COVID-19 Vaccine Community Agencies & Ambassadors - Dr. Vinita Dubey Nicole Welch

COVID-19 Vaccine
Community Agencies & Ambassadors
                February 25, 2021

                 Dr. Vinita Dubey
          Associate Medical Officer of Health
                   Nicole Welch
   Director, Chief Nursing Officer, COVID-19 Liaison

The science is clear

Vaccines used in Canada
 are safe and effective.

Benefits of Vaccination

   Vaccines are safe and can protect us from serious
    illness due to COVID-19.
   Getting vaccinated will reduce personal risk of
    disease and give your client’s peace of mind.
   Vaccination can move us out of this pandemic.
   At this time, we do not know if it will prevent
    spread of infection to others.

    Getting vaccinated is voluntary and
             a personal choice.

Global Effort to Save Lives…
As of February 24, 2021:
    213 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been
     given in 95 countries.
    United States has given 65 million doses – similar
     vaccines to Canada
    Countries with the highest vaccination rate (per 100
     people) are Israel, Serbia, United Arab Emirates, Chile
     United Kingdom, Turkey, United States, Morocco &
     Bahrain
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-vaccine-tracker-global-distribution/
https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations

Intention / Willingness to Vaccinate

          Source: Attitudes to COVID-19 Vaccines, Ipsos survey conducted January 14 – 17, 2021
https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2021-01/attitudes-to-covid-19-vaccines-ipsos.pdf

COVID-19 Vaccines

   2 mRNA        For adults   94-95% efficacy      2 dose
  vaccines      16-18 years    in large trials.   schedule
 approved by      or older,      Real world
Health Canada    including    effectiveness is
                  seniors        also good.

How did they develop a vaccine so fast?

   mRNA research & technology has been around for
    over 10 years
   Global collaboration to share research data
   Large scale funding allowed for multiple, large
    clinical trials
   All safety, efficacy and quality standards were met
   There were no short cuts taken in vaccine
    authorization
   COVID-19 vaccines are held to the same standards
    as all vaccines in Canada

How the mRNA vaccines work…
messenger RNA = instruction manual
tells our body to make “spike proteins”, a
protein specifically found on the surface of
the coronavirus
   These proteins will stimulate our body to start
    making antibodies against COVID-19
   The mRNA breaks down and is removed from our
    body within days
   The vaccine does not contain the virus, so it cannot
    give us COVID-19

What is messenger RNA?

   Messenger RNA is the active ingredient in the
    vaccine. It gives our body the instructions to make
    spike protein.
   The cell breaks down and gets rid of the mRNA
    soon after it’s use
   mRNA is not the same as our DNA
   It cannot be combined with our DNA
   It never enters the nucleus where our DNA is
    housed

What is in the vaccine…

The vaccine is made up of:
   messenger RNA (mRNA)
   lipids, including polyethylene glycol
   salts, sugars and buffers (tromethamine)

 Both vaccines do not contain gelatin (pork),
 preservatives, formaldehyde, thimerosal, aluminum,
 latex, antibiotics, virus, animal or human cells.

What if I have allergies?
Individuals with known severe allergies to any of the
vaccine ingredients should speak to their doctor/allergist.

What is PEG?
Polyethylene glycol (PEG)
PEG is an ingredient used to stabilize or preserve
many commercial products, including:
   laxatives, bowel prep products for colonoscopy
   cosmetics, skin creams, dermal fillers
   easy tabs, liquid gels, cough syrup, ultrasound gel
   personal care items: shampoos, toothpastes, hair
    products, contact lenses and solutions

What is Tromethamine?

Tromethamine (only in Moderna vaccine)
  aka trometamol or Tris
   an organic compound used as a buffer/ pH adjuster
    in medications
   also in commercial products, such as contrast
    media (for imaging used in CT and MRI); cosmetic
    creams, lotions, mineral oil, paraffin wax emulsions

What if I have allergies?
Safe for people with      Safe for people with
allergies to:             severe allergies:
• Antibiotics or           If a history of severe
    medications              allergic reactions to
• Other vaccines             other vaccines or
• Foods                      injectable medicines can
                             still get the COVID-19
• Pets, insects or bees      vaccine.
• Latex
                             However, remain at
•   Stay for 15 minutes       clinic for 30 minutes for
    observation               observations.

Vaccines are safe for…

Both vaccines are safe for most people
including:

                        &
     Seniors

People with health conditions such as heart disease, asthma,
diabetes, high blood pressure, or on blood thinners.

Also safe if you have a weakened immune system or auto-
immune disorder.

