Vaccinations Calgary: Which COVID booster should I get?

As COVID-19 continues to captivate our undivided attention two years after it was made known to the world, questions regarding the vaccination and booster still swirl. It has been well established by medical professionals around the globe that receiving your COVID-19 vaccine can help protect you as well as others, and the booster is no exception in providing security. It has become paramount to protect yourself against this raging pandemic by masking when required and obtaining each dose of the vaccine, including the booster. Questions concerning the booster are still fresh, as many are unsure what type of booster they need and what ages are permitted to receive it.

Learn more about vaccinations in Calgary, the COVID booster, what you should get, and what age groups are eligible to receive it.

Vaccines and booster shots

A COVID-19 booster shot is necessary after someone has received each of their vaccines, as the effects of both doses of the vaccination begin to wane over time. The booster will give you half of the regular dosage you initially got to increase immune protection to combat the contagious virus. The differences between the vaccines were sufficient enough that you were supposed to receive the same dosage twice to avoid potential adverse effects. Because the booster isn’t made of the exact dosage as the first two vaccines, and since the waiting period to receive has been longer than the intervals in which people got their two vaccines, it doesn’t necessarily matter what booster shot you receive.

Can you mix and match?

Mixing and matching your booster is not only permitted to do, but some medical professionals have exclaimed that it can potentially boost the immune system. Getting a different booster than the vaccine you received also creates more flexibility when scheduling your appointment to receive the booster shot. Advantages have been seen in those who have mixed their boosters shots as immunity can become more enhanced, particularly if you have received certain vaccinations that have less efficacy than, for example, Moderna and Pfizer.

If you have questions about what booster will be most beneficial to your own health, you should contact your healthcare professional to navigate you in a suitable direction.

A man receiving his COVID-19 booster vaccination from a healthcare professional

Is it permissible to mix and match the first two shots?

While mixing and matching the booster will do no harm and can be incredibly effective for the immune system, the same cannot be said for mixing and matching your first two COVID vaccine doses. Global health officials recommend that you receive two of the same vaccine dosage, whether that be Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, or Pfitzer until directed otherwise.

Who is eligible to receive the third and fourth dose?

According to the government of Alberta, anyone over 12 can receive a booster vaccination if the proper amount of time has elapsed since a second dose–which is a minimum of five months. Immunocompromised children who are between the ages of 5-11 can also receive the booster shot a minimum of eight weeks after their second vaccination dose. As for the newly established fourth dose, all Albertans over 70 can receive their vaccinations in Calgary and immunocompromised people over 12 and Indigenous, Metis, and Inuit peoples over the age of 65 can also schedule an appointment to receive their fourth shot.

Springborough Pharmasave is your health professionals committed to serving the Springborough community. Our pharmacy in SW Calgary will provide you with all the important services you need for your health, including healthcare advice and medical products. All our programs and services will be tailored to the needs of our consumers. We offer vaccinations, flu shots, breast pump rentals, and can act as your travel clinic in Calgary. Giving back to the community is a core value at Pharmasave, and we are proud of our work to help the Springborough community. Visit us at 104-30 Springborough Blvd, Southwest Calgary or call us on (403) 453-6113.

Whether you live in Calgary or St Johns, COVID remains in Canada and combating the virus means working together as a collective to ensure all of the necessary vaccinations have been received by the general public. Although you may be satisfied with your two COVID vaccinations, a third booster dose is highly recommended by medical experts. While going out of your way to receiving yet another vaccination dose may seem excessive, the COVID booster shot is helpful to fight the virus and maintain your health effectively.

Find out more on why the COVID booster dose is required to keep you healthy and safe.

What is the booster vaccination?

Booster shots are the third dosage of the vaccination you initially received. Getting the same vaccination three times will strengthen your immune system against the COVID virus. The booster shot has become increasingly important as the changing COVID virus churns out new variants that you are less protected against with only two vaccinations. The third dose will help protect you against some of the new variants that you can be much more susceptible to if you only have two vaccinations.

How does the booster dose protect you?

As time goes on and your vaccination against the COVID virus begins to wane, getting your booster shot will help restrengthen your immune system to combat the COVID-19 virus effectively. Further, if your immune system is at all compromised or you’re elderly, getting your third dose should be administered for the best protection. This third dose will also lessen your chances of being hospitalized and dying due to the COVID-19 virus.

Is the booster effective against COVID and its variants?

Breakout infections do occur in fully vaccinated people where COVID can still be spread, but it appears that those who are fully vaccinated will spread the virus for a much shorter period of time. Being fully vaccinated, including receiving your booster, will reduce your chances of becoming sick from COVID-19 and its variants. While you won’t be immune to COVID with your vaccines, you will still minimize potential health issues from COVID and reduce the rates of transmission from the COVID and the Delta variant once you have received all three vaccinations. The third dose is further recommended by Canada’s National Committee on Immunization (CNCI). They explicitly state the booster shot will increase the immune response to the virus and offer long-lasting protection against COVID and its prevalent variants.

Who should get the booster dose

Four to six months after you have received your second vaccination, you are eligible to get your booster shot. While everyone over the age of five in most provinces can and should get the booster shot, those with underlying health conditions need to receive the third dose. For those working in healthcare, living in long-term care facilities, or are 70 years of age and older, getting the third dose can be extremely helpful to combat COVID and its hazardous symptoms.

Expect more doses

The third vaccination dose will significantly enhance your immune’s abilities to fight against COVID. But as new and more transmittable variants emerge, you should expect more vaccine doses to come that will continue to help combat the COVID virus. If you have yet to get your third dose and received your two vaccines more than six months prior, you should book a scheduled time at your local pharmacy to get your booster shot!

You know you need to protect your child from common illnesses. The measles shot is one that is always recommended for young children. But at what age should you go in to get your child vaccinated?

Best Age To Get Measles Vaccination in Calgary

When it comes to vaccinations in Calgary, it is recommended that you get the MMR vaccine at around 12 months of age. This is a safe age to go in for a vaccination. You can wait a couple of months after the first year, but this is the general ideal window.

There needs to be a second follow-up shot that needs to be had. This second shot can be given anywhere from the age of four to six. The second shot is very important since your child will be attending school with many other children.

When you do get the vaccination, it’s very important to keep the vaccination records in a safe place. Proof of vaccinations may be needed later for things such as employment, travel, and other situations. It can be frustrating to not have the records to move forward with what you and your family need to do.

If you have lost the records, you will probably need to go in again for vaccinations in Calgary. It is completely safe for older children and adults to get another measles shot. Just make sure you ask your physician for previous vaccination records as they may have been saved.

If you’re wondering about the side effects, they are generally mild. The range from a sore arm, mild swelling, mild fever, rash on injection site, to some stiffness on injection site. Serious side effects are very rare and many people do not feel any symptoms at all.

If you’re in need of getting vaccinated, consider visiting your local pharmacy in SW Calgary. It’s a faster way to get the necessary vaccinations than going to the doctor. You don’t need to wait days or weeks to set up an appointment.

All you have to do is wait in line until it’s your turn. The pharmacist will take you to a private area, provide you with a quick shot, and then give you a vaccination record.

Springborough Pharmasave is your health professionals committed to serving the Springborough community. Our pharmacy in SW Calgary provides you with all you need for your health, including healthcare advice and medical products. We offer vaccinations, flu shots, breast pump rentals, and can act as your travel clinic in Calgary. Giving back to the community is a core value at Pharmasave. Further, we are proud of our work to help the Springborough community. Visit us at 104-30 Springborough Blvd, Southwest Calgary, or call us at (403) 453-6113.