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1. When will I get my vaccine?

Even though we have three vaccines approved for emergency use, it will still take time before everyone can get it. Individuals 16 and older are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Minnesota.

Bloomington Public Health is vaccinating individuals 18 and older who live or work in Bloomington, Edina or Richfield.

Make your appointment today by visiting blm.mn/clinics. Select the clinic that works best for you and click on that link to complete registration. If you need assistance or do not have access to a computer, you may call 952-563-8525. 

To find other vaccination clinics, including those for 12- to 17-year-olds, visit mn.gov/vaccineconnector or call 833-431-2053.

2. Where can I get the latest information regarding vaccine distribution in Minnesota?

COVID-19 Vaccine (Minnesota Department of Health)

This is the home page for COVID-19 information from the State health department. There, you’ll find vaccine data and information, guidance for providers and general information about the coronavirus and Minnesota’s response.

COVID-19 Vaccine (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

 This information from the nation’s health protection agency about the COVID-19 vaccines.

3. Is the vaccine safe?

Having a safe and effective vaccine is the top priority. All vaccines go through clinical trials to test their safety and effectiveness, including vaccines for COVID-19. The manufacturers must present data that shows the vaccine is safe and that it works before it is approved for general populations. 

This data is reviewed by scientific groups at the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). After a vaccine is authorized or approved for use, many safety monitoring systems are in place to watch for possible side effects. This monitoring is critical to help ensure the benefits continue to outweigh the risks for people who receive vaccines.

The CDC and Federal Drug Administration recommended resuming use of the Janssen, or Johnson & Johnson, vaccine in the United States, effective April 23. However, women younger than 50 should be aware of the rare risk of blood clots with low platelets after vaccination and that other COVID-19 vaccines are available where this risk has not been seen. If you received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine, here is what you need to know.

4. How many shots of COVID-19 vaccine will be needed?

The number of doses need depends on what vaccine you receive. To get the most protection:

• Two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech doses should be given three weeks (21 days) apart
• Two doses of the Moderna doses should be given one month (28 days) apart
• Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen is one doseCOVID-19 vaccine requires just one dose

If you are receiving the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, you should get your second shot as close to the recommended three-week or one-month interval as possible. However, your second dose may be given up to six weeks (42 days) after the first dose, if necessary. You should not get the second dose earlier than the recommended interval.

People with moderately to severely compromised immune systems should receive an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine after the initial two doses.

5. Will a COVID-19 vaccination protect me from getting sick with COVID-19?

Yes. COVID-19 vaccination works by teaching your immune system how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19, and this protects you from getting sick with COVID-19.

Being protected from getting sick is important because even though many people with COVID-19 have only a mild illness, others may get a severe illness, have long-term health effects or even die. There is no way to know how COVID-19 will affect you, even if you don’t have an increased risk of developing severe complications.

6. How long does it take after getting the COVID-19 vaccine until you have protection?

After your final COVID-19 vaccine dose, it takes about two weeks for your body to build up protection. After those two weeks, we know these vaccines are good at preventing people from getting sick, but we don’t have enough data yet to say whether someone who was vaccinated may still spread the disease to others if they get infected with COVID-19.

It is important you continue to follow all public health guidance to reduce the spread of COVID-19 even after you have been fully vaccinated. This includes wearing a mask, staying six feet from others, avoiding crowds, washing your hands and getting tested for COVID-19 when needed. Continue to follow guidance at your workplace, school and other settings as well.

At this time, we do not know if this will be a vaccine that people need to get again, like needing a tetanus shot every 10  years or getting a flu shot every year.

7. What if I have a weakened immune system?

COVID-19 vaccines may be given to people with underlying medical conditions provided they have not had a severe or immediate allergic reaction to any of the ingredients in the vaccine. While people in this category may receive the vaccine, they should be aware of the limited safety data. Visit the CDC’s website to learn more.

