Hello Ma'am, that's a great question!
First of all, mRNA-based vaccines (such as the one made available by Pfizer) are a whole new type of vaccine. So instead of using a weakened or inactivated virus or even part of a virus to trigger an immune response inside our body, Pfizer's Covdi-19 vaccine will simply teach our cells how to make specific antibodies, through the manufacture of a certain protein. These antibodies will then be ready to fight infection if the virus enters our body.
As for your health condition, since the vaccine is still very new on the market, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization is not recommending the COVID-19 vaccine for populations that have been excluded from clinical trials at this time, until further evidence is available.
However, if following an evaluation, it is determined that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the potential risks to the individual (e.g, risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and severe outcome of COVID-19 are high) and if there is informed consent from the patient (discussion of insufficient evidence in this population with their health care provider), then the vaccine may be offered to individuals in the following populations:
- immunocompromised individuals due to disease or treatment or with an autoimmune disorder
- pregnant or breastfeeding women
- adolescents 12-15 years of age
I hope I have answered your question.
Maeva Di-Ré, Pharmacy Student
Supervised by Alexandre Chagnon, Pharmacist