Informed consent

              Speak with your health care provider, if you:
               are pregnant or lactating
               have an autoimmune disorder
               have a weak immunity from illness or
                therapy

•   Can still get the COVID-19 vaccine, but may have a
    reduced immune response.
•   May want to time medications with vaccination.
•   In the USA, over 15,000 people vaccinated in
    pregnancy so far, and being followed.

Side Effects – mild and will go away

As with any medication or vaccine, there may be
some side effects:
  pain, redness & swelling where the needle is given
  headache, fatigue
  muscle ache, joint pain
  fever, chills, nausea, vomiting
  under arm swelling or tenderness (in Moderna vaccine)
  less common is enlarged lymph nodes
The effects will last only a few days.
Side effects more common after the 2nd dose

A fair distribution plan…

•   Currently the demand for the vaccine is higher than
    the supply.
•   Ontario has a plan to ensure the vaccines are
    distributed fairly and to the people who need it the
    most.
•   When the supply increases, it will be available to
    everyone who wants it.

Ontario’s Distribution Plan as of Feb 16

            Phase 1                           Phase 2                  Phase 3
        Dec 2020 to Mar 2021             Mar 2021 to July 2021      Aug 2021 onwards

 health care workers             all health care workers
 hospital employees              residents in LTCHs, RHs,
 residents and staff of LTCH,     etc.
  RH & congregate settings        home care patients               all Ontarians
 essential caregivers            shelters, community living
 adults in Indigenous            Indigenous communities
  communities                     older adults, 80+
                                  frontline essential workers
 467,626 doses administered
                               https://covid-19.ontario.ca/covid-19-vaccines-ontario

Public Health Measures

Vaccines are one of many tools we have to fight the
COVID-19 pandemic. It will take time before we have
enough vaccine to get everyone vaccinated.

We still need to wear a mask, keep our distance and
wash our hands frequently.
                                               Taken from US CDC

Canadian Vaccine Acceptance

   IPSOS Jan 2021 polling shows 79% of Canadians
    would get the vaccine, when it becomes available
   Data on racialized persons and vaccine hesitancy
    is inconclusive
   Due to the newness of COVID-19 vaccine, people
    may be hesitant because they don’t have enough
    information to make informed decisions
   Currently, the demand for the vaccine is higher
    than supply. Part of the challenge may be to ask
    the public to patiently wait their turn

Vaccine Hesitancy

   Not the same as anti-vaxx
   Decisions are not based on rationale and statistics
   Highly influenced by personal experience,
    perceptions, and beliefs
   Reasons are complex, involving many factors
   3 C’s framework from the WHO:
     • Confidence
     • Complacency
     • Convenience

Personal bias

   Be aware of your own vaccine hesitancy
   Address your own concerns
   If you are hesitant, you will share your concerns
    rather than sharing your confidence.
   It is okay to say you don’t know an answer, and to
    steer someone where they can get the answer.

Communicating Tips

People look to their peers as a trusted sources for
information.

Vaccine communication:
 Build trust
 Be positive & non-judgemental
 Validate client’s concerns
 Correct misinformation, but don’t repeat myths
 Keep it simple / avoid overly complicated info
 Balance information with risks and benefits

Responding to questions/ concerns

   When responding to client’s questions or concerns:
     Share personal stories
     Emphasize the fact
     Balance information on risk and benefits
     Focus on burden of illness or disease

   If a client refuses vaccine, it does not mean they will
    refuse all future vaccines.
   Maintain rapport with client to leave the door open.

Tips & Approaches

Give it your best shot!
              Do’s                       Don’ts

 Maintain trust                    Don’t repeat myths
 Be positive & non-judgemental     Don’t try to explain
 Keep it short                      misinformation
 Validate concerns                 Don’t dismiss their
 Correct misinformation             concerns or beliefs
 Seek information from credible
  sources

More Than A Disease

Preventing the Spread

Wash your hands often

Maintain six feet of physical distancing from
others

Wear a mask or face covering when interacting with
others, especially when indoors

Cover coughs and sneezes with your elbow or tissue.
Throw tissue in the garbage and wash your hands right
away

Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces

Which is the best mask?

Wear a mask properly
Wear a mask properly to protect each other

Questions?

COVID-19 Hotline
                 Have questions?

         Call Toronto Public Health
               416-338-7600
                  8:30 am to 8:00 pm
 Interpreter service is available in many languages.
                 TTY 416-392-0658

    More information on COVID-19 vaccines:
https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-
   protect-yourself-others/covid-19-vaccines/