COVID-19 Vaccines

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

You and the COVID-19 vaccine.

You may have questions about the COVID-19 vaccines. Below, you will find trusted and updated resources regarding distribution, expectations, and efficacy of the vaccines.

FAQ
COVID-19 Newsroom
Vaccination Articles

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

You and the COVID-19 vaccine.

You may have questions about the COVID-19 vaccines. Below, you will find trusted and updated resources regarding distribution, expectations, and efficacy of the vaccines.

FAQ
COVID-19 Newsroom
Vaccination Articles

You and the COVID-19 vaccine:
Frequently Asked Questions

COVID-19 Variants

How do new COVID-19 variants arise and spread?

New variants of the COVID-19 virus are expected to occur because viruses constantly change through mutation. Some variants will emerge and disappear while others will persist. This is why the CDC and other public health organizations monitor all COVID-19 variants in the United States and globally.

Source: CDC: What You Need to Know about Variants

People who are up to date on vaccines, including booster doses when eligible are likely to have stronger protection against COVID-19 variants, including Omicron. Vaccines reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19.

Source: CDC: What You Need to Know about Variants

As of June 2022, the CDC is working with state and local public health officials to monitor the spread of Omicron. The Omicron variant spreads more easily than earlier variants of the virus that cause COVID-19, including the Delta variant. CDC expects that anyone with Omicron infection, regardless of vaccination status or whether or not they have symptoms, can spread the virus to others.

Source: CDC: Omicron Variant: What You Need to Know

COVID-19 Vaccination for Children

As of June 2022, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is the only vaccine authorized or approved for children ages 5 through 17 years. The COVID-19 vaccine dosage is based on the child’s age on the day of vaccination. So, 12 through 17-year-olds receive the same dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as adults. Children ages 5 through 11 receive a smaller dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that is appropriate for this younger age group.

Source: CDC: COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens

Both the CDC and The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend COVID-19 vaccination for all children and adolescents 5 years of age and older, with the appropriate dosages for their age and health status.

Source: CDC: Why Children and Teens Should Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19, American Academy of Pediatrics: About the COVID-19 Vaccine: Frequently Asked Questions

Just like adults, children and teens can get very sick from COVID-19, have both short- and long-term health problems, and spread COVID-19 to others, including at home and school. COVID-19 vaccination is an important tool to help protect children from COVID-19 and its complications.

Additionally, since children and teens can transmit COVID-19 to others, vaccinating children may prove to be an important part of safely getting back to normal activities of life, including attending school in person, participating in team sports, and spending time with friends. In order to reach herd immunity, it is important to have a high percentage of the community immunized, including adolescents.

Source: CDC: Why Children and Teens Should Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19

Non-severe side effects may be experienced following vaccination. The most commonly reported side effects have been pain and swelling at the injection site. Other common side effects include tiredness and headache. Similar to young adults, some adolescents have experienced fever, chills, muscle aches and joint pain, which may be more common after the second dose. These effects are short-lived and most resolve within one to two days.

Source: CDC: COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens

The AAP recommends waiting two weeks after getting the COVID-19 vaccine before getting other immunizations.

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics: COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ

Recommendations on Getting Vaccinated

As of January 2022, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized and recommended three vaccines to prevent COVID-19 in the U.S.: the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 12 years of age and older and the Moderna and

Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccines for individuals 18 years of age and older.

All individuals under 18 years of age receiving a COVID-19 vaccine must be accompanied by a guardian.

Source: Florida COVID-19 Response

Boosters are recommended for most people as they are an important part of protecting yourself from getting seriously ill or dying from COVID-19. As of June 2022, everyone ages 5 years and older should get 1 booster after completing their COVID-19 vaccine primary series. Adults ages 50 years and older, and people ages 12 years and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, should get 2 boosters after completing their COVID-19 vaccine primary series.

Source: CDC: COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters

Appointments may be required and vaccine availability will vary at each vaccine location. Vaccines.gov helps you find locations that carry COVID-19 vaccines and their contact information.

Source: Vaccines.gov: Find a COVID-19 vaccine near you

Yes, vaccines were paid for with taxpayer dollars and will be given free of charge to all eligible people living in the United States, regardless of insurance or immigration status. The CDC recommends that you do not share your personal or financial information if someone calls, texts, or emails you promising access to a vaccine for an extra fee.

Source: CDC: COVID-19 Vaccines Are Free to the Public

There are recommendations for people who have had allergic reactions to other vaccines. If you have had allergic reactions to any ingredients found in the COVID-19 vaccines or in a vaccine for another disease, regardless of severity, you should ask your TopLine MD-affiliated physician if you should receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Your physician will help you with deciding if the COVID-19 vaccine is safe for you.

Source: CDC: Vaccines and Allergic Reactions

UPDATE: April 14, 2021

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) issued a press release encouraging young women and pregnant women to preferentially receive either the Pfizer or Modena vaccine series. It also mentions that if a patient has already been vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and displays any clinical signs or symptoms of a deep vein thrombosis to not treat with heparin. Please review the statement here.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that people who are part of the recommended groups (see “Who is recommended to get the COVID-19 vaccine?”) and women who are pregnant can choose to be vaccinated. As the COVID-19 vaccines do not contain live virus, experts believe the vaccines are likely to be safe when used during pregnancy, based on what is known about how the vaccines are made. However, since there has been no testing with the COVID-19 vaccines and women who are pregnant, researchers are not aware of any known risks.

There is data that shows pregnant people with COVID-19 have an increased risk of severe illness. Pregnant women with COVID-19 may also be at an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcome, such as preterm birth, when compared with pregnant women without COVID-19.

