COVID-19 FAQ
New York Cancer & Blood Specialistswill be administering COVID-19 vaccines very soon. We want you to understand important information regarding how they work, their safety, and their effectiveness. Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have been given emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Studies have found that both vaccines are highly effective and safe involving people in a broad range of ages and ethnic groups.
Benefits of Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine
We understand that some people may be concerned about getting vaccinated now that COVID-19 vaccines are available. While more COVID-19 vaccines are being developed as quickly as possible, routine processes and procedures remain in place to ensure the safety of any vaccine that is authorized or approved for use. Safety is a top priority, and there are many reasons to get vaccinated.
COVID-19 vaccination is a safer way to help build protection
COVID-19 can have serious, life-threatening complications, and there is no way to know how COVID-19 will affect you. And if you get sick, you could spread the disease to friends, family, and others around you.
Clinical trials of all vaccines must first show they are safe and effective before any vaccine can be authorized or approved for use, including COVID-19 vaccines. The known and potential benefits of a COVID-19 vaccine must outweigh the known and potential risks of the vaccine for use under what is known as an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).
Getting COVID-19 may offer some natural protection, known as immunity. Current evidence suggests that reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19 is uncommon in the 90 days after the initial infection. However, experts don’t know for sure how long this protection lasts, and the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 far outweighs any benefits of natural immunity. COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you by creating an antibody (immune system) response without having to experience sickness.
Both natural immunity and immunity produced by a vaccine are important parts of COVID-19 disease that experts are trying to learn more about, and CDC will keep the public informed as new evidence becomes available.
COVID-19 vaccination will be an important tool to help stop the pandemic
Wearing masks and social distancing help reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others, but these measures are not enough. Vaccines will work with your immune system so it will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed.
The combination of getting vaccinated and following CDC’s recommendations to protect yourself and others will offer the best protection from COVID-19.
Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools we have available. As experts learn more about how COVID-19 vaccination may help reduce the spread of the disease in communities, CDC will continue to update the recommendations to protect communities using the latest science.
COVID-19 vaccination will help keep you from getting COVID-19
All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States have been shown to be highly effective at preventing COVID-19. All COVID-19 vaccines have been carefully evaluated in clinical trials.
Based on what we know about vaccines for other diseases and early data from clinical trials, experts believe that getting a COVID-19 vaccine may also help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19.
Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, particularly people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
Experts continue to conduct more studies about the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on the severity of illness from COVID-19, as well as its ability to keep people from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19.
Who Should Get Vaccinated First?
Because the U.S. supply of the COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be limited at first, CDC is providing recommendations to federal, state, and local governments about who should be vaccinated first. CDC’s recommendations are based on those from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an independent panel of medical and public health experts.While CDC makes recommendations for who should be offered COVID-19 vaccine first, each state has its own plan for deciding who will be vaccinated first and how they can receive vaccines.Phase 1a & Phase 1b
We are currently in Phase 1b.
Eligible New Yorkers in Phase 1a and 1b are:
Healthcare personnel and residents of long-term care facilities should be offered the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines (1a)
CDC recommends that initial supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine be allocated to healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents. This is referred to as Phase 1a. Phases may overlap
Beginning January 11, 2021, Eligible New Yorkers in Phase 1b:
Frontline essential workers such as firefighters, police officers, corrections officers, food and agricultural workers, United States Postal Service workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, public transit workers, and those who work in the educational sector (teachers, support staff, and daycare workers.)
People aged 75 years and older because are at high risk of hospitalization, illness, and death from COVID-19. People aged 75 years and older who are also residents of long-term care facilities should be offered vaccination in Phase 1a.
Phase 1c
People aged 65—74 years because they are at high risk of hospitalization, illness, and death from COVID-19. People aged 65—74 years who are also residents of long-term care facilities should be offered vaccination in Phase 1a.
People aged 16—64 years with underlying medical conditions increase the risk of serious, life-threatening complications from COVID-19.
Other essential workers, such as people who work in transportation and logistics, food service, housing construction and finance, information technology, communications, energy, law, media, public safety, and public health.
As vaccine availability increases, vaccination recommendations will expand to include more groups
The goal is for everyone to be able to easily get a COVID-19 vaccination as soon as large enough quantities of vaccine are available. As vaccine supply increases but remains limited, ACIP will expand the groups recommended for vaccination.
Prior to receiving the vaccination, you must complete the New York State COVID-19 Vaccine Form. This form can be completed online and you will receive a submission ID, or you can fill out the form at your vaccination site. Individuals being vaccinated must bring proof of eligibility to the vaccination site. This may include an employee ID card, a letter from an employer or affiliated organization, or a pay stub, depending on the specific priority status.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are the vaccines administered?
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and the Moderna vaccine are given as a shot in the upper arm, and require two doses. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires two doses given 21 days apart. The Moderna vaccine requires two shots spaced 28 days apart. You must receive the same type of vaccine for your first and second shot at the same location.Are the vaccines safe and effective?
