(NC) You’ve probably heard from a family member or friend on social media some dubious “facts” about COVID-19 vaccines. But getting your information from people who aren’t health experts isn’t a wise idea, especially when it comes to health topics.

A trusted source like a healthcare provider or public health authority is a good place to get information. Here, the experts at Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada share information everyone needs to know about the vaccines:

1. How vaccines work
Vaccines work with the body's natural defences to develop protection against a disease. COVID-19 vaccines provide instructions to your body’s immune system to recognize and fight off the virus that causes COVID-19.

2. Available vaccines
Currently, Health Canada has authorized two types of vaccines to help prevent COVID-19: mRNA and viral vector vaccines. mRNA vaccines provide instructions to your cells for how to make a coronavirus protein. This protein will trigger an immune response that will help to protect you against COVID-19.

Viral vector vaccines use a virus (not the virus that causes COVID-19) that’s been made harmless to produce coronavirus proteins in your body without causing disease. This protein will trigger an immune response that will help protect you against COVID-19.

3. Vaccine safety
Canada has one of the most rigorous scientific review systems in the world and only approves a vaccine if it meets stringent safety, efficacy and quality standards. The review process for COVID-19 vaccines is rigorous and there are systems in place to continue monitoring their safety and efficacy after they are approved.

The vaccines cannot give you COVID-19 because they don’t contain the virus that causes it. The vaccines also cannot change your DNA.

4. Benefits of COVID-19 vaccination

COVID-19 vaccines are important tools to respond to this pandemic. Scientific and medical evidence are showing that vaccinated people may have less severe illness if they do become ill from COVID-19.

Even while the vaccines roll out, we still need to follow public health measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.

5. Vaccine rollout
Vaccines will be available – free of charge – over the course of 2021 to everyone who lives in Canada. Provinces and territories have developed detailed vaccination rollout plans for their residents.

More information on the COVID-19 vaccines can be found at https://www.google.com/url?q=http://canada.ca/covid-vaccine&source=gmail&ust=1620599401350000&usg=AFQjCNHfiaIV_Qp3AATC2sEXu2KTuK_nyw">canada.ca/covid-vaccine.

https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.newscanada.com&source=gmail&ust=1620599401350000&usg=AFQjCNFM7gxIdBd0seDoYO6UjVfVPe4cvA">www.newscanada.com