Frequently Asked Questions about the Vaccine
What are the risks of getting a COVID vaccine?
Can I get COVID from a COVID vaccine?
What are the ingredients in COVID vaccines?
Since I can still get and spread COVID even if I have a vaccine, what is the point of getting vaccinated?
Are the COVID shots given to children the same as those given to adults?
If I am pregnant, or planning to become pregnant, can I get a COVID vaccine?
If I’ve already had COVID, do I still need a vaccine?
Do I need to wait after having a flu vaccine before getting a COVID vaccine?
How can I get a copy of my vaccination records?
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
What are the risks of getting a COVID vaccine?
Almost 700 million doses of COVID vaccine have been administered in the US to date. Some common side effects for both adults and children include pain, redness or swelling at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea. Serious side effects are rare but may occur. Answering the screening questions on the consent form before getting a shot accurately will reduce the already very rare chance of a serious side effect.
Can I get COVID from a COVID vaccine?
No. COVID-19 vaccines that are currently available do not use the live virus that causes COVID-19. These vaccines work by using a harmless piece of spike protein from the virus causing COVID-19 to teach the body how to fight the virus that causes it. The body then gets rid of the harmless spike protein within a few days after vaccination.
What are the ingredients in COVID vaccines?
Vaccine ingredients vary by manufacturer. None of the vaccines contain eggs, gelatin, latex, or preservatives. All COVID-19 vaccines are free from metals, such as iron, nickel, cobalt, lithium, and rare earth alloys. They are also free from manufactured products such as microelectronics, electrodes, carbon nanotubes, and nanowire semiconductors. There are no food proteins such as eggs or nuts, no preservatives such as thimerosal or mercury, no antibiotics, no other medications and no animal or human tissue included in any approved COVID vaccine. None of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized or approved in the United States contain any live virus.
For more information on ingredients see:
· Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Overview and Safety
Since I can still get and spread COVID even if I have a vaccine, what is the point of getting vaccinated?
Although breakthrough infections are not infrequent, you are still significantly less likely to get COVID if you are vaccinated, and significantly less likely to spread it to others if you do get it. More importantly, you are many times less likely to get seriously ill, to be hospitalized, to need intensive care or to die if you do get COVID after vaccination. Compared to those who were unvaccinated, those with a bivalent booster were six times less likely to die from COVID. You are also less likely to get long COVID if you have been vaccinated.
Are the COVID shots given to children the same as those given to adults?
The COVID-19 vaccines for children have the same active ingredients as the vaccines given to adults. However, children receive a smaller and more age-appropriate dose that is right for them. The smaller doses were rigorously tested and found to create the needed immune response for each age group.
If I am pregnant, or planning to become pregnant, can I get a COVID vaccine?
Yes, COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to get pregnant now, as well as people who might become pregnant in the future. People with COVID-19 during pregnancy are more likely to deliver a preterm (earlier than 37 weeks) or stillborn infant and may also be more likely to have other pregnancy complications.
COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy helps:
· Prevent severe illness and death in people who are pregnant
· Protect babies younger than 6 months old from hospitalization caused by COVID-19
If I’ve already had COVID, do I still need a vaccine?
You should get a COVID-19 vaccine even if you already had COVID-19.
Getting a COVID-19 vaccine after you recover from COVID-19 infection provides added protection against COVID-19. You may consider delaying your vaccine by 3 months from when your symptoms started or, if you had no symptoms, when you received a positive test.
People who already had COVID-19 and do not get vaccinated after their recovery are more likely to get COVID-19 again than those who get vaccinated after their recovery.
Do I need to wait after having a flu vaccine before getting a COVID vaccine?
There is no recommended waiting period between getting a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines. You can get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines, including a flu vaccine, at the same visit. Experience with other vaccines has shown that the way our bodies develop protection, known as an immune response, and possible side effects after getting vaccinated are generally the same when given alone or with other vaccines.
How can I get a copy of my vaccination records?
Use the MyVaxRecords website to get a COVID-19 digital vaccine card or a copy of your vaccination record.