COVID-19 Vaccination Frequently Asked Questions and Responses

River Valley Health & Dental plays a unique and critically important role in helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Should I get vaccinated for COVID-19?

We strongly recommend you get vaccinated. The vaccine will help protect you from getting COVID-19. If you still get infected after you get vaccinated, the vaccine may prevent serious illness. The COVID-19 vaccine may also help protect others in your community from getting or dying from the virus.

If I already had COVID-19 and recovered, do I still need to get vaccinated?

Yes. CDC recommends that you get vaccinated even if you have already had COVID-19, because you can be diagnosed more than once. While you may have some short-term antibody protection after recovering from COVID-19, we don’t know how long this protection will last.

Is it safe to get a COVID-19 vaccine if I have an underlying medical condition?

Yes. COVID-19 vaccination is especially important for people with underlying health problems like heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, and obesity. People with these conditions are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19.

Is it better to get natural immunity to COVID-19 rather than immunity from a vaccine?

No. While you may have some short-term antibody protection after recovering from COVID-19, we don’t know how long this protection lasts. Vaccination is the best protection, and it is safe. People who get COVID-19 can have serious illnesses, and some have debilitating symptoms that persist for months.

What are the benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine?

COVID-19 can cause severe medical complications and lead to death in some people. There is no way to know how COVID-19 will affect you. If you get COVID-19, you could spread the disease to family, friends, and others in your community. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine can help protect you by creating an antibody response in your body without your having to become sick with COVID-19. A COVID-19 vaccine might prevent you from getting COVID-19. Or, if you get COVID-19, the vaccine might keep you from becoming seriously ill or from developing serious complications. Getting vaccinated also might help protect your community from COVID-19, particularly people at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

Will the shot hurt or make me sick?

You may experience some minor discomfort, but it should go away within a few days. Possible side effects include a sore arm, headache, fever, or body aches. Such experience does not mean you have COVID-19. Side effects are signs that the vaccine is working to build immunity. If they don’t go away in a week, or you have more serious symptoms, call your doctor.

Can the vaccine give me COVID-19?

No. None of the COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized for use or in development in the United States use the live virus that causes COVID-19. However, it typically takes a few weeks for the body to build immunity after vaccination. That means it’s possible you could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination and get sick.

Are there long-term side effects from COVID-19 vaccine?

Because all COVID-19 vaccines are new, it will take more time and more people getting vaccinated to learn about very rare or possible long-term side effects. The good news is, at least 8 weeks’ worth of safety data were gathered in the clinical trials for all the authorized vaccines, and it’s unusual for vaccine side effects to appear more than 8 weeks after vaccination.

How do I know if COVID-19 vaccine is safe?

All COVID-19 vaccines were tested in clinical trials involving tens of thousands of people to make sure they meet safety standards and protect adults of different ages, races, and ethnicities. There were no serious safety concerns. The CDC and the FDA will keep monitoring the vaccines to look for safety issues now that they are in use.

How do I report problems or bad reactions after getting a COVID-19 vaccine?

Your primary care doctor will provide medical care and follow up if you have problems or a bad reaction after getting the vaccine. If you have a problem or reaction, please report it to your clinical provider. The provider is required to report adverse events to the CDC VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System). Additionally, all recipients who receive the vaccine can enroll in v-safe. This is a smartphone tool you can use to tell CDC if you have any side effects after getting a COVID-19 vaccine. If you report serious side effects, someone from CDC will call to follow up.