After a COVID-19 vaccine is authorized or approved for use by the FDA, many vaccine safety monitoring systems watch for adverse events (possible side effects). This ongoing monitoring can pick up on adverse events that may not have been seen in clinical trials. If an unexpected adverse event is seen, experts quickly study it further to see if it is a true safety concern. Experts then decide whether changes are needed in US vaccine recommendations.In New York State, an added level of review was established to ensure COVID vaccine safety. Following FDA approval, experts on New York State's independent COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Advisory Task Force thoroughly review vaccine research before recommending any vaccine to New Yorkers. As of December 18, 2020, two COVID-19 vaccines have currently been approved by both the FDA and New York State's independent Clinical Advisory Task Force: the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and the Moderna vaccine.
Studies found that both vaccines work extremely well. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 95% effective in its study involving about 43,000 people. The Moderna vaccine was 94% effective in a study involving more than 30,000 people.
How do we know the vaccines will work well in all groups?
Both drugmakers conducted rigorous studies that included people across a range of ages, gender, racial, and ethnic groups. Both vaccines offered strong protection against COVID-19 in all these groups.Will the vaccine give me COVID?
No. None of the vaccines being studied are made up of materials that can cause disease. For example, the first vaccine approved by the FDA uses a small, harmless part of the virus’s genetic material called ‘mRNA’. This is not the virus. mRNA vaccines teach your body to create virus proteins. Your immune system develops antibodies against these proteins that will help you fight the virus that causes COVID-19 if you are exposed to it. That is called an immune response.Can I get an allergic reaction from the COVID-19 vaccine? People can have allergic reactions to any medication or biological product such as a vaccine. Most allergic reactions occur shortly after a vaccine is administered, which is why the CDC recommends that persons with a history of anaphylaxis (due to any cause) are observed for 30 minutes after vaccination, while all other persons are observed for 15 minutes after vaccination. All vaccination sites must be equipped to ensure appropriate medical treatment is available in the event of an unlikely allergic reaction. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends anyone with an allergy to "any component" of the vaccine not get the vaccine.
What are the side effects of each vaccine?
Not unlike other vaccines, the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have similar side effects, which don’t last long — about one to three days. Some people receiving the COVID-19 vaccines reported pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, and muscle pain. Side effects were more common after the second dose. Severe adverse reactions are rare. If you still don't feel well after two or three days, talk to your health care provider. In most cases, discomfort from fever or pain is normal.
Contact your doctor or healthcare provider:
If the redness or tenderness where you got the shot increases after 24 hours
If your side effects are worrying you or do not seem to be going away after a few days
If you get a COVID-19 vaccine and you think you might be having a severe allergic reaction after leaving the vaccination site, seek immediate medical care by calling 911.
If I have cancer, or am immunocompromised, should I get the vaccine?
There should not be any increased risk for people with cancer to take either vaccine. The only possible difference in people with a severely weakened immune system is that the vaccines might not work as well in offering protection against COVID-19. But even in these patients, some protection is better than none. Please consult with your health care provider if you have specific questions about the COVID vaccine and your health.Are the vaccines safe for children, pregnant women and those breastfeeding?
The CDC recommends the vaccine for people 16 of age and older. The CDC notes that pregnant women are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 and recommends that this group be given the opportunity to be vaccinated after discussing the risks and benefits with their healthcare provider. Neither of these vaccines were tested in pregnant or breastfeeding women, although animal studies indicate that there are no safety concerns before or during pregnancy. The FDA has asked drug makers to study the effects on pregnant or breastfeeding women.If you get a vaccine do you need a negative COVID test beforehand?
No. The CDC does not recommend COVID-19 screening tests before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. However, you will answer screening questions to determine your eligibility.Are the vaccines safe for me if I have already had COVID-19?
COVID-19 vaccination should be offered to you regardless of whether you already had COVID-19 infection. You should not be required to have an antibody test before you are vaccinated. However, anyone currently infected with COVID-19 should wait to get vaccinated until after their illness has resolved and after they have met the criteria to discontinue isolation. Additionally, current evidence suggests that reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19 is uncommon in the 90 days after the initial infection. Therefore, people with a recent infection may delay vaccination until the end of that 90-day period if desired.How long does the vaccine protection last? Will people need to get it annually, like the flu shot?
Researchers do not yet know how long immunity lasts after vaccination. No vaccine provides 100% protection against getting the virus or spreading it to others, which is why it’s very important to continue following safety guidelines such as social distancing, wearing masks, and regularly washing hands.
I’ve heard about “herd immunity.” What would it take to get the population to “herd immunity” for COVID-19?
‘Herd immunity’ happens when enough people have protection from a disease that it is unlikely that the disease will continue to spread. As a result, the virus won't easily spread among the community. Experts do not know what percentage of people would need to get vaccinated to achieve herd immunity to COVID-19. They also do not know how long the vaccine will protect people.