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Public Health - COVID-19 - Vaccines

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1. Why should I get vaccinated?

Vaccination is our most powerful tool to help protect ourselves, loved ones, our community and ultimately end the pandemic. The vaccines give you strong protection from getting and spreading COVID-19 and even greater protection from serious illness, hospitalization and death from the virus.

2. Will I have to pay for the vaccine?

No. If you have insurance, your doctor or pharmacy may charge your insurance company a fee for giving the vaccine. People without health insurance can get COVID-19 vaccines at no cost. There are no out-of-pocket costs for anyone.

3. Will I be asked about my immigration status?

No. COVID-19 vaccine is being given to Lake County residents at no cost, regardless of immigration status. You should not be asked about your immigration status when you get a COVID vaccine. Your medical information is private and getting a COVID-19 vaccine does not affect your immigration status.

4. When am I considered fully vaccinated?

People are considered fully vaccinated after one of the following:

• 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series (the Comirnaty/Pfizer or Moderna vaccines)
• 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine (the Johnson and Johnson/Janssen vaccine)

If it has been less than 2 weeks since your shot, or if you still need to get your second dose, you are not fully protected. Keep taking all prevention steps until you are fully vaccinated.

5. I've had COVID-19. Do I still need to get vaccinated?

Yes. You should get vaccinated even if you already had COVID-19. That's because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. Even if you have already recovered from COVID-19, it is possible-although rare-that you could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 again.

Studies have shown that vaccination provides a strong boost in protection in people who have recovered from COVID-19.

Learn more about why getting vaccinated is a safer way to build protection than getting infected.

If you were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you should wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure what treatments you received or if you have more questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

6. Are COVID-19 vaccines safe?

Yes. COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. COVID-19 vaccines were evaluated in tens of thousands of participants in clinical trials. The vaccines met the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality needed to support emergency use authorization (EUA). Learn more about them in an EUA YouTube video.

Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines since they were authorized for emergency use by FDA. These vaccines have undergone and will continue to 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.

7. Can I be vaccinated if I'm pregnant or breastfeeding?

Pregnant and recently pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant people. If you are pregnant, you can receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy can protect you from severe illness from COVID-19. If you have questions about getting vaccinated, a conversation with your healthcare provider might help, but is not required for vaccination.

8. Have the vaccines been tested?

Yes. COVID-19 vaccines were evaluated in tens of thousands of participants in clinical trials. The vaccines met the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality needed to support emergency use authorization (EUA). Learn more by viewing an EUA YouTube video.

Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines since they were authorized for emergency use by FDA. These vaccines have undergone and will continue to 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.

9. What are the common side effects of COVID-19 vaccines?

You may get side effects, like the ones after the flu vaccine or shingles vaccine after getting a COVID-19

vaccine. For two-dose vaccines, side effects are more common after the second dose. These side effects may affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away within a day or two. Not everyone gets side effects. They may include:

• Fever, chills, and muscle aches
• Headache
• Feeling tired
• Sore or red arm

Side effects are normal and a sign that the vaccine is working. It shows your body is learning to fight a germ and build up immunity. It is important to get the second dose even if you get side effects after the first dose unless a vaccination provider or your doctor tells you not to.

Contact your doctor if you have any of the following:

• Vaccine side effects that last more than 2 days
• Symptoms that start more than 2 days after you get the vaccine
• Any of these symptoms: cough, shortness of breath, runny nose, sore throat, or new loss of taste or smell (as these are not vaccine side effects)
• Symptoms that get worse or worry you

10. How do the COVID-19 vaccines work?

mRNA vaccines, like Moderna or Pfizer's Comirnaty, contain material from the virus that causes COVID-19 that gives our cells instructions for how to make a harmless protein that is unique to the virus. After our cells make copies of the protein, they destroy the genetic material from the vaccine. Our bodies recognize that the protein should not be there and build defensive cells that will remember how to fight the virus that causes COVID-19 if we are infected in the future.

Vector vaccines, like Johnson and Johnson (Janssen), contain a modified version of a different virus than the one that causes COVID-19. Inside the shell of the modified virus, there is material from the virus that causes COVID-19. This is called a viral vector. Once the viral vector is inside our cells, the genetic material gives cells instructions to make a protein that is unique to the virus that causes COVID-19. Using these instructions, our cells make copies of the protein. This prompts our bodies to build specialized cells that will remember how to fight that virus if we are infected in the future.

11. Are COVID-19 vaccines likely to have long-term side effects?

Serious side effects that could cause a long-term health problem are extremely unlikely following any vaccination, including COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccine monitoring has historically shown that side effects generally happen within six weeks of receiving a vaccine dose. For this reason, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required each of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines to be studied for at least two months (eight weeks) after the final dose. Millions of people have received COVID-19 vaccines, and no long-term side effects have been detected.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to closely monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. If scientists find a connection between a safety issue and a vaccine, FDA and the vaccine manufacturer will work toward an appropriate solution to address the specific safety concern (for example, a problem with a specific lot, a manufacturing issue, or the vaccine itself).

12. Will the vaccine alter my DNA?

No. COVID-19 vaccines do not change or interact with your DNA in any way. Both mRNA and viral vector COVID-19 vaccines deliver instructions (genetic material) to our cells to start building protection against the virus that causes COVID-19. However, the material never enters the nucleus of the cell, which is where our DNA is kept.

13. Will the vaccine make me sick with COVID or make me test positive?

No. None of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines in the United States contain the live virus that causes COVID-19. This means that a COVID-19 vaccine cannot make you sick with COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccines teach our immune systems how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. Sometimes this process can cause symptoms, such as fever. These symptoms are normal and are signs that the body is building protection against the virus that causes COVID-19. Learn more about how COVID-19 vaccines work.

14. Are there serious side effects from COVID-19 vaccines?

Serious side effects are rare. As with any medicine, it is possible to have a serious allergic reaction, such as not being able to breathe. This reaction is very rare but if it does happen, it is usually within in first 15 to 30 minutes after vaccination. Everyone is observed after getting a COVID-19 vaccine so that healthcare providers can treat an allergic reaction straight away.

There is a risk of a rare but serious condition involving blood clots and low platelets in people after receiving the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine. This risk is very low. This problem is rare and happened in about 7 per 1 million vaccinated women between 18 and 49 years old. For women 50 years and older and men of any age, this problem is even more rare. This problem has not been linked to the other two COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna).

15. What if I experience a side effect after being vaccinated?

If you are experiencing life-threatening symptoms, please call 911 immediately. If you currently have urgent or concerning symptoms, please contact your primary healthcare provider.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) encourages people to report possible adverse events after vaccination to Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), even if they are not sure the vaccine caused the problem. In general, report any side effect or health problem after vaccination that is concerning to you. Reporting adverse events to VAERS helps scientists at CDC and FDA keep vaccines safe.

Please visit the VAERS website for more information or to report an adverse event.

16. Will the vaccine make me magnetic?

No. Receiving a COVID-19 vaccine will not make you magnetic, including at the site of vaccination which is usually your arm. COVID-19 vaccines do not contain ingredients that can produce an electromagnetic field at the site of your injection. All COVID-19 vaccines are free from metals. Learn more about the ingredients in the COVID-19 vaccinations authorized for use in the United States.

17. What ingredients are in COVID-19 vaccines?

Vaccine ingredients can vary by manufacturer. To learn more about the ingredients in authorized COVID-19 vaccines, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) webpage.