfizer/Moderna) or a Norvax vaccine followed by a second dose 8 weeks later.
Receiving a complete primary series is very important for better, longer-lasting protection (source).
Booster Doses
As the COVID-19 virus has naturally mutated and the initially acquired immunity from vaccination decreases, booster doses have become available initially to high risk populations, followed by everyone else.
The current recommendation for booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are:
- six months, following your last dose/booster or last COVID-19 infection if you are aged five and older and not at high-risk of severe COVID-19 illness
- three months, following your last dose/booster or last COVID-19 infection if you are at high risk of severe COVID-19 illness or if you are immunocompromised and have spoken to your health care provider (source)
Bivalent Vaccine/Booster
Booster doses of the original mRNA vaccines continue to provide good protection against severe COVID-19 outcomes, including those caused by Omicron variant infection; however, evidence to date shows that both the Moderna and Pfizer bivalent booster doses induce a stronger immune response and provide improved protection against the Omicron variant. This is achieved by targeting two strains of the COVID-19 virus, the original strain and the Omicron strain. (source, source)
Safety
As per Health Canada:
Source for the above information
Closing Thoughts
Just over three years ago on March 12th 2020, the initial lockdown in Ontario began, 8 days later Saskatchewan was in a similar situation. Since that time, our collective understanding and available tools to fight COVID-19 has drastically improved. It has been more than two years since the first vaccines were available to help combat COVID-19 and they remain our best tool to prevent negative outcomes resulting from a COVID-19 infection.