COVID-19 is an illness caused by the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that was first identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019. COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic in March 2020.
Those who are infected with COVID-19 may have few to no symptoms. Symptoms of COVID-19 are often similar to the symptoms of other illnesses.
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are:
Other symptoms that are less common and may affect some patients include:
- Loss of taste or smell,
- Nasal congestion,
- Conjunctivitis (also known as red eyes),
- Sore throat,
- Headache,
- Muscle or joint pain,
- Different types of skin rash,
- Nausea or vomiting,
- Diarrhea,
- Chills or dizziness,
Symptoms of severe COVID-19 disease include:
- Shortness of breath,
- Loss of appetite,
- Confusion,
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest,
- High temperature (above 38 `C).
Other less common symptoms are:
- Irritability,
- Confusion,
- Reduced consciousness (sometimes associated with seizures),
- Anxiety,
- Depression,
- Sleep disorders,
- More severe and rare neurological complications such as strokes, brain inflammation, delirium and nerve damage.
Coronaviruses are most commonly spread from an infected person through:
- Respiratory droplets when you cough or sneeze.
- Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands.
- Touching something with the virus on it, then touching your eyes, nose or mouth before washing your hands.
Influenza, or the flu, is a highly contagious and infectious respiratory disease.
The flu causes fever, sore throat, tiredness, sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, nausea, vomiting, and muscle pain. Complications of the flu can result in trouble breathing, convulsions, seizures, and pneumonia.
How is it spread?
The flu can spread through coughing and sneezing. You can become infected by coming in close contact with someone sick with the flu. You can also become infected by touching objects that someone with the flu has touched, and then touching your eyes or mouth.
Who is at risk?
- Children under 5 years of age.
- Pregnant women.
- People with chronic conditions such as: heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, blood disorders diabetes, severe obesity, asthma and chronic lung disease, neurological disorders, cancer or immune-compromising conditions.
- Indigenous people.
- People 65 years of age and older.
- People who are residents of nursing homes or other chronic-care facilities.
What vaccines are used to prevent it?
- For the full list of vaccines, please check the Vaccines section.
Herpes zoster, also known as shingles, is a painful disease that results from the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that causes varicella (chickenpox).
You may feel itching, tingling, burning or pain in a specific area of the body, typically on one side of the body or face, prior to the appearance of a blistering rash. For most people, the pain associated with the shingles rash usually lessens as it heals. For some, shingles can cause severe pain after the rash has healed, which can last for months or years.
How is it spread?
After you have the varicella (chickenpox) infection, the virus lies dormant for many years. It can become active again and present itself in the form of shingles. Shingles is an often debilitating and blistering rash that typically affects a side of your body or face. Some people experience severe long-term pain after the shingles rash has disappeared. These people also face other complications, including skin infections and scarring, which can interfere with normal day-to-day activities.
Who is at risk?
- Anyone who has had varicella (chickenpox) is at risk of infection.
What vaccines are used to prevent it?
- Live attenuated zoster vaccine (LZV).
- Recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV).
HPV is a sexually transmitted infection.
Most individuals infected with HPV have no symptoms. They can pass the virus on to others without even knowing it. For some individuals, infections will go away without treatment within a couple of years, but others may develop HPV-related complications such as genital or anogenital warts, cervical, penile, anal, head or neck cancer.
How is it spread?
HPV is passed on through genital contact with an infected person.
Who is at risk?
Those who are most at risk include:
- Individuals who have several sexual partners.
- Individuals who have had a previous sexually transmitted infection.
- Individuals with immune suppression.
- Individuals with HIV infection.
- Men who have sex with men (MSM).
What vaccines are used to prevent it?
- HPV2: Bivalent HPV vaccine.
- HPV4: Quadrivalent HPV vaccine.
- HPV9: Nine-valent HPV vaccine.
Vaccines against Coronavirus / COVID-19
Vaccines that have been approved in Canada are Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD), SpikeVax (Moderna), and Comirnaty (Pfizer-BioNTech).
COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in Canada are free.
For more information about COVID-19 vaccines in Canada, please consult the
Government of Canada - Vaccines for COVID-19.
Vaccines against Influenza
Everyone 6 months of age and older should get the flu shot. Getting a flu shot is a simple action that can save lives. You should get a new flu shot every year because the type of flu virus usually changes from year to year.
What vaccine is used to prevent it?
- IIV3 (trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine): protects against three strains of seasonal influenza virus.
- IIV3-Adj (adjuvanted trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine): protects against three strains of seasonal influenza virus.
- IIV3-SD (standard-dose trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine): protects against three strains of seasonal influenza virus.
- IIV4-HD (high-dose quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine): protects against four strains of seasonal influenza virus.
- IIV4-SD (standard-dose quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine): protects against four strains of seasonal influenza virus.
- LAIV4 (quadrivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine): protects against four strains of seasonal influenza virus.
Who should take this vaccine?
- Everyone, annually.
- People 65 years of age and over, annually.
- People at high risk, annually.
- People at risk of spreading disease such as essential service providers.
Vaccines against Herpes Zoster (Shingles)
Vaccines that have been authorized in Canada are Zostavax II® (Live Zoster Vaccine, LZV), and Shingrix® (Recombinant Zoster Vaccine, RZV).
Who should take this vaccine?
- RZV is recommended for individuals ≥50 years of age without contraindications.
- Individuals 50 years or older of age without contraindications who received LZV, or who have had a previous episode of If RZV is contraindicated, unavailable or inaccessible, then LZV may be considered for immunocompetent individuals 50 years of age or older without contraindications.
- RZV (not LZV) may be considered for immunocompromised adults 50 years of age or older based on a case-by-case assessment of the benefits vs risks.
How should it be taken?
- RZV is administered intramuscularly in a two dose schedule with the second dose administered between 2 and 6 months after the first dose.
- LZV is administered subcutaneously in a one dose schedule.
Vaccines against Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
High-risk HPV types 16 and 18 and others can lead to cervical and anogenital cancers, as well as certain cancers of the head and neck. HPV types 16 and 18 cause approximately 70% of cervical cancers.
What vaccine is useful to prevent it?
- HPV2: Bivalent HPV vaccine, like Cervarix™.
- HPV4: Quadrivalent HPV vaccine, like Gardasil®.
- HPV9: Nine-valent HPV vaccine.
What vaccine is used to prevent it?
- HPV2, HPV4 or HPV9 vaccine is recommended for prevention of cervical cancer and precursors in girls and women 9 to less than 27 years of age, including those who have had previous Papanicolaou [Pap] test abnormalities, cervical cancer or genital warts.
- HPV4 or HPV9 vaccine is recommended for the prevention of vulvar, vaginal, anal cancers and their precursors, and genital warts in girls and women, 9 to less than 27 years of age.
- HPV2, HPV4 or HPV9 vaccine may be administered to women 27 years of age and older at ongoing risk of exposure.
- HPV4 or HPV9 vaccine is recommended for prevention of anogenital cancer and genital warts in boys and men, 9 to less than 27 years of age.
- HPV4 or HPV9 vaccine may be administered to men 27 years of age and older at ongoing risk of exposure.
- HPV2 vaccine is not authorized for use in boys and men.
