Vaccines

A Friendly Reminder to Get Your Flu Shot!

With COVID-19 being all the rage right now, many of us have forgotten that there are other ongoing public health concerns that continue to persist alongside the pandemic. One of these concerns include the spread of the Influenza virus—the virus that causes Influenza, a contagious respiratory illness otherwise known as “the flu.”

Unlike COVID-19, Influenza is not a new virus. It has been around for decades and is ranked among the top 10 leading causes of death in Canada (PHAC, 2020). On average, Influenza is estimated to cause about 3,500 deaths in Canada annually. Influenza can lead to severe illness, particularly affecting vulnerable populations including young children and infants, adults aged 65 and older, people with chronic medical conditions, those who are pregnant, Indigenous peoples and people who are currently residing in nursing homes. As new strains of influenza appear every year, receiving an annual immunization of the seasonal influenza vaccine can significantly reduce the risk of getting the flu and being hospitalized, and perhaps even death. 

Book your appointment with MyVaccines.ca

Because of COVID-19, most flu shot clinics are not currently offering walk-in vaccinations, and will require flu shot appointments. Luckily for you, MyVaccines.ca makes the Influenza vaccine booking process as easy as cake.

With its user-friendly interface, MyVaccines.ca works to safely and conveniently find available flu shot clinics near you. You can use its filters to easily search by location, clinic type, and seasonal influenza vaccine in multiple languages. By entering your email address, you will be notified when flu shots become available and will also be able to access a map showing all local flu shot options to help you decide where you would prefer to go.

You can sign up for email notifications to book you flu shot appointment here: MyVaccines.ca

References
Public Health Agency of Canada. (2020, October 23). Government of Canada. Canada.ca. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/flu-influenza/health-professionals.html.

Bairavie Piravakaran (she/her) is a second-year undergraduate at the University of Toronto Scarborough. As a Psychological & Health Sciences student, she values the importance of sharing credible information and making health resources more accessible to the public. Her interests in population health, research, and design are also reflected in her non-academic pursuits—she currently volunteers with the Young Leaders of Public Health and Medicine (YLPHM) as a Social Media Manager for the Scarborough Chapter and is a Health Promotion & Analytics Member at Critical Health Innovations Lab (CHIL). At EMPOWER Health, Bairavie works closely with the Marketing Team in order to plan and execute strategies that help inform the public about current health-related topics.

“No Jab, no job?”: Mandating Vaccines at Work

There has been ongoing debate on whether mandating vaccines in general is the most ethical approach to immunization. With the recent surge of COVID-19 cases however, many employers are now requiring employees to receive their vaccines in order to be able to continue to work. This is following Ontario’s chief medical officer of health’s release of new vaccination guidelines for healthcare and education sectors.

According to the new guidelines, starting September 7, 2021, all employees, staff, contractors, students, volunteers from high risk-settings such as ambulance services at hospitals and in-home and community care services will be required to show proof of vaccination or a medical reason for not being vaccinated (Ontario Newsroom, 2021). Those who choose not to provide proof of vaccination with two doses will be required to take an antigen COVID-19 test and complete an educational session (Ontario Newsroom, 2021).

Is this new policy effective?

The University Health Network (UHN) has recently confirmed that its current employees who are still unvaccinated by the end of October will be terminated (DeClerq, 2021). The health network’s CEO Kevin Smith claims that this newly implemented policy has led to a significant increase in vaccinations, as the percentage of vaccinated employees rose from 85% in late July to what is now 92% (DeClerq, 2021). Daniel Lublin, a Toronto-based employment lawyer, applauds UHN for making it clear as to what will happen if an employee refuses to receive a COVID-19 vaccine (DeClerq, 2021).

The ongoing dispute

While these new guidelines seem to be effective in convincing more individuals to get their shot, the real question is whether employers actually have the right to impose such vaccination mandates. The other concern is what happens to employees who are unable to get vaccinated due to physical and/or medical conditions. 

As such, it becomes clear that implementing new guidelines are not as black an white as the “no jab, no job” policy. In a recent CTV interview, employment lawyer Jon Pinkus states that “Employers are not obligated by law to have their employees vaccinated,” but until then, “many employers will likely be dealing with a high volume of disputes from employees” (Cranston, 2021). 

