Safety net quizzes help NWT residents determine what safety measures they can use to help prevent COVID-19. Further information about safety measures is provided based on quiz results.

Please note, these are not official evaluations and no information provided is deemed advice from the Office of the NWT Chief Public Health Officer. These quizzes provide ways to get used to thinking about risk and determining your own level of comfort and safety as we get used to living with COVID-19.

The following COVID-19 safety net quiz can help you learn more about how vaccines work.

Read each paragraph taken from the Government of the NWT vaccine information sheet. Then answer the following questions by hitting next.

Moderna's Spikevax and Pfizer-BioNTech's Comirnaty are two different brands of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. This type of vaccine teaches your body to protect itself against COVID-19 without getting sick from the virus. Both mRNA vaccines were approved by Health Canada in December 2020.

Vaccines make your immune system stronger and help build antibodies to prevent infectious diseases. It is much safer to get the vaccine than to get the disease.

This image shows how antibodies are able to attack COVID-19 once a person has had the vaccine.

mRNA vaccines are different from other vaccines because they don’t contain any weakened or dead virus.

mRNA vaccines send messages to your cells to teach them how to make a harmless protein similar to the one found on the virus. Once this protein is made, it tells your immune system to make antibodies against COVID-19 as if you had the virus. These
antibodies give your body a head start in fighting the infection if COVID-19 ever tries to enter your body.

After the antibodies are made, your body gets rid of the mRNA and protein naturally. There is no chance of the mRNA touching or changing your DNA. There is also no chance of getting COVID-19 from the vaccine because there is no virus inside it.

ANSWER:

mRNA vaccines are different than other vaccines because they teach your body how to make a protein that looks like COVID-19 but is actually harmless.

• This is different than other kinds of vaccines that use the dead cells of an actual virus, such as the tuberculosis, small pox or polio vaccines.
• These cells that look like the disease in small doses, get your own antibodies set up to fight the disease.

mRNA vaccines are given as two doses into the upper muscle of the arm. It is recommended that doses of Pfizer-BioNTech are given 3-16 weeks apart for those 12 and older and 8 weeks apart for those under 12. Doses of Moderna are given 4-16 weeks apart for those 12 and older. They have not yet been approved for those under 12. If the second dose is delayed past the recommended timeframe, the second dose should still be given as soon as possible. You do not have to restart the vaccine series if this happens.

Both the Moderna, Spikevax and Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty vaccines are safe and effective for the majority of the population, including those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, immunocompromised, or who have an autoimmune condition.

A Health Care Provider will consult with you regarding your personal health prior to
administering an immunization.

Anyone who thinks they may not be able to take the mRNA vaccine should talk to a health care provider to find out for sure. However, vaccines have not yet been approved for babies. That may change quickly though so that even the youngest residents of the NWT can be better protected!

Side effects of the vaccine

Vaccines, like all medications, can have side effects. Side effects to the COVID-19 vaccine are usually mild or moderate, and should last only a few days. Side effects of the vaccine may be more common after the second dose. Some people may notice a reaction around the part of the arm where the vaccine was given. The reaction may happen 1-2 days after vaccination, or a week or more after vaccination. In both situations, the reaction should only last a few days.

Common side effects to the COVID-19 vaccine are:

• Headache
• Muscle or joint pain
• Chills
• Fever
• Pain, redness or swelling where the vaccine was given
• Swelling and tenderness in the arm pit
• Fatigue

To help with side effects, use a cool cloth over the sore arm and ask your health care provider if you can take medication like acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain and fever.

Very rare cases of inflammation of the heart (myocarditis and pericarditis) have been reported after getting mRNA vaccines, mostly after the second dose in males under 30 years of age. Symptoms usually appear within the week after receiving the vaccine and are usually mild and treated with medication and rest. If you or your child experience any shortness of breath, chest pain or a feeling of a rapid or abnormal health rhythm (palpitations), contact your health care provider immediately.

ANSWER:

A cough is NOT a side effect of the vaccine. 

• A couhg is actually a symptom of COVID-19. If you have a cough you should stay home and call a health care provider to find out if you should be tested.

Booster Doses

Booster doses increase immunity and are being offered after a minimum of six (6) months following a resident’s second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. A COVID-19 booster is recommended because over time, the protection you generated from the first two doses may be waning. The booster is administered to help people maintain their level of immunity for longer. Health Canada has approved a full booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty and half booster dose of Moderna Spikevax for those 18 and older to be given at minimum 6 months after the second dose.

This images represents time. Antibodies, even if armed with the vaccine, can get tired after time. A booster dose of vaccine helps people maintain their level of immunity longer.

Vaccination is the best safety net we have. However ....

Whether you are vaccinated or not, everyone should keep up with things like:
• Washing your hands often
• Keeping physical distance from others
• Avoid large gatherings when possible, especially where not everyone is fully vaccinated
• Wearing non-medical masks 
• Keeping your circle small
• Cleaning and disinfecting your home regularly
• Staying home when you’re sick
• Getting tested when you have symptoms