Ask the experts COVID-19 vaccines questions

A super appears on a pink background: COVID-19 vaccine questions

Cut to a new super on a white background with a pink border: What common side effects might children experience after being vaccinated?

Cut to a doctor in an office, then a super appears:

• Dr. Laura Sauvé
• Pediatric infectious disease specialist
• BC Children’s Hospital

The doctor answers the question.

Dr. Laura Sauvé: Some children will have no reaction to their COVID-19 vaccine, while others may have some short-term side effects.

These side effects are usually mild and clear up on their own within hours or days.

Side effects experienced by children in the clinical trials were similar to those for youth 12 and older. Common side effects can include redness and soreness and swelling at the injection site, and your child may also feel chills, mild fever, headache, and joint and muscle aches in the first day or two after being vaccinated.

As with adults, your child will be asked to wait onsite for about 15 minutes after vaccination to watch for allergic reactions. Severe allergic reactions are very rare. They usually occur within minutes after a person receives the vaccine, and they are treatable.

Cut to a white screen with a pink border: Got questions?

Cut to a new white screen with a pink border:

• Good.
• We've got answers.
• Canada.ca/covid-vaccine

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A super appears on a pink background: COVID-19 vaccine questions

A person speaks directly to the camera: Are there any ingredients in the COVID-19 vaccines that I should be concerned about?

Cut to a doctor in an examination room, then a super appears:

• Dr. Ayesha Raza
• Family Physician, Women’s Health Specialist
• Centre Francophone de Toronto

The doctor responds to the question.

Dr. Ayesha Raza: Research and testing have shown the ingredients in the COVID-19 vaccines to be safe. They leave the body shortly after vaccination, like with all vaccines.

And as with all vaccines, COVID-19 vaccines teach the body’s immune system to recognize and attack the virus that causes COVID-19 and helps to protect you if you’re exposed to the virus in the future.

There are small amounts of ingredients in the vaccines and each one has a specific purpose to make the vaccine work. The ingredient list for each vaccine is available online.

Cut to a white screen with a pink border: Got questions?

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• Good.
• We've got answers.
• Canada.ca/covid-vaccine