COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs

Locations that have the vaccine can be found by clicking here. In the state of Texas, everyone age 16 and older is now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. 

The FDA has authorized the vaccines under an EUA (Emergency Use Authorization) based off of safety data. Safety is a top priority and would not be authorized for use unless they were determined to be safe. Even though they found no safety issues during the clinical trials, CDC and other federal partners will continue to monitor the new vaccines.

For the most up-to date information from the CDC on vaccine safety, click here.

Currently in Texas, everyone ages 16 and up can receive their COVID-19 vaccine. Please click here for more information. 

Different types of vaccines work in different ways to offer protection. But every type of vaccine works by teaching our bodies how to make cells that trigger an immune response. That immune response, which produces antibodies, is what protects us from getting infected if the real virus enters our bodies. 

Currently, there are three main types of COVID-19 vaccines that are or soon will be undergoing large-scale (Phase 3) clinical trials in the United States:

• mRNA vaccines
• Protein subunit vaccines
• Vector vaccines

No, the vaccine is being administered under and Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) and is not mandated to take. At this time, the vaccine is only going to be administered if you voluntarily want to receive it. 

With the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, you will receive 2 doses. With the Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine, you will receive one dose. 

After receiving the vaccine, you will be protected from the virus. Like the influenza vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine will either protect you from getting the virus, or if you get the virus, it will likely lessen severity. The vaccine is still being studied to see how efficient it is in protecting people from the virus. Early Phase 3 results suggest at 94.5% reduction in risk of contracting the virus once fully vaccinated. 

Different vaccines are proving to have different efficacy rates. Some manufacturers are reporting 90% to 95% protection at 1-2 weeks after receiving the final dose. At this time, experts do not know how long protection will last or whether a booster shot will be necessary after, after the initial recommended vaccine dose(s). It is also important to not that once you are vaccinated although you may be better protected, you can still be a carrier to infect others. 

The vaccine is still being studied, so it has not been determined yet how frequently we will have to receive the vaccine to continue immunity. We may have to receive it annually, like we do the influenza vaccine, but immunity may last longer, and we may only need to receive boosters periodically. It will take time for the FDA and the CDC to determine how frequently the vaccine will need to be given. 

Yes. Experts are still learning about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide under real-life conditions. The vaccine is not expected to be 100% effective. At this time, CDC recommends that everyone continue to use all tools to protect ourselves and others from getting and spreading the virus. Wear a mask or cloth face coverings help when you can't avoid being in the same space as others. Wearing a mask or face covering does not mean you don't need to stay a safe distance from others, it is still necessary to keep you and others safe.  

Yes, the CDC has not considered changing any testing requirements at this time, so you will continue to be tested at the frequency we are currently adhering to. It will take time for the FDA and CDC to determine when the current testing requirements can be modified. The ingredients in the vaccine will not cause you to test positive for COVID-19. 

COVID-19 vaccines do not use the live virus and cannot give you COVID-19. The vaccine does not alter your DNA. COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you by creating an immune response without having to experience sickness.  

Yes. Immunity from the COVID-19 vaccine may last longer than the natural immunity you get if you've already had COVID-19.

People who currently have COVID-19 should not be vaccinated while being sick.

The COVID-19 vaccine is available to anyone who meets state guidelines.  No one will be asked to pay out of pocket for the vaccine.  Medicare and some insurance companies are paying a small administration fee, so we will collect insurance information if available.  Whether or not we receive third-party reimbursement, no individual who receives a vaccine will be expected to pay any out of pocket cost.

• Over 76 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered in the United States from December 14, 2020, through march 1, 2021. 
• COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. COVID-19 vaccines were evaluated in tens of thousands of participants in clinical trials. The vaccines met FDA's rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality needed to support emergency use authorization (EUA).
• Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines, and these vaccines will undergo the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S history. This monitoring includes using both established and new safety monitoring systems to make sure that COVID-19 vaccines are safe.
• Results from monitoring efforts are reassuring. Some people have no side effects. Many people have reported mild side effects after COVID-19 vaccination, like pain or swelling at the injection site, a headache, chills, or fever. 

In the past, vaccines have taken many years to develop. However, the relatively quick development of this vaccine does not mean safety measures were skipped. There are several reasons why the COVID-19 vaccines were developed faster than other vaccines:

• The mRNA technology used to develop the COVID-19 vaccines has been years in development to prepare for outbreaks of infectious viruses. Thus, the manufacturing process was ready very early in the pandemic. 
• China shared genetic information about the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus when it was available, which gave vaccine developers an early start to finding a vaccine. 
• The testing processes for the vaccines didn't skip any steps, but the vaccine developers conducted some stages of the process simultaneously to gather as much data as quickly as possible.
• Governments have money to vaccine developers in advance, so the companies had resources they needed.
• Companies began manufacturing vaccines ahead of their authorization or approval so some supplies would be ready if authorized occurred.
  

You will not get COVID-19 from the vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccines created by Pfizer and Moderna do not that and virus or other infectious material in them. They are designed to cause your body to make copies of a harmless piece of the coronavirus, so you will not get COVID-19 from the vaccine.

The COVID-19 vaccines are not believed to affect your future fertility. Getting vaccinated before you get pregnant may prevent COVID-19 during pregnancy. It can also avoid the need for vaccination during pregnancy. According to the CDC, pregnant women have a greater chance of developing sever illness with COVID-19 than the general public. Additionally, pregnant women with COVID-19 may be more likely to have adverse outcomes, such as a preterm birth.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that COVID-19 vaccines not be withheld from pregnant individuals. Early Data from the CDC's v-safe pregnancy registry demonstrate that the side effects and adverse events did not indicate any safety concerns. In addition, none of the COVID-19 vaccines are available for use under EUA cause infertility.  

Anaphylaxis after COVID-19 vaccination is rare, If this occurs, vaccination providers can effectively and immediately treat the reaction.

CDC and FDA scientists have evaluated reports from people who experienced a type of sever allergic reaction-anaphylaxis-after getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Anaphylaxis after COVID-19 vaccination in the united states based on events reported to VAERS. This kind of allergic reaction almost always occurs within 30 minutes after vaccination. Fortunately, vaccination providers have medicines available to effectively and immediately treat patients who experience anaphylaxis following vaccination.  

It is important to understand the side effects with any vaccine. With the COVID-19 vaccine, some people notice pain or swelling where they got the vaccine. You may also get fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headaches or a combination of these symptoms. Side effects may last about a day or two. These are signs that you immune system is responding an preparing to fight the coronavirus if you catch it.

As of January, 21 2021, more than 2 million people reported their symptoms at least once on the CDC's v-safe after-vaccine health checker after they received either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Up to 70% of those people reported pain in their arm. About one-third felt more tired than usual, and a little less than a third reported a headache. Chills or fever were noted by about 11% of people in the study, with 10.4% reporting joint pain, and 8.9%, nausea.