*Sources include the CDC, FDA, and Pfizer and Moderna.
What is the vaccination process?
CVS Pharmacy staff will administer the vaccines on site at each Asbury community. Similar to the process for the flu vaccinations, you will need to show your insurance card at the time of vaccination. The vaccine will require two shots administered 21 days apart (Pfizer vaccine) or 28 days apart (Moderna vaccine). You must get the second dose for the vaccine to work.
Currently, the FDA has granted Emergency Use Authorization to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
How was the vaccine tested for safety?
The FDA performs rigorous testing for safety in keeping with the process used for vaccines such as flu. Two independent scientific advisory groups also reviewed data from the COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials. The FDA has concluded that the benefit of receiving the vaccine outweighs the risk of not receiving it for most people.
Vaccine approval requires four clinical trial phases that assess its effectiveness and safety in different populations. A vaccine that has been approved as safe to use has been tested in tens of thousands of people with no significant harmful side effects noted. The current Phase 3 trials have 30,000 to 50,000 participants. The FDA advises a minimum of 3,000 participants to assess safety. Phase 4 involves ongoing monitoring and data gathering over an 8-week period following vaccination, as most adverse side effects have been shown to occur within 6 weeks following vaccination.
Who was included in the Pfizer and Moderna trials?
The Pfizer trials included more than 40,000 people. Of those, 10% were Black and 13% Latino, and 45% were 56 to 85 years old. The Pfizer vaccine is showing a protection rate of 95%.
The Moderna trials included more than 25,000 people. Of those, 10% were Black and 20% were Latino, and 23% were 65 years or older. The Moderna vaccine is showing a protection rate of 94%.
Are there side effects?
The vaccine can cause short-term discomfort such as headache, muscle pains, fatigue, chills, fever and pain at injection site in a percentage of the people who receive them. This is the effect of your body developing immunity – it means the vaccine is working! Most trial participants reported that the discomfort went away after a day, sometimes sooner. The discomfort can be more pronounced when you receive the second shot.
How does the vaccine work and how soon will I be protected?
The vaccine does not contain any active COVID virus and do not cause COVID infection. The vaccine works within our bodies to create an immune response to the presence of COVID-19 should we be exposed to it. It will help prevent the illnesses associated with COVID-19.
Recipients receive a shot with vaccine material 21 to 28 days apart. You must get the second dose for the vaccine to work. Protection typically begins within 2 weeks after the second shot. You will still be required to wear a mask, physical distance, and use appropriate PPE while at work. Even though you have received your vaccine, most of the people around you have not. Trials show the vaccine prevents disease in the vaccinated person, but definitive evidence remains to be gathered before we know you cannot transmit the disease to others.
A person may already be infected with COVID-19 when they get the vaccine but are asymptomatic. If they later have symptoms of COVID-19 or test positive for it, it does not mean they got COVID-19 from the vaccine.
What if I have had COVID-19 already?
Trials have shown that it is safe to get the vaccine if you have already had COVID-19. If you have had a test that shows you have COVID-19 antibodies, the vaccine is still safe for your and may protect you further from future COVID-19 infections.
How long will the vaccine last?
Because the trials are still in the early stages, we will not know this answer for some time. It may be that the COVID vaccine is annual in the same way as the flu.
