COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Thousands of children participated in the vaccine clinical trials. With continuous monitoring and millions of doses administered to adults, the vaccines have proven to be very safe. There are common, minor short-term side effects but nothing long-term has been identified.

Although children have a significantly lower risk of severe disease and death from COVID-19, both can happen. In addition, there can be long-term illness associated with initial COVID-19, including in children, so prevention is key.

Duration of protection from the vaccine will be better defined over time but is known to be at least six months at this time.

If you're wondering about how to prepare for your vaccine, including information about taking over-the-counter pain medications, read How to Prepare for a COVID-19 Vaccine.

Although the vaccines do not completely eliminate the risk of infection, that risk is greatly reduced, even for the variants. That, in turn, greatly reduces but does not eliminate the risk of transmission to others. In addition to protecting others, the three COVID-19 vaccines have continued to hold up well against COVID-19 variants in preventing severe disease, hospitalization and death.

For a vaccine to receive full FDA approval, the FDA must review extensive data and conduct its own analyses of the safety and effectiveness. In addition, the FDA performs a detailed assessment of the clinical data, manufacturing processes, including inspections of the manufacturing facilities. Alternatively, Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) quickly provides access to medical products in certain emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The FDA makes EUA-approved products available to the public based on the best available evidence, without waiting for all evidence that would be needed for full FDA approval. To learn more, please visit the FDA's website.

While we know masking is effective in reducing COVID-19 transmission, vaccines provide a stronger level of protection at work and when out in your community. Given the current level of COVID-19 disease in our communities, multiple layers of protection are needed. You can track the level of spread in your area with the help of your local health department or the CDC.

Since COVID-19 is a new virus, we understand you may have questions about COVID-19 vaccine safety. It's important to note that the FDA established rigorous safety requirements for these vaccines, and tens of thousands of individuals participated in the clinical trials. Even though the virus itself is new, the science behind the vaccines is not new—it is rooted in years of research, and every step of the vaccine process went through the same safety assessments as all other vaccines. Finally, we want our community to know that our clinical leaders and vaccine and infectious disease experts thoroughly reviewed all data surrounding the clinical trials of these vaccines, and they support vaccination to help stop the pandemic. For more information on vaccine safety, we recommend visiting the CDC website.

The only charge for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is an administrative fee, as the vaccine is being provided to us at no cost. The administrative fee is to cover costs we incur such as staffing, supplies, etc. This administrative fee will be billed to a patient's insurance company. Most insurance providers are covering the full cost of the administrative fee so there is no final patient cost/responsibility. For uninsured patients, we will bill the Health Resources and Services Administration's Provider Relief Fund, and we anticipate they will pay the cost in full. We recommend you contact your insurance carrier to determine your exact coverage.

COVID Vaccine Administration

Johnson & Johnson/Janssen is one dose. Comirnaty (Pfizer) and Moderna are two doses. The Comirnaty (Pfizer) vaccine requires a second dose at least 21 days after your first dose, and the Moderna vaccine requires a second dose at least 28 days after your first dose. These are the intervals utilized in the vaccine studies, so receiving your second dose close to the 21- or 28-day timeframe is advised.

The CDC states you can schedule the second dose up to six weeks after the first dose for both Comirnaty (Pfizer) and Moderna and still receive the full benefit of the vaccine. If your second dose is given outside of that six-week window, there is no need to restart the series. The second dose should be the same brand as the initial dose as there is not data to support interchanging brands. You will not be able to schedule your second dose appointment any sooner than the 21- or 28-day intervals.

The CDC also says pregnant people are at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 when compared to non-pregnant people. COVID-19 during pregnancy can also increase the risk for preterm birth. Due to the support from The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, we recommend all pregnant individuals be vaccinated against COVID-19. All data indicates the vaccine is very effective and safe during pregnancy.

View our helpful decision-making guide

If you've already had COVID-19, your body may have built up antibodies to fight future infection. Immunity following infection appears to be long lasting. However, how protected you may be against variants varies. Research from the Rockefeller Institute and the University of Washington shows receiving the vaccine after having COVID-19 substantially enhances your immune response –up to 50-fold –to COVID variants.

If you have severe anaphylaxis or an allergy to one of the ingredients of the COVID-19 vaccine, please talk to your health care provider. For most people, even those with seasonal allergies or minor food allergies, it is safe, and we highly recommend getting the vaccine.