Vaccine Facts

Vaccine Facts

COVID's not that bad.

Wrong. COVID has killed over two million people worldwide and Black, Hispanic, and Native Americans are dying from COVID at three times the rate of white Americans. The 44106 zip code in Cleveland has the highest COVID death rate in the City.

The vaccine will give me COVID.

Wrong. The Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine are both mRNA vaccines. They do not contain viruses of any kind. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine does contain an adenovirus, similar to the common cold but modified so it won't make you sick.

The vaccine will change my DNA.

Wrong. All three types of vaccine work by giving your cells instructions on how to make a "spike protein", a harmless protein that looks like a protein found on the surface of the COVID virus. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines use messenger RNA whereas the J&J vaccine uses DNA to carry this set of instructions to your cells. When our bodies start producing the spike protein, our immune system recognizes that this protein should not be there and starts building antibodies. The antibodies will remember how to fight the real COVID virus if they see it in the future.

How effective is the vaccine?

Very effective. The Pfizer vaccine is 95% effective against death, severe illness, and moderate illness from COVID. The Moderna vaccine is 94% effective. The J&J vaccine has about the same effectiveness for death but may drop down to 85% effective against severe or moderate illness.

How many doses of COVID-19 vaccine will I need to complete my primary series?

The number of vaccine doses you need to complete your primary series depends on which vaccine you receive..

• 2 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine 3–8* weeks apart for people 5 years and older, or
• 3 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for ages 6 months through 4 years, first and second dose 3-8 weeks apart, second and third dose at least 8 weeks apart*.
• 2 doses of Moderna vaccine 4–8* weeks apart for people ages 6 months and older.
• 2 doses of Novavax vaccine 3-8* weeks apart for people ages 12 years and older.
• 1 dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (J&J/Janssen) vaccine for people ages 18 and older.

*Talk to your healthcare or vaccine provider about the timing for the second dose in your primary series. You should not get the second dose early.

People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may have a different immune response following COVID-19 vaccination. Please see specific COVID-19 vaccination guidance for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.

Do I have to come back and get the second shot?

Yes. The J&J is a one-shot vaccine, while Moderna and Pfizer require two shots. The two-shot vaccines will not protect you if you only get the first dose. Also, it's important to get the same vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) the second time as the one you got the first time. Your booster shot does not need to be the same as your first two shots.

Do Boosters use the same ingredients as existing vaccines?
Yes .Covid-19 boosters are the same ingredients (formulation) as the current Covid-19 vaccines.

Are there side effects?
There may be. Adults and children may have some side effects from a Covid-19 vaccine including pain,redness or swelling at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills,fever, and nausea. Serious side effects are rare but may occur.

Is the vaccine safe?

Yes. The FDA has used the same strict standards they use on all medicines and vaccines. Although the vaccine was produced quickly, no steps were skipped in the safety evaluation process. 50,000 people participated in COVID vaccine trials and were monitored for 8 weeks for possible side effects.

What about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine?

The State of Ohio temporarily paused use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on April 13, following extremely rare blood-clotting events of six people in the US after receiving the J&J vaccine. It's important to remember that 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been distributed in the US and only 6 people (all women between the ages of 18-48) have been affected by this extremely rare side effect. Following a safety review, the CDC and FDA lifted the pause on April 23. The review conculded that the benefits of the vaccine in preventing COVID-19 outweigh the risks of very rare blood clotting that has occurred in a small number of people who have received the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.

Can I ask my healthcare provider for a dose of vaccine that does not follow vaccination guidelines, sometimes called " off-label use

No. All COVID-19 vaccine providers in the United States must be enrolled in the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program. To participate in this program, vaccine providers sign an agreement that states they will only administer COVID-19 vaccines in accordance with program requirements and recommendations including those of CDC, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Your provider can refer to the CDC Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States for specific information on administration of COVID-19 vaccines. These guidelines are based on safety and efficacy data and are updated as new information becomes available.

Can I get a booster shot different from my primary series?
People ages 6 years and older can get a different product for their updated (bivalent) booster than they received for their primary series or last booster.