Vaccines: What You Need to Know
December 27 is the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness. It was created in 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and is raises awareness on effective measures to prevent and respond to epidemics. One effective way to prevent epidemics is vaccines. In this blog, learn what they are, why they’re important, which ones you need, and where to find them in Burnaby.
What Is A Vaccine?
Vaccines train your immune system to create antibodies that will resist specific infections. If your immune system has already been exposed to the infection, it will recognize the disease and remember how to fight it. Vaccines contain a dead or weakened form of the virus or bacteria, which will allow your immune system to practice fighting the virus or bacteria.
Are They Dangerous?
Vaccines aren’t dangerous. Health Canada evaluates them to make sure they prevent disease and aren’t a safety concern. Health Canada also continues to monitor approved vaccines for safety and effectiveness. They sometimes have side effects like swelling, soreness, fatigue, joint pain, and/or headaches, but these are temporary. There is also no research to prove that vaccines cause illnesses, such as autism.
Why Are Vaccines Important?
Vaccines prevent you from getting sick from preventable diseases. Some of these preventable diseases can result in death, or you missing time with those you love. Moreover, illness can be expensive – things like cold medicine, time off from work/school, and healthcare all add up. Vaccinations prevent infections from spreading to your friends and family. Additionally, if lots of people in a community get vaccinated, it protects the people who aren’t vaccinated or who can’t get vaccinated – for example, newborns or people with medical conditions that stop them from getting vaccinated.
Which Vaccines Do You Need?
There are many vaccines, but not everyone needs every vaccine. ImmunizeBC, a part of the BC government, recommends the influenza vaccine for everyone ages 6 months and older, every fall. ImmunizeBC also recommends the Covid-19 vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older. They recommend more vaccines based on your age and other factors. The relevant ImmunizeBC pages are linked below.
Where to Find Vaccines in Burnaby
You can get free vaccines from pharmacies, family doctors, nurse practitioners, and other places. You can find more details here. For your flu and Covid-19 vaccines, you can use the Get Vaccinated system. You can get your Covid-19 and flu vaccinations at the same time. Learn how to register here.
Want to learn more about your health? Check out our health literacy page!