If you are pregnant and have questions on receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, talk with your TopLine MD affiliated obstetrician-gynecologist (ob-gyn) or provider to help you make an informed decision. Your providers can discuss your risk of getting COVID-19 and assess risks for severe illness if you were to get sick.

For more information, you can find additional vaccine advice for pregnant or breastfeeding women composed by the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine or you can read Vaccination Considerations for People who are Pregnant or Breastfeeding from the CDC.

Source: ACOG: Coronavirus (COVID-19), Pregnancy, and Breastfeeding: A Message for Patients, ACOG: How do we know the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective? One expert explains, CDC: COVID-19 Vaccines and Allergic Reactions, CDC: Vaccination Considerations for People who are Pregnant or Breastfeeding, Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine: Vaccine Advice if You Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding

Yes, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that breastfeeding women receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Because the COVID-19 vaccine does not contain live virus, mRNA vaccines are not thought to be a risk to breastfeeding infants or on milk production/excretion. The CDC recommends that people who are breastfeeding can choose to be vaccinated.

For more information, you can read additional vaccine advice for pregnant or breastfeeding women composed by the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine or you can read Vaccination Considerations for People who are Pregnant or Breastfeeding from the CDC.

Source: ACOG: Coronavirus (COVID-19), Pregnancy, and Breastfeeding: A Message for Patients, Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine: Vaccine Advice if You Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding, CDC: Vaccination Considerations for People who are Pregnant or Breastfeeding

Expectations After Getting Vaccinated

After receiving the vaccine, vaccination sites have a recovery section where people are asked to wait 15 minutes for additional monitoring. You may experience some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is working to build protection against

COVID-19. Common side effects include pain, redness and swelling on the arm where you got the shot, and tiredness, headache and muscle pain throughout the rest of your body.

While these side effects may impact certain daily activities, they should go away in just a few days. Even if you experience side effects from the first shot, you should still receive the second shot or dose, unless you are instructed by your physician to not receive the second shot.

If you are experiencing pain or discomfort, talk to your TopLine MD affiliated physician about using over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, to help manage. You can also try other methods to alleviate pain from the vaccination site by applying a (clean) cool, wet washcloth or exercising the arm. To help reduce discomfort from fever, you should ensure you drink plenty of water or fluids and dress lightly.

For more information on side effects, you can view the following handout from the CDC: What to Expect after Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine.

Source: CDC: What to Expect after Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine

Most cases of discomfort from fever or pain from the vaccination site are normal and to be expected after receiving the vaccine. If the redness or tenderness where you received the vaccine increases after 24 hours and/or if your side effects do not appear to be subsiding after a few days, you should contact your TopLine MD Alliance affiliated physician. If you do not have a primary care physician, it is important to consider selecting a primary provider for your routine care or annual exams.

If you think you are having a severe allergic reaction after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and have left the vaccination site, seek immediate medical attention by calling 911.

Source: CDC: What to Expect after Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine

There are two types of allergic reactions: a non-severe allergic reaction and a severe allergic reaction.

For non-severe allergic reactions, you may experience hives, swelling, and wheezing within 4 hours of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. This is also known as an immediate allergic reaction. For severe allergic reactions, there are reports that some people have experienced anaphylaxis after they received the COVID-19 vaccine. An allergic reaction is considered to be severe when a person needs to be treated with epinephrine or if they must seek immediate medical attention at a hospital.

If you had a severe allergic reaction after receiving a particular type of COVID-19 vaccine (either mRNA or viral vector), you should not get another dose of that type of vaccine. You can discuss your options further with your TopLine MD affiliated physician who may refer you to an allergist and immunologist.

Source: CDC: COVID-19 Vaccines and Allergic Reactions

If you were exposed to COVID-19 and are up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, you do not need to stay home unless you develop symptoms. Even if you don’t develop symptoms, you should get tested at least five days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19.

You can follow the CDC’s tool to help determine how long you need to isolate, quarantine, or take other steps to prevent spreading COVID-19.

Source: CDC: Quarantine and Isolation

According to the CDC, if you are fully vaccinated (i.e., 2 or more weeks following receipt of the second dose in a 2-dose series, or 2 or more weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine) you can:

· Gather indoors with other fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask.

· Gather indoors with unvaccinated people from one other household (for example, visiting with relatives who all live together) without masks, unless any of those people or anyone they live with has an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

· If you have been around someone who has COVID-19, you do not need to stay away from others or get tested unless they have symptoms.

However, if you plan to travel, pay close attention to the situation at your international destination before traveling outside the United States. Additionally, it is important to note that in the clinical office or clinical space, including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, clinical home care, assisted living facilities, physical therapy, etc., the practice of mask-wearing, hand washing and social distancing should continue to be maintained.

Source: HHS COVID-19 Public Education Campaign

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Official guidance from local and national authorities

There are numerous resources available from the CDC, the Florida Department of Health, and other local authorities. The Florida Department of Health has a dedicated call center for any questions related to COVID-19 that is available 24/7. You can call 1-866-779-6121 or send an email to COVID-19@FLHealth.gov.

Official guidance from local and national authorities

There are numerous resources available from the CDC, the Florida Department of Health, and other local authorities. The Florida Department of Health has a dedicated call center for any questions related to COVID-19 that is available 24/7. You can call 1-866-779-6121 or send an email to COVID-19@FLHealth.gov.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Florida Department of Health Resources

Location-Specific Information

COVID-19 Vaccine Locator