COVID-19 Vaccine: Frequently Asked Questions

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As COVID-19 continues to dominate news headlines and our everyday life, many questions have emerged regarding the vaccine. We collected the COVID-19 vaccination questions we most frequently hear from WellcomeMD members and answered them below.

Updated March 31, 2021.

*Click on each question to expand the answer.*

GENERAL VACCINE INFORMATION

+ Which COVID-19 vaccines are approved in the U.S.?

There are currently no U.S. FDA approved vaccines to prevent COVID-19. Three vaccines have received emergency use authorization by the FDA: Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

Additional COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be authorized in the near future:

  • Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine – will require two doses, given three weeks apart, and could be authorized in late April

+ Can I choose which vaccine I get?

Most likely not. Most vaccination providers will only have one vaccine available, based on the supply at the time of vaccination.

+ Are the COVID-19 vaccines safe?

The authorized COVID-19 vaccines have undergone rigorous studies to ensure that they are as safe as possible. Given the unprecedented speed with which these vaccines were developed, it is understandable that questions have arisen about whether or not the data is extensive enough to ensure safety. However, the COVID-19 vaccines have followed the same process as any other vaccine, including clinical trials with tens of thousands of participants of various ages, races, and ethnicities.

All vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, must undergo rigorous clinical trials, with at least two months of patient follow-up, before reporting their findings to the FDA. If the FDA determines that a vaccine meets its safety and effectiveness criteria, then the vaccine data goes to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an independent panel of medical and public health experts. The ACIP reviews the data before making recommendations to the CDC. Additional information about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine can be found here.

+ How are the COVID-19 vaccines being distributed?

The federal government oversees the ordering, distribution, and tracking of COVID-19 vaccines. The CDC is providing guidance to federal, state, and local governments about who should be vaccinated first, based on recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The CDC’s recommendations follow:

  • Phase 1a: Healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents
  • Phase 1b: Frontline essential workers and people aged 75+
  • Phase 1c: People aged 65-74, people aged 16-64 with underlying medical conditions, and other essential workers
  • As vaccine availability increases, vaccination phases will expand to include more groups.

Although the CDC provides recommendations on who should be vaccinated first, each state has its own distribution plan. Virginia’s COVID-19 vaccination response plan and information center can be found here. North Carolina’s COVID-19 plan can be found here.

The CDC has also developed a COVID Data Tracker, which provides updates on COVID-19 vaccine distribution throughout the United States.

+ How are the COVID-19 vaccines administered?

The currently authorized vaccines require one or two shots, injected into the arm muscle. The Moderna vaccine requires two doses, given one month apart (28 days). The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires two doses, given three weeks apart (21 days). The Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires one dose.

+ Once I get the COVID-19 vaccine, do I need to continue social distancing and wearing a mask?

Yes, people who have received their full vaccine dosage should continue to wear masks and avoid close contact with anyone outside of their household. It is currently unknown whether getting the vaccine will prevent you from spreading the virus to others, even if you do not get sick yourself. As the CDC learns more about the vaccine and the virus, information will be updated.

+ After I get the COVID-19 vaccine, when will I develop immunity?

For Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines: After you receive the first dose, it takes about a week or two to develop a partial immune response. You will reach peak protection about a week after your second dose. Overall efficacy after two doses is 94-95%.

For Johnson & Johnson vaccine: The vaccine has proven to be 85 percent effective in preventing severe disease, beginning 28 days after vaccination.

+ How long will the COVID-19 vaccine provide me with immunity?

The duration of protection against COVID-19 is currently unknown. COVID-19 vaccinations might be an annual occurrence, like the flu shot. Alternatively, vaccination protection might last longer than a year, thus requiring a less frequent shot. It’s also possible that booster shots may be required. Researchers will be tracking vaccinated people to gather information about how long vaccination benefits last. As scientists learn more about the long-term protectiveness of the vaccine, more information will be made available.

+ What are the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine?

