Yes, for now. While experts learn more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide under real-life conditions, it will be important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to us to help stop this pandemic, like covering your mouth and nose with a mask, washing hands often, and staying at least 6 feet away from others. Together, COVID-19 vaccination and following CDC’s recommendations for how to protect yourself and others will offer the best protection from getting and spreading COVID-19.
Learn more about the COVID-19 Vaccine in Marin County on our vaccine information webpage.
Not yet. Public health experts need to understand more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide before deciding to change recommendations on steps everyone should take to slow the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Other factors, including how many people get vaccinated and how the virus is spreading in communities, will also affect this decision.
Learn more about the COVID-19 Vaccine in Marin County on our vaccine information webpage.
No. A flu vaccine will not protect you from getting COVID-19, but it can prevent you from getting influenza (flu) at the same time as COVID-19. This can keep you from having a more severe illness. Also, since flu and COVID-19 symptoms can be similar, being vaccinated for the flu will help you stay healthy and reduces your chance of experiencing severe flu symptoms, helping to lower the impact of flu-related hospitalizations in our local health care system. While it’s not possible to say with certainty what will happen in the winter, CDC believes it’s likely that flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 will both be spreading during that time. That means that getting a flu vaccine is more important than ever.
Learn more about the COVID-19 Vaccine in Marin County on our vaccine information webpage.
Public health experts do not yet know what percentage of people would need to get vaccinated to achieve herd immunity to COVID-19. Herd immunity is a term used to describe when enough people have protection—either from previous infection or vaccination—that it is unlikely a virus or bacteria can spread and cause disease. As a result, everyone within the community is protected even if some people don’t have any protection themselves. The percentage of people who need to have protection in order to achieve herd immunity varies by disease.
Learn more about the COVID-19 Vaccine in Marin County on our vaccine information webpage.
The federal government, under the umbrella of Operation Warp Speed, has been working since the start of the pandemic to make a COVID-19 vaccine available as soon as possible. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) carefully reviews all safety data from clinical trials and authorizes emergency vaccine use (EUA) only when the expected benefits outweigh potential risks. COVID-19 vaccines were tested in large clinical trials to make sure they meet safety standards. Many people (>30,000 for each trial) were recruited to participate in these trials to determine how the vaccines offers protection to people of different ages, races, and ethnicities, as well as those with different medical conditions. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) reviews all safety data before recommending any COVID-19 vaccine for use. Learn how ACIP makes vaccine recommendations. FDA and CDC will continue to monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, to make sure even very rare side effects are identified.
To ensure the COVID-19 vaccine meets safety requirements, California formed a Scientific Safety Review Work Group comprised of nationally recognized immunization, public health, academic and other subject matter experts. The work group is staying abreast of vaccine candidate(s) trials, evidence of safety and efficacy, and other information to independently provide recommendations to California leadership and vaccine planning efforts as well as ensure public confidence in vaccine safety, efficacy, and implementation efforts.
There are also several safety monitoring systems set up in the US, including:
- Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)
- Vaccine safety datalink
- Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment Project (CISA)
- “V-safe”
These safety monitoring systems provide methods for checking in with vaccine recipients after vaccination and allow participants to report any side effects or health problems experienced after COVID-19 vaccination.
Learn more about the COVID-19 Vaccine in Marin County on our vaccine information webpage.
Both doses are needed for full protection. If you miss your second dose appointment, you should reschedule as soon as possible. The second dose should be administered as close to the recommended interval as possible. However, if it is not feasible to adhere to the recommended interval, the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines may be scheduled for administration up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose. There are currently limited data on efficacy of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines administered beyond this window. A single dose conveys a lower degree of protection from the virus than two doses. There is no reason to schedule a third dose if the second is received late.
The CDC indicates that it is safe to administer vaccines up to four days early. Anything beyond that should be considered an error and reported to your healthcare provider.
There is no need to retake the first dose. Wait for 10 days after last symptoms and then take the second dose of vaccine on your previously scheduled date, or any time after the second dose date IF the second dose date falls before the isolation period has ended.
Yes. It typically takes a few weeks for the body to build protection against the virus following vaccination. Also, while there is strong evidence that the vaccine protects most people against symptomatic COVID-19, we do not know for sure whether the vaccine prevents transmission of the virus. For these reasons, it is still very important for those who have received the vaccine to watch for symptoms and adhere to all quarantine protocols.
Because the vaccine takes a few weeks to start working and requires two doses, it’s still possible to catch Covid-19 while you’re waiting for your booster shot. There have been a few reports of people appearing to become infected with the virus after receiving their first shot. In most cases, it’s not known whether the patients already had the virus when they were given the vaccine, or whether they were exposed after vaccination but before their bodies had built up enough immunity to fight off the virus. Clinical trials of both vaccines showed they reach only about 50 percent efficacy in the first few weeks after the first shot. If you develop Covid-19 after the first dose, you should still plan on getting the second dose on schedule but check with your doctor first. And remember, even after two doses, no vaccine offers 100 percent protection. But even if you do catch the virus after vaccination, it's likely that you will experience mild illness because your body, has antibodies ready to fight off the virus.
Children were not included in the early vaccine studies for safety reasons, vaccines are typically tested on adults first. But once a vaccine is shown to be safe and effective in adults, researchers run more trials on children to adjust the dosage for their bodies. Another factor in the wait for a vaccine for children is that they are far less likely to die from Covid-19 than adults are. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a report in September which concluded that, of more than 190,000 people who died in the United States with Covid-19, only 121 were under the age of 21.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were the first to be approved. Each vaccine requires two doses three to four weeks apart. A third vaccine, from Johnson & Johnson, requires only one dose and is expected to be approved in February. A fourth vaccine, from the Maryland-based company Novavax, could apply for emergency use authorization in late April. The Novavax vaccine requires two doses, three weeks apart. The government has already ordered 110 million doses of the Novavax vaccine, to be delivered by the end of June, and Novavax has said it believes it can meet that target.
Employers do have the right to compel their workers to be vaccinated once a vaccine is formally approved. Many hospital systems, for example, require annual flu shots. But employees can seek exemptions based on medical reasons or religious beliefs. In such cases, employers are supposed to provide a “reasonable accommodation” — with a coronavirus vaccine, for example, a worker might be allowed to work if they wear a mask, or to work from home.
When case counts start dropping and the test positivity rate in every state drops below 5 percent, we’ll know things are looking up. The test positivity rate is the percentage of overall tests given in a community that come back positive. The lower the number, the fewer new cases and the less likely you are to cross paths with someone who has the virus. In some states the test positivity rate is 20 or 30 percent — showing the virus is raging out of control. Ideally, once 70 percent to 85 percent of the country is vaccinated, the test positivity rate in every state will drop well below 5 percent.
The U.S. vaccine safety system makes sure all vaccines are as safe as possible. COVID-19 vaccines have gone through the same safety tests and meet the same standards as other vaccines. People living with HIV (PLWH) were included in clinical trials, though safety data specific to this group are not yet available.
While this specific safety data is missing, PLWH are encouraged to be vaccinated. Patients are encouraged to consult with their primary care provider if their case may qualify for vaccine prioritization. Note that this currently only applies to patients who are immunocompromised and is largely determined by the state. If you decide to get vaccinated, continue to take everyday preventive actions to protect yourself against COVID-19.