References

Cranston, M. (2021, August 24). No jab, no job? Experts weigh in on legality of vaccine mandates at private companies. British Columbia. https://bc.ctvnews.ca/no-jab-no-job-experts-weigh-in-on-legality-of-vaccine-mandates-at-private-companies-1.5558766.

DeClerq, K. (2021, August 21). Unvaccinated employees at Toronto hospital network told they will be fired. Toronto. https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/unvaccinated-employees-at-toronto-hospital-network-told-they-will-be-fired-1.5555653.

Ontario Newsroom. (2021, August 17). Ontario Makes COVID-19 Vaccination Policies Mandatory for High-Risk Settings. Ontario Newsroom. https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1000750/ontario-makes-covid-19-vaccination-policies-mandatory-for-high-risk-settings.

About the Author

Bairavie Piravakaran (she/her) is a second-year undergraduate at the University of Toronto Scarborough. As a Psychological & Health Sciences student, she values the importance of sharing credible information and making health resources more accessible to the public. Her interests in population health, research, and design are also reflected in her non-academic pursuits—she currently with the Young Leaders of Public Health and Medicine (YLPHM) as a Social Media Manager for the Scarborough Chapter and is a Health Promotion & Analytics Member at Critical Health Innovations Lab (CHIL). At EMPOWER Health, Bairavie works closely with the Marketing Team in order to plan and execute strategies that help inform the public about current health-related topics.

An update on reopening post-secondary institutions

As the start of the 2021 Fall semester is fast approaching, many Ontarian post-secondary institutions have begun releasing their statements in regard to how they are going to approach reopening amidst the fourth wave of COVID-19. The following are some of the most recent updates from Ontario’s largest institutions:

University of Toronto

Starting Fall 2021, most classes, labs and tutorials will take place virtually. While the University of Toronto encourages all members of the community to become vaccinated, only students living in residence for 2021-2022 will be required to get their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine before their residence move-in date  (University of Toronto, 2021). The University of Toronto strongly recommends that students receive their vaccine at least 14 days before moving in. According to the latest news report, “those who are unable to get vaccinated before moving in will have two weeks following their move-in date to receive their first dose, with the university helping to facilitate access to vaccines, subject to supply” (Kalvapelle, 2021). The University continues to remain hopeful about the return of in-person classes, student services and co-curricular activities this September and will continue to follow all public health guidelines (University of Toronto, 2021).

Western University

Western University has a similar vaccination policy to that of UofT,  with a mandate for all students living on campus to have received their first dose no later than Monday, September 13th, 2021 – one week after the first day of school. The University is preparing for a full return to in-person classes but also claims that the Fall/Winter 2020-2021 course offerings may be subject to change. The university will also be offering on-campus vaccination and testing centres to provide first and second doses for students, staff, and faculty members (Western University, 2021). 

McMaster University

At McMaster University, course delivery in Fall 2021 will consist of a hybrid of in-person and online elements; on-campus activities will be modified and residences will also be open. Masking indoors will continue to be required as per public health guidelines. Vaccines will also become mandatory as of September 7 in order to utilize campus facilities. The official statement reads that “Those who are not yet fully vaccinated, or who have not yet received an exemption for a validated human rights ground, will be required to submit proof of a negative COVID test result twice a week. This testing protocol will be in place until October 18 when vaccines or an approved exemption will be needed to attend a McMaster campus or facility” (McMaster, 2021). 


Waterloo University

Effective September 1, 2021, all University of Waterloo visitors will be required to declare their vaccination status, and those that do not report being vaccinated must undergo regular COVID testing (University of Waterloo, 2021). The process to declare vaccination status will be mandatory for anyone coming on to campus. The University will require all visitors to provide an attestation that the information regarding their vaccination status is accurate and truthful. Those who are not vaccinated or choose not to answer will also be asked to provide an attestation that declares their consent to participate in the rapid antigen screening program (University of Waterloo, 2021).

