Things to know about the COVID-19 vaccine

Spectrum Health urgent care facilities and regional clinics are available to anyone eligible for a vaccine. Call the COVID-19 Call Center at 833.755.0696 to find available locations in your area.

Patients of Spectrum Health Primary Care/Internal Medicine/Pediatrics offices can make a vaccine appointment by calling their doctor’s office.

You may have some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection. To learn more about side effects and when to call your primary care provider please download the CDC’s “What to expect” document below.

• What to Expect after Getting a COVID Vaccine PDF

Vaccines work by tricking the immune system to fight off an infection. They do this in different ways. Some use weakened versions of the virus that are unable to cause illness (chicken pox and measles); some use dead virus (influenza); and the COVID-19 vaccine uses pieces of the virus to target a specific protein on the surface of the virus.

Note: You cannot get COVID-19 from a vaccine. The vaccine would contain proteins or other biological substances to stimulate the immune response, but not the coronavirus itself.

Health care personnel and patients will receive a COVID-19 vaccine as a shot into the muscle of the upper arm. If you are receiving the Pfizer of Moderna vaccine, a second dose is then administered either three or four weeks later.

The FDA carefully reviews all safety data and only authorizes vaccine use if there’s sufficient evidence strongly suggesting that patients have benefitted from the vaccine and that it meets safety standards. The FDA has rigorous scientific and regulatory processes in place to help ensure the safety and effectiveness of a vaccine.

The COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to be effective, based on initial clinical trials. Because the vaccine is authorized for an emergency use during the pandemic, the vaccine’s maker will continue to collect data to demonstrate whether the vaccine is effective over longer periods of time. Find more information in the Emergency Use Authorization for Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccines.

The COVID-19 vaccine is available at no out-of-pocket cost. Insurance is not required to register for an appointment. If you have insurance, please include that information when scheduling.

There are usually mild to moderate side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine. The most common side effect caused by the vaccine includes pain at the site where the vaccine was given, which is in the arm. Other side effects may include a headache, fever, chills or muscle aches.

If you received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, it is important to get your 2nd dose in order to receive the full protection of the vaccine. This is based on the clinical trial data for both COVID-19 vaccines.

Currently, CDC is recommending that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive a third dose. This includes people who:

• Are undergoing active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
• Have received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Have received a stem cell transplant within the past two years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Have moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome or Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• Have advanced or untreated HIV infection
• Are undergoing treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response

• Pfizer – Individuals 12 years and older at least 5 months after completing primary COVID-19 vaccine series. Pfizer is the only approved vaccine booster for Individuals who are 12 - 17.
• Moderna - Adults 18 years and older at least 6 months after completing primary COVID-19 vaccine series.
• Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) - Adults 18 years and older at least 2 months after completing primary COVID-19 vaccine series. Janssen (J&J) - Spectrum Health locations are not offering Janssen vaccines.
• Adults 18 years and older can mix and match a booster vaccine.

Yes, you can receive a flu vaccine at the same time as your COVID-19 vaccine. Your Spectrum Health MyChart account gives you the option to schedule both vaccines at the same appointment.

If you received your vaccine from Spectrum Health, we’ve automatically captured your vaccine information in your Spectrum Health MyChart account. To find it:

• Sign in
• Go to your Menu
• Scroll down to My Record and choose COVID-19.

You’ll find your vaccination record with a QR code for easy scanning and any past COVID-19 test results. This also is where to go to schedule future COVID-19 vaccines or screenings.

Easily upload your vaccine card to your MyChart account. You’ll find the upload feature by following the instructions provided above.

If you lost your card, return to the provider who administered your vaccines and request a replacement. They should have you on file and be able to reproduce a copy.

If you lost your card, go back to the provider that administered your vaccines and request a replacement. They should have you on file and be able to reproduce a copy.

Currently, the CDC is recommending moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional dose. This includes people who have:

• Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
• Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Received a stem cell transplant within the past two years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection
• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress their immune response

A third dose, also referred to as an additional, and a booster vaccine are different. Read below for more information:

• Third dose: The CDC recommends people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems receive an additional (or third) dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least 28 days after a second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
• Booster: A “booster dose” refers to another dose of a vaccine that is given to someone who built enough protection after vaccination, but then that protection decreased over time (this is called waning immunity). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend, a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine be administered at least six months after completion of the primary vaccine series in certain populations. Visit the CDC guidelines for more information on the booster vaccine.

For people who received either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine series, a third dose of the same mRNA vaccine should be used. If the mRNA vaccine product given for the first two doses is not available or is unknown, either mRNA COVID-19 vaccine product may be administered.

The FDA’s recent EUA amendment for immunocompromised patients only applies to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, as does the CDC’s recommendation. Emerging data has demonstrated that immunocompromised people who have low or no protection following two doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines may have an improved response after an additional dose of the same vaccine.

There is not enough data at this time to determine whether immunocompromised people who received the Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine also have an improved antibody response following an additional dose of the same vaccine.

You can get your third or any doses from your local pharmacy or visit vaccines.gov to find a convenient location.

Third doses also are available at Spectrum Health by appointment. Easily schedule your third dose using your Spectrum Health MyChart account or by calling 833.755.0696. Remember to have your vaccine card with you when you go to your appointment.

The CDC recommends people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems receive an additional (or third) dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least 28 days after a second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

If you have any concerns about receiving a third dose, speak with your health care provider.

You don’t need a provider order to schedule you’re your third dose of the vaccine.

Remember to have your vaccine card with you when you go to your appointment.

• Pfizer – Individuals 12 years and older at least 5 months after completing primary COVID-19 vaccine series. Pfizer is the only approved vaccine booster for Individuals who are 12 - 17.
• Moderna - Adults 18 years and older at least 6 months after completing primary COVID-19 vaccine series.
• Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) - Adults 18 years and older at least 2 months after completing primary COVID-19 vaccine series. Janssen (J&J) - Spectrum Health locations are not offering Janssen vaccines.
• Adults 18 years and older can mix and match a booster vaccine.

A third dose, also referred to as an additional, and a booster vaccine are different. Read below for more information:

• Third dose: The CDC recommends people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems receive an additional (or third) dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least 28 days after a second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
• Booster: A “booster dose” refers to another dose of a vaccine that is given to someone who built enough protection after vaccination, but whose protection has decreased over time (this is called waning immunity).

CDC’s recommendations now allow for mix and match dosing for booster shots. Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose. Some people prefer the vaccine type that they originally received, and others may prefer to get a different booster.

You can get your booster vaccine at your local pharmacy or visit vaccines.gov to find a convenient location.

Booster vaccines also are available at Spectrum Health by appointment. Easily schedule your third dose using your Spectrum Health MyChart account or by calling 833.755.0696.