A: There are several places you can look for a vaccination provider. You can visit VaccineFinder.org, check with your state health department or your local pharmacy’s.
A: After getting vaccinated, you might have some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection. Common side effects are pain, redness and swelling in the arm where you received the shot, as well as tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever and nausea throughout the rest of the body. These side effects could affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days.
A: We do not know how long protection lasts for those who are vaccinated.
A: Yes, you should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19. That is because experts do not know yet 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.
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.
Experts are still learning more about how long vaccines protect against COVID-19 in real-world conditions.
A: The number of doses needed depends on which vaccine you receive. To get the most protection:
If you receive a vaccine that requires two doses, you should get your second shot as close to the recommended interval as possible. You should not get the second dose earlier than the recommended interval.
A: No. People with COVID-19 who have symptoms should wait to be vaccinated until they have recovered from their illness and have met the criteria for discontinuing isolation; those without symptoms should also wait until they meet the criteria before getting vaccinated. This guidance also applies to people who get COVID-19 before getting their second dose of vaccine.
A: People with underlying medical conditions can receive a COVID-19 vaccine as long as they have not had an immediate or severe allergic reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine or to any of the ingredients in the vaccine. Vaccination is an important consideration for adults of any age with certain underlying medical conditions because they are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
A: If you are pregnant, you might choose to be vaccinated. Based on how COVID-19 vaccines work, experts think they are unlikely to pose a specific risk for people who are pregnant. However, there are currently limited data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant people because these vaccines have not been widely studied in pregnant people. Systems are in place to continue to monitor vaccine safety, and so far, they have not identified any specific safety concerns for pregnant people. Clinical trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant people are underway or planned. You might want to have a conversation with your healthcare provider to help you decide whether to get vaccinated.
A: You should get any COVID-19 vaccine that is available when you are eligible. Do not wait for a specific brand. All currently authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not recommend one vaccine over another.
A: For now, fully vaccinated people can gather indoors without physical distancing or wearing masks with:
Until more is known, fully vaccinated people should continue to wear masks and stay six feet apart from other people in other settings, like when they are in public or visiting with unvaccinated people from multiple households.
For more information, go to https://www.cdc.gov/.
