As caregiving professionals, it is important for us to be vaccinated as early as possible. Being vaccinated stops the spread of COVID-19 to our patients, families, and neighbors and slows the spread of the pandemic.
The following is information about the available COVID-19 vaccines and the aftercare. It is also available at www.CDC.gov and www.FDA.gov, and it is recommended that you consult with your physician for guidance on whether the vaccine and care described below is for you.
There are currently three vaccines approved by the FDA to vaccinate against COVID-19: Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. Some require one shot, others require two. Below you can find some quick facts about all three.
Pfizer-BioNTech[1]
- Two shots, 21 days apart
- Recommended for people 16 years of age and older
- Side effects include pain at injection site, tiredness, headache, chills, joint pain, and fever. More people had side effects after the second dose.
- Per the CDC, in clinical trials it was 95% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness in people without evidence of previous infection.[2]
Moderna[3]
- Two shots, 28 days apart
- Recommended for people 18 years of age and older
- Side effects include pain at injection site, tiredness, headache, chills, joint pain, and fever. More people had side effects after the second dose.
- Per the CDC, in clinical trials it was 94% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness in people without evidence of previous infection.[4]
Johnson & Johnson[5]
- One shot
- Recommended for people 18 years of age and older
- Side effects include pain at injection site, headache, fatigue, and nausea.
- Per the CDC, in clinical trials it was 66% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness in people without evidence of previous infection.[6]
For both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the second shot should be administered as close as possible to the recommended interval. However, a second dose may be given up to six weeks after the first dose if necessary.
For all three vaccines, you are not considered fully vaccinated until two weeks after your last dose of the vaccine.
If you are uncomfortable after your shot, talk to a doctor about taking an over-the-counter pain medicine. It is not recommended that you take these before your vaccine because it is not known how these medications may impact how well the vaccine works.
After your shot, you should still continue to wear a mask, practice social distancing, and wash your hands often, just as before. While vaccination protects you from getting COVID-19, experts are unsure if the vaccine will prevent you from carrying/spreading the disease.
For more general information on the vaccine and COVID-19, please visit CDC.gov or FDA.gov. If you are looking for more state-specific information, you can use the “How Do I Get a Vaccine?” Tool here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations.html
References:
[1] https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine
[2] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/Pfizer-BioNTech.html
[3]https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/moderna-covid-19-vaccine
[4] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/Moderna.html
[5] https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/janssen-covid-19-vaccine
[6] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/janssen.html