References

Kalvapalle, R. (2021). U of t to require covid-19 vaccinations for students living in residence. University of Toronto News. https://www.utoronto.ca/news/u-t-require-covid-19-vaccinations-students-living-residence.

McMaster University. (2021, August 16). McMaster requires proof of vaccination and MANDATORY Vaccines: A letter from the president and Provost – Covid-19 (coronavirus). COVID. https://covid19.mcmaster.ca/mcmaster-requires-proof-of-vaccination-and-mandatory-vaccines-a-letter-from-the-president-and-provost/.

University of Toronto. (2021). Your guide to FALL 2021 at U of T. Resources for students for fall 2021 | University of Toronto. https://www.utoronto.ca/utogether/resources-for-students.

University of Waterloo. (2021, August 16). Mandatory vaccination and attestation. COVID-19 Information. https://uwaterloo.ca/coronavirus/news/mandatory-vaccination-and-attestation.

Western University. (2021). COVID-19 information for the campus community. COVID-19 Updates – Western University. https://www.uwo.ca/coronavirus/faqs.html.

About the Author

Bairavie Piravakaran (she/her) is a second-year undergraduate at the University of Toronto Scarborough. As a Psychological & Health Sciences student, she values the importance of sharing credible information and making health resources more accessible to the public. Her interests in population health, research, and design are also reflected in her non-academic pursuits—she currently with the Young Leaders of Public Health and Medicine (YLPHM) as a Social Media Manager for the Scarborough Chapter and is a Health Promotion & Analytics Member at Critical Health Innovations Lab (CHIL). At EMPOWER Health, Bairavie works closely with the Marketing Team in order to plan and execute strategies that help inform the public about current health-related topics.

The Third COVID-19 Shot: Yay or Nay?

Pfizer’s latest data has suggested that a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine would strongly boost protection against the Delta variant, even more so than two doses alone. 

The unofficial Pfizer data indicates that antibody levels against the Delta variant in those aged 18 to 55 after receiving a third dose of vaccine are higher than for those who have only received their second dose (Howard, 2021). For those aged 65 to 85, the antibody response was even higher (Howard, 2021).

Extra doses in Quebec

The Quebec government is currently offering an extra dose of an mRNA vaccine to those who are looking to travel to countries that don’t recognize their vaccination status (CBC, 2021). As there are certain countries that don’t recognize people as being fully vaccinated if they have received two different COVID-19 vaccines, this has become a concerning issue for the approximate 1.3 million Canadians who have mixed and matched. Health officials have repeatedly mentioned that it is the recipient’s discretion to “seek advice and weigh the risks” prior to receiving a third dose (CBC, 2021).

Robert Maranda, a spokesman for the Health Department states that there are no studies assessing the impact of receiving three doses of two separate vaccines and that “the person should be properly counselled to be informed of the potential risks associated with this added dose compared to the benefits of the planned trip,” (CBC, 2021).


Hope for the immunocompromised


While a third dose may not be recommended for everyone, recent data has shown that it may be beneficial to those who are immunocompromised. According to a world first study, a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine could provide significantly greater protection against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in transplant patients (Favaro et al., 2021). Because transplant recipients’ immune systems are typically “unable to mount an adequate response to immunization”, they are much more prone to infectious diseases such as COVID-19 (Favaro et al., 2021). As such, the promising results from testing the third dose on transplant patients provides hope for other individuals who are immunocompromised due to other medical conditions.

What are health officials saying?

As of now, there is not enough evidence to demonstrate that a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is necessary. In the words of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), “there is currently no evidence on the need for booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine after the vaccine series is complete” (CBC, 2021). 

NACI does however recommend that the same mRNA vaccines are used for a second dose, but also ensures that mRNA shots are considered interchangeable should the first type be unavailable (CBC, 2021). Additionally, NACI mentions that any of the approved mRNA options are actually preferred as a second dose regardless of the type of vaccine that was received for the first (CBC, 2021). This is a result of emerging safety evidence and the possibility that having at least one dose of an mRNA vaccine may produce a better immune response (CBC, 2021). 

