After Vaccination

Common side effects

Most individuals feel well after getting a vaccine. Like any medicine, vaccines can have side effects and they are usually mild. Some common side effects include:

• Pain, swelling, or redness where the vaccine was given
• Mild fever
• Headache
• Tiredness
• Muscle or joint aches

These symptoms typically mean the vaccine is working to produce protection.

Common side effects don't have to be reported. If your symptoms worsen, contact your health care provider or go to the closest hospital.

Rare side effects

In very rare cases, an individual may have a more serious reaction.

After vaccination, pay close attention for any of the following symptoms or reactions.

• Rash or hives
• Seizures
• Fever higher than 40 C (104 F)
• Shortness of breath, wheezing or tightness in throat
• Facial swelling
• Joint pain or stiffness
• Increased swelling that lasts four days or longer, or reaches beyond nearest joint
• Severe vomiting or diarrhea
• Any other unusual or unexpected event

What to do if you're concerned

If you're concerned about how you or someone you're caring for looks or feels after a vaccine:

• Call your health care provider; or
• If you don't have a health care provider for non-emergency situations, see list of health care providers accepting new patients
• Call 911 or go to the closest hospital for urgent and emergency situations

Report adverse events (health effects after vaccination)

Vaccine safety is taken very seriously in Canada. Reporting an adverse event is important to ensure continued safety of vaccines. An adverse event following immunization is:

• An unwanted or unexpected health effect that happens after someone receives a vaccine
• A health effect that may or may not be caused by the vaccine

Health care providers who administer vaccines are required by law to report adverse events following immunization. As a parent / legal guardian, you should also report adverse events following immunization to the health care provider who gave your child the vaccine.

Not all reactions are considered reportable adverse events. Most reportable adverse events must be diagnosed by a physician. Some adverse events may need medical treatment.

We recommend and encourage individuals to have the adverse event form filled out by a health care provider. Otherwise, individuals can complete the adverse event form themselves for any adverse events that do not need physician diagnosis and submit the report to the Vaccine Preventable Disease program at Niagara Region Public Health.

• Fax: To ensure secure transmission, fax the completed form to 905-688-8225
• Email: If you're unable to fax, email the completed form to aefi@niagararegion.ca. The contents of the email message and any attachments are intended solely for the purposes of submitting an adverse event form.

The adverse event form involves personal health information. Communications by email are not secure and / or protected. There is a possibility that information you include in the email can be intercepted in transmission or misdirected. Niagara Region Public Health cannot guarantee security with emails. Niagara Region Public Health will not send emails that include your personal health information.

For questions about reporting adverse events for non-COVID-19 vaccine(s), call the Vaccine Team 905-688-8248 or 1-888-505-6074 ext. 7425.

Vaccine Injury Support Program

The purpose of the Vaccine Injury Support Program is to ensure that all eligible people in Canada who have experienced a serious and permanent injury as a result of receiving a Health Canada authorized vaccine, administered in Canada on or after Dec. 8, 2020, have fair and timely access to financial support.

Visit the Vaccine Injury Support Program for more information.

Niagara Region Public Health is not affiliated or involved with this program.

Public Health

Vaccinations

• Report Vaccinations or Request Records
• Vaccination Clinics
• Flu Shots
• School Vaccinations
• Vaccine Safety
• COVID-19 Vaccination
• Measles
• Contact the Vaccine Team