COVID-19 mRNA vaccines

COVID-19 vaccines help protect you from getting very sick from COVID-19 and needing care in the hospital.

The Moderna Spikevax XFG and Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty XFG vaccines are approved by Health Canada. They are updated mRNA vaccines that help protect you against the COVID-19 strains that are currently spreading.

Who can get this vaccine

Albertans at high risk

COVID-19 vaccine is available free of charge for:

• People age 65 years and older.
• People age 6 months to 64 years who are at higher risk of severe illness or more likely to be exposed to COVID-19 and spread it to others.

Visit Respiratory virus season – Get vaccinated for details about COVID-19 vaccine eligibility.

All other Albertans

All other Albertans age 12 to 64 years who cannot get COVID-19 vaccine free of charge can purchase it at a participating pharmacy.

For children under age 12 years, COVID-19 vaccines are only available at public health or community health centres. Children under age 12 years cannot get the COVID-19 vaccine at a pharmacy. If your child is age 6 months to 11 years and is not eligible for COVID-19 vaccine free of charge, you can purchase the vaccine at your local public health or community health centre. There is a $100 administrative cost. An invoice will be mailed to you and will also be available in MyChart within 5 to 10 business days.

Who may not be able to get this vaccine

You may not be able to get an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine if:

• You have an allergy to any part of the vaccine. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider about any allergies you may have.
• You had a severe (serious) or unusual side effect after this vaccine or one like it.

If either of those apply, check with your healthcare provider before you get the vaccine.

The mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is not approved for babies under age 6 months.

Although you can get the vaccine if you have a mild illness such as a cold or fever, it’s best to stay home until you feel better. This helps prevent spreading your illness to others.

Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider to find out when to get an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine if:

• You have a history of multisystem inflammatory syndrome as a child (MIS-C) or an adult (MIS-A).
• You have a weakened immune system (because of medicine you take or a health problem).
• You have had a stem cell or organ transplant.
• You are getting CAR T-cell therapy (a type of cancer treatment).
• You have a history of myocarditis, pericarditis, or both within 6 weeks of getting a dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Already had COVID-19

If you have already had COVID-19, it is not yet known how long your protection will last or how much protection you will have against variants. It is important to get a COVID-19 vaccine even if you have already had the virus.

If you had COVID-19, you can get the vaccine once you are no longer sick and are feeling better.

If you developed multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C or MIS-A) after having COVID-19, check with your healthcare provider about when to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding/
chestfeeding

While you are pregnant, you have a higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine lowers your risk of getting seriously ill from the virus.

You can get an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding/chestfeeding. There have been no safety concerns with receiving a COVID-19 vaccine while pregnant or breastfeeding/chestfeeding.

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding/chestfeeding and have questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine, talk to your healthcare provider.

Vaccines

If you are age 6 months to 11 years, you can get the Moderna vaccine.

If you are age 12 years and older, you can get either the Moderna or the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, depending on vaccine availability.

Doses

COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, including how many doses to get, depend on your age and your immune system. Talk with your healthcare provider about what is right for you.

6 months to 4 years with a healthy immune system

If you are age 6 months to 4 years, you need 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, 8 weeks apart. The Moderna XFG vaccine can start or complete your 2-dose series.

If you have already had 2 or more doses of a non-XFG COVID-19 vaccine, you can get 1 dose of the Moderna XFG vaccine at least 3 months after your last dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

5 years or older with a healthy immune system

If you are age 5 years or older, you need 1 dose of the XFG COVID-19 vaccine. If you have had other COVID-19 vaccines in the past, you need to wait at least 3 months before getting your XFG COVID-19 vaccine.

Weakened immune system

If you are age 6 months or older with a weakened immune system, you need 3 doses of COVID-19 vaccine. The XFG COVID-19 vaccine can start or complete your 3-dose series.

