Ask the experts COVID-19 vaccines questions: Benefits and effectiveness

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

Cut to a new super on a white background with a pink border: Why do I need to get a COVID-19 booster dose? I already had 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Cut to a doctor sitting at a desk, then a super appears:

• Dr. Shelly McNeil
• Infectious diseases specialist
• Nova Scotia Health

The doctor answers the question.

Dr. Shelly McNeil: Vaccines have helped to protect us against COVID-19. Over time, antibody levels produced by the body in response to the primary vaccine series decrease. We can improve our protection against serious illness by getting a vaccine booster.

COVID vaccine boosters increase antibody levels and improve our body’s immune response, which gives us better protection against serious illness. That’s why it’s important to get your COVID vaccine booster as soon as you are eligible.

COVID-19 vaccine boosters are safe and effective. They’ve been reviewed and approved for use by Health Canada and will continue to be monitored for safety and effectiveness as long as they’re in use.

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine booster as soon as you’re eligible, along with following other public health measures, is the best way to continue to protect yourself against serious illness and hospitalization due to COVID-19.

Contact your local public health office to find out when and where you can get your COVID-19 booster.

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

The Canada wordmark with waving flag appears.

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 are the benefits of vaccinating my child against COVID-19 when children are less at risk of getting really sick?

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

• Dr. Cora Constantinescu
• Pediatrician and Infectious Disease Specialist
• Alberta Children’s Hospital
• University of Calgary

The doctor answers the question.

Dr. Cora Constantinescu: While children are less likely to get really sick from COVID-19, they can still develop very serious complications.

Even kids who have really mild, initial infections, can have long-term effects.

Children who get COVID-19 are also at risk of developing multisystem inflammatory syndrome, which can affect multiple parts of the body such as the heart, the lungs, blood vessels, kidneys, digestive system, brain, skin and eyes. It’s rare, but it’s serious, requires hospitalization, and in many cases, it requires an ICU stay.

And even if kids don’t show symptoms of COVID-19, they can still spread the virus to their family and other people.

This pediatric COVID-19 vaccine works to protect kids from getting sick.

It’s normal to have questions about children and their vaccines. Speak to a health care provider that you can trust. We’re here to support you as you’re making decisions about your family's health.

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 and their child are seated in their home. The person speaks directly to the camera: Should youth get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it's available to them?

Cut to a doctor in an office, the window behind her shows a person in a full-body protection suit working in a lab; then a super appears:

• Dr. Alyson Kelvin
• Virologist and Assistant Professor
• Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University and the IWK Children’s Hospital, Nova Scotia

The doctor responds to the person’s question.

Dr. Alyson Kelvin: Before being approved for use in youth in Canada, vaccines are carefully assessed by Health Canada to determine their safety, quality, and how well they work. Clinical trial data indicates that COVID-19 vaccines are very effective at preventing disease in youth. Vaccination can also help youth get back to what they love and need for their mental health and well-being.

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

Pop-up speech boxes appear with the following questions:

• How effective are COVID-19 vaccines for youth?
• How do I know a COVID-19 vaccine is safe for my youth without long-term data?
• Will youth get the same dose of COVID-19 vaccine as adults?

Cut to a new white screen with a pink border:

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

Narration: A message from the Government of Canada

The Canada wordmark with waving flag appears.

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

A person seated on a chair speaks directly to the camera to ask a question: Do I need to get the vaccine if I've already had and recovered from COVID-19?

Cut to a doctor in a library, then a super appears:

• Dr. Marc-André Langlois
• Executive Director, Coronavirus Variants Rapid Response Network (CoVaRR-Net)
• Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa

The doctor responds to the person’s question.

Dr. Marc-André Langlois: Yes, absolutely. If you’ve previously had a COVID-19 infection you can receive both COVID-19 vaccine doses. It’s not clear how long protection lasts after an infection, and the risk of re-infection with a variant is not clear at this time. Vaccination remains one of the most effective ways to protect our families, communities and ourselves against COVID-19 and its variants. Vaccines, in combination with public health and individual measures, will reduce the spread of COVID-19.

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

The Canada wordmark with waving flag appears.

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