Vaccines for COVID-19: What to expect at your vaccination

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Before you get to your appointment

How to get vaccinated near you

Before you arrive at your vaccination appointment:

Regardless of where you receive your vaccine, measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 should be taken. Locations providing vaccination should be:

There may be multiple places where you can receive your vaccine. Check with your public health unit, workplace, health care provider or pharmacy. Choose the location most comfortable and convenient for you.

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Tips for a comfortable vaccination experience

Some people may experience discomfort, pain or stress from vaccination. But there are a number of techniques you can use to make the vaccination more comfortable.

Some helpful strategies include:

If you're concerned about the vaccine hurting, you may want to ask if numbing cream is available.

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Possible side effects and reactions

After getting vaccinated, it's common and normal to have temporary side effects. These can last a few hours to a few days after vaccination.

This is the body's natural response, as it's working hard to build protection against the disease.

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After getting vaccinated

The person vaccinating you will let you know where to wait and for how long after vaccination. The usual wait time is about 15 minutes. This allows time for staff to watch you for possible reactions or side effects, including an allergic reaction. Let someone at the vaccination site know if you're experiencing any symptoms following vaccination.

After vaccination, ask for a record of the vaccine you received and keep your COVID-19 vaccines up to date.

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Follow public health measures

Public health measures remain an important part of our response to COVID-19. Regardless of your vaccination status, you should continue to follow public health measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, including variants of concern.

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