If you have already had 3 or more doses of a non-XFG COVID-19 vaccine, you can get 1 dose of the XFG COVID-19 vaccine at least 3 months after your last dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Off-label use

“Off-label use” means the vaccine is used differently than the way it was originally approved. Vaccine experts support the following off-label uses for XFG mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and have no safety concerns:

• Adults with a healthy immune system and children age 5 years or older who get a dose of Moderna XFG vaccine sooner than 6 months after the last dose.
• Adults with a weakened immune system who get a second dose of Moderna XFG vaccine sooner than 2 months after their first dose.
• Adults with a weakened immune system who have already had 2 or more doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and get the Moderna vaccine sooner than 4 months after the last dose.
• Adults and children age 12 years or older who get a dose of Pfizer-BioNTech XFG vaccine sooner than 6 months after the last dose.
• Adults and children age 5 years or older who get more than 1 dose of an XFG vaccine.
• Children age 6 months to 4 years who have had one or more COVID-19 vaccines in the past and get more than 1 dose of XFG vaccine.
• Children age 6 months to 4 years who have never had COVID-19 vaccine and get more than 2 doses of XFG vaccines.
• Children age 6 months to 4 years who get a second dose sooner than 8 weeks from their first dose.
• Children age 6 months to 4 years who have already had 2 or more doses of a non-XFG vaccine and get a dose of an XFG vaccine sooner than 6 months after the last dose.

Consent for immunization

A parent or guardian must provide verbal or written consent for a child under age 18 years to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

If a parent or guardian cannot be at the appointment, written consent must be provided. They can give consent in writing using the consent form at COVID-19 consent for children under 18.

In some cases, children under age 18 years may be able to give their own consent.

Alternate decision-makers (such as an agent, guardian, specific decision-maker, or co-decision-maker for another person) can use the consent form when they can't attend an immunization appointment with the person they represent. They must also provide documents that show they are the authorized decision-maker.

The person being immunized must have the completed and signed consent form with them at their appointment.

How well it works

How well COVID-19 vaccines work is different for each variant (also called strain) of the virus. As new COVID-19 variants are identified, vaccines are updated to offer better protection.

COVID-19 vaccines help to lower your risk of getting very sick from COVID-19 and needing care in the hospital. The best way to protect yourself from COVID-19 is to get immunized.

COVID-19 vaccines and other vaccines

You can get other vaccines at the same time as, any time before, or any time after an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, including routine vaccines and the influenza vaccine.

Side effects

There can be side effects from mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, but they tend to be mild and go away in a few days. Side effects may include:

• redness where you had the needle that may look red on lighter skin or purple on darker skin
• swelling, a hard spot, or feeling sore where you had the needle
• feeling tired or sleeping more than usual
• crying or getting upset easily (babies and young children)
• not feeling hungry or not wanting to eat (poor appetite)
• a headache
• a fever or chills
• swelling or feeling sore in your armpit
• swollen lymph nodes
• feeling dizzy
• body aches or sore joints
• feeling sick to your stomach (nausea), vomiting (throwing up), loose stool (diarrhea)
• an earache
• a reduced sense of touch or a feeling of numbness
• a tingling, itching, or “pins and needles” feeling

At least 1 out of 100 people who got this vaccine reported 1 or more of these side effects. In some cases, it is unknown if the vaccine caused these side effects.

Current information shows that there is a similar risk of side effects after each dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

It is important to stay at the clinic for 15 minutes after your vaccine. Some people may have a rare but serious allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. If anaphylaxis happens, you will get medicine to treat the symptoms.

It is rare to have a serious side effect. Call Health Link at 811 to report any serious or unusual side effects.

Rare events

There have been very rare reports of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the lining around the heart) after getting an mRNA vaccine. Most reported cases happened within 1 to 2 weeks after getting the vaccine. Cases were mild and got better with treatment.

Myocarditis and pericarditis can cause shortness of breath, chest pain, or a very fast or abnormal heart rate. Get medical help right away if you have any of these symptoms.

Research shows that for most people—including those who had heart inflammation after a COVID-19 vaccine—the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis is lower after additional doses than after the first 2 doses (original primary series).

Research is still happening to learn more about the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis and updated versions of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

Talk to your healthcare provider before you get a dose of COVID-19 vaccine if:

• You had myocarditis or pericarditis within 6 weeks of getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
• You have a history of myocarditis or pericarditis and you have questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

Your risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19 is much higher than your risk of having a rare event after these vaccines.