8. How much will the COVID-19 vaccine cost?

The federal government covers the cost of the COVID-19 vaccine; it will be provided to people at no cost. 

Providers will be able to charge an administration fee. You may be asked for your health insurance information when you get the vaccine. However, this is for the provider’s reimbursement only. There is no cost to you. 

9. Will the vaccine be live or inactivated?

None of the three authorized vaccines contain the live virus that causes COVID-19.

Messenger RNA vaccines – also called mRNA vaccines – are a new type of vaccine to protect against infectious diseases. mRNA vaccines do not use the live virus that causes COVID-19. They teach our cells how to make a protein—or even just a piece of a protein—that triggers an immune response inside our bodies.

The Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is a viral vector vaccine. Viral vector vaccines use a modified version of a different virus (the vector) to deliver important instructions to our cells.

You can learn more about the different COVID-19 vaccines from the CDC.

10. What are the ingredients in COVID-19 vaccines?

The three COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States do not contain eggs, preservatives or latex. For a full list of ingredients, please see each vaccine’s Fact Sheet for Recipients and Caregivers:

• Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
• Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
• Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine

11. Do I need to get the vaccine if I’ve already had COVID-19 and recovered?

Yes. 

That’s because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. Vaccination helps protect you even if you’ve already had COVID-19.

Evidence is emerging that people get better protection by being fully vaccinated compared with having had COVID-19. One study  showed that unvaccinated people who already had COVID-19 are more than two times as likely than fully vaccinated people to get COVID-19 again.

If you were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you should wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure what treatments you received or if you have more questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

If you or your child has a history of multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-A or MIS-C), consider delaying vaccination until you or your child has recovered from being sick and for 90 days after the date of diagnosis of MIS-A or MIS-C.

Experts are still learning more about how long vaccines protect against COVID-19. The CDC will keep the public informed as new evidence becomes available.

12. Which last longer, immunity after getting COVID-19 or protection from COVID-19 vaccines?

The protection someone gains from having an infection (called “natural immunity”) varies, depending on the disease. It also varies from person to person. Because this virus is new, we don’t know how long natural immunity might last. Current evidence suggests that getting the virus again (reinfection) is uncommon in the 90 days after the first infection with the virus that causes COVID-19.

We won’t know how long immunity lasts after vaccination until we have more data on how well COVID-19 vaccines work in real-world conditions. Experts are working to learn more about both natural immunity and vaccine-induced immunity.

13. Do I need to wear a mask and avoid close contact with others if I have received two doses of the vaccine?

No. Fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance. If you are fully vaccinated, you can resume activities that you did before the pandemic.

Additional recommendations can be found on the CDC’s web page When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated.

14. Can the COVID-19 vaccine affect women’s fertility?

The COVID-19 vaccine will not affect fertility. The idea that the COVID-19 vaccine affects fertility started when a false report appeared on social media. Although the report was later removed from social media, millions of people saw it. Many people shared it with friends and family. This is how the myth became widespread.

If you are trying to become pregnant now or want to get pregnant in the future, you can receive a COVID-19 vaccine. There is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause problems with trying to get pregnant. If you are trying to become pregnant, you do not need to avoid pregnancy after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. 

It is important to remember that pregnant people are at a higher risk of severe illness with COVID-19 and that there are known benefits of vaccination. Hear from Dr. Katia Castillo, OB-GYN, about why she recommends the COVID-19 vaccine to her patients. 

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and pregnancy from the Minnesota Department of Health.

15. Where can I learn more about the available vaccines?

Visit the CDC’s “Different COVID-19 Vaccines” page for information about the vaccines currently authorized and recommended in the United States to prevent COVID-19.

16. How do I find a record of my vaccination?

Did you misplace your COVID-19 vaccination card? The Minnesota Immunization Information Connection can provide a complete record of all of your immunizations given in Minnesota, even if they were given by different health care providers in the state. Request your immunization record online or call their record request line at 651-201-3980.