The potential side effects are similar for all three vaccines. Injection site reactions include pain, tenderness, swelling, hardness, and redness. General side effects include fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, chills, nausea, vomiting, fever, and swollen lymph nodes in the injected arm. Although unpleasant, side effects are a sign that the vaccine is working and your immune system is developing a response that will provide immunity.

There is a remote chance that the vaccine could cause a severe allergic reaction, which would usually occur within a few minutes to one hour after receiving the dose. Because of this, your vaccination provider may ask you to remain on site for monitoring after your vaccination. Signs of a severe reaction include difficulty breathing, swelling of face or throat, a fast heartbeat, a bad rash all over your body, dizziness, and weakness.

+ I have already had COVID-19. Should I still get vaccinated?

Reinfection with COVID-19 is possible, so even if you have already contracted the virus, the vaccine is still recommended. However, it is uncommon for someone to become reinfected within 90 days of their first infection so you may consider waiting 90 days after becoming infected to get the vaccine.

+ Will the vaccine give me COVID-19?

No. None of the authorized vaccines contain a live virus and they cannot give you COVID-19.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine utilizes adenovirus, a type of virus that causes the common cold, as a vehicle to deliver instructions to cells about how to fight the virus. The Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines use messenger RNA (mRNA) technology to deliver genetic code to cells that instructs them to make the COVID-19 spike protein.

+ Will the vaccine be effective against the new COVID-19 variants that have emerged out of the UK, Brazil, and South Africa?

Both Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech have reported that their vaccines are effective against the coronavirus variants. However, they are slightly less protective against the variant in South Africa. Out of precaution, Moderna has begun developing a booster shot in an effort to protect against the emerging coronavirus variants.

Johnson & Johnson's vaccine trials were conducted when COVID-19 variants were already prevalent in South Africa and Brazil. In preparation for additional variants, Johnson & Johnson is working on next-generation versions of its COVID-19 vaccine.

FOR WELLCOMEMD MEMBERS

+ Will concierge medical practices, including WellcomeMD, receive the COVID-19 vaccine for patients before other providers?

No. Vaccine distribution is determined by the CDC and the state health departments. WellcomeMD does not have priority access to the vaccine, nor do any other primary care practices. However, WellcomeMD has applied to receive the vaccine for patients and we are in continuous communication with the health department. We will continue to communicate updates to our members.

+ When will WellcomeMD get the COVID-19 vaccine?

Unfortunately, we do not have a definitive timeline on when or if we will receive the vaccine to distribute to patients. While we have been hopeful that we would receive it soon, we were notified on January 22 that due to a severe vaccine shortage, no primary care practices will receive the vaccine in Virginia for at least the next six to eight weeks. North Carolina has not provided us with a timeframe.

+ Which COVID-19 vaccine will WellcomeMD get?

We do not know which vaccine will become available to us. Just as individuals are unable to choose which vaccine they receive, we are unable to choose which vaccine is allocated to us for distribution. Both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines have high efficacy and we will gratefully accept whichever vaccine is made available to us first.

+ When WellcomeMD gets the COVID-19 vaccine, how will it be distributed to members?

Once the vaccine is made available to us, we anticipate receiving guidance from the CDC and state health departments on who we can vaccinate first. As with the current vaccine roll-out, we expect the most at-risk population to be given priority. When we reach this stage, we will communicate our plan to members.

+ How can I get the COVID-19 vaccine now if I am eligible?

If you are currently eligible for the vaccine and have the opportunity to get your vaccination from another provider (hospital, health department, etc.), we encourage you to do so. Vaccine supply is currently very limited, so not everyone who is currently eligible will be able to receive a vaccine right away.

Richmond: Richmond-area residents in Phase 1a or Phase 1b should complete an interest form here to be notified of available vaccination appointments. Completion of these forms does not register you for the vaccine, but will ensure that you receive updates on your registration process.

Charlotte and Mooresville: Charlotte-area residents in Group 1 or Group 2 can schedule vaccine appointments using the following methods:

Please note that due to supply demands, appointments may not be available on your first scheduling attempt.