COVID-19 Vaccines

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

You and the COVID vaccine.

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

FAQ
COVID-19 Vaccine Newsroom
Helpful COVID-19 Vaccine-Related Articles

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

You and the COVID vaccine.

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

FAQ
COVID-19 Vaccine Newsroom
Helpful COVID-19 Vaccine-Related 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. Vaccines reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19.

Source: CDC: What You Need to Know about Variants

According to the CDC, COVID-19 is constantly changing and new variants of the virus are expected to occur. Sometimes new variants emerge and disappear. Other times, new variants persist. Numerous variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 are being tracked in the United States and globally.

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

COVID-19 Vaccination for Children

COVID-19 vaccine and booster recommendations may be updated for children as CDC continues to monitor the latest COVID-19 data. As of December 2022, several bivalent boosters have become available for individuals 6 months of age and older.

Also, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine became available for children ages 6 months through 4 years, who completed the primary series. The COVID-19 vaccine dosage is based on the child’s age on the day of vaccination. To stay up to date for COVID-19 vaccines based on age group, see below.

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 6 months and older, with the appropriate dosages for their age and health status.

Just like adults, children and teens can get very sick from COVID-19, have both short-term 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 reported side effects have been pain and swelling at the injection site. Other common side effects include tiredness and headache. Like 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

If co-administering vaccines, The AAP recommends injecting 1-2 inches away from any other injection sites. For more information on co-administered vaccinations, visit the source below.

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

Recommendations on Getting Vaccinated

The Florida Department of Health (Department) encourages that the decision to receive a COVID-19 vaccine be made on an individual basis alongside a health care practitioner.

Additionally, the Department also issued guidance for mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, which recommends against males ages 18-39 years old from receiving COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.

The Department continues to stand by its guidance and encourages individuals to discuss all the potential benefits and risks associated with receiving these vaccines with their health care practitioners.

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 December 2022, COVID-19 boosters became available for all individuals aged 6 months and older. To stay up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, visit the CDC link below.

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 Alliance 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: January 6, 2023

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) strongly recommends that pregnant individuals be vaccinated against COVID-19. The mRNA and Novavax COVID-19 vaccines are preferred over the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant individuals, like those that are not pregnant. The ACOG also recommends that pregnant and recently pregnant people up to 6 weeks postpartum receive a bivalent mRNA COVID-19 booster at least two months following their last primary dose or monovalent booster. Novavax’s monovalent COVID-19 vaccine is allowable for use as a booster in individuals aged 18 years and older when a pregnant or recently pregnant person has not yet received any booster dose and is unable or unwilling to get a bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Pregnant individuals must complete their initial primary series with a monovalent COVID-19 vaccine prior to receiving a bivalent mRNA COVID-19 booster dose. There is data that shows pregnant and postpartum people with COVID-19 have an increased risk of severe illness. Individuals with COVID-19 while pregnant may also be at an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcome, such as preterm birth, when compared with those without COVID-19.

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.

Findings from a large study of more than 40,000 women show that getting a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy poses no serious risks for pregnant women who were vaccinated or their babies. Most of the women in the study received an mRNA vaccine, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

The study adds to evidence that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy isn’t associated with an increased risk of premature birth. Also, babies born to pregnant women who received a COVID-19 vaccine aren’t at increased risk of low birth weight.

If you are pregnant and have questions on receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, talk with your TopLine MD Alliance 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, ACOG: COVID-19 Vaccination Considerations, Mayo Clinic: Pregnancy and COVID-19

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 area 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 the shot was administered, 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 Alliance 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.

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 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 Alliance 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 do not 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 may still be in effect. Find out prior to visiting a clinical setting.

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.

Official guidance from local and national authorities

There are numerous resources available from the CDC, the Florida Department of Health, and other local authorities.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Florida Department of Health Resources

Location-Specific Information