At the end of the day, it is the individuals’ responsibility to weigh the risks of receiving a third dose. That being said, it would be in your best interest to consult with a primary health physician beforehand in order to make an informed decision.

References

CBC/Radio Canada. (2021, July 27). Quebec offers extra dose to travellers whose vaccination status isn’t recognized | CBC News. CBCnews. https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/quebec-third-dose-covid-vaccine-travel-1.6117954.

Favaro, A., Philip, E. S., & Dunham, J. (2021, August 11). Third COVID-19 vaccine dose effective and safe for transplant Recipients: Study. Coronavirus. https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/third-covid-19-vaccine-dose-effective-and-safe-for-transplant-recipients-study-1.5543323.

Howard, J. (2021, July 28). Pfizer claims 3rd DOSE ‘strongly’ BOOSTS protection against Delta variant. Coronavirus. https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/pfizer-claims-3rd-dose-strongly-boosts-protection-against-delta-variant-1.5526101.

About the Author

Bairavie Piravakaran (she/her) is a second-year undergraduate at the University of Toronto Scarborough. As a Psychological & Health Sciences student, she values the importance of sharing credible information and making health resources more accessible to the public. Her interests in population health, research, and design are also reflected in her non-academic pursuits—she currently with the Young Leaders of Public Health and Medicine (YLPHM) as a Social Media Manager for the Scarborough Chapter and is a Health Promotion & Analytics Member at Critical Health Innovations Lab (CHIL). At EMPOWER Health, Bairavie works closely with the Marketing Team in order to plan and execute strategies that help inform the public about current health-related topics.

If you’re reading this, book your HPV vaccine at myvaccines.ca!

It is reasonable to say that COVID-19 vaccines are of utmost priority given the current situation. With that being said, it is crucial to remember that there are serious healthcare issues that have and continue to exist alongside the pandemic. 

What is HPV?

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (CDC, 2021). It can also be passed down from a mother to her offspring during childbirth. There are many types of HPV that lead to a variety of health issues including certain cancers. Getting an HPV vaccine however, can help protect against these outcomes (CDC, 2021).

What does HPV have to do with Cervical Cancer?

According to Dr. Raymond Mansoor, Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Sir Lester Bird Mount St John’s Medical Centre, HPV is the “direct cause of 99.7 percent of all cervical cancer cases and so there is definitely some argument or discussion that can be had as to the benefits of vaccination against cervical cancer” (Williams, 2021). 

Cervical cancer is also the second most common form of cancer in females, following breast cancer (Williams, 2021). Because all females are at risk for contracting HPV, it is imperative to receive the HPV vaccine to protect against cervical cancer.

Herd Immunity and Cervical Cancer

While “herd immunity” is a term that is often used to help describe how a community can combat COVID-19, Dr. Mansoor claims that it can and should be applied to the prevalence of cervical cancer (Williams, 2021). In Australia, current epidemiological research has demonstrated a 50 percent reduction in reported cervical cancers per year, which is an indication that the HPV vaccines are a highly effective preventative measure against cervical cancer (Williams, 2021). 

If you have yet to get your HPV vaccine, easily book an appointment using myvaccines.ca!

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, January 19). STD Facts – Human papillomavirus (HPV). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv.htm.

Williams, O. (2021, June 23). ‘Herd immunity via HPV vaccinations will reduce cervical cancer cases’ – Dr Mansoor. Antigua Observer Newspaper. https://antiguaobserver.com/herd-immunity-via-hpv-vaccinations-will-reduce-cervical-cancer-cases-dr-mansoor/.

About the Author

Bairavie Piravakaran (she/her) is a second-year undergraduate at the University of Toronto Scarborough. As a Psychological & Health Sciences student, she values the importance of sharing credible information and making health resources more accessible to the public. Her interests in population health, research, and design are also reflected in her non-academic pursuits—she currently with the Young Leaders of Public Health and Medicine (YLPHM) as a Social Media Manager for the Scarborough Chapter and is a Health Promotion & Analytics Member at Critical Health Innovations Lab (CHIL). At EMPOWER Health, Bairavie works closely with the Marketing Team in order to plan and execute strategies that help inform the public about current health-related topics.