Covid-19 Vaccine Information

Employees who experience adverse effects after receiving vaccine should use their personal leave (sick or vacation). Emergency Covid-19 Administrative Leave (ECAL) is not available for this situation.

The Covid-19 Vaccine Policy allows employees who are eligible to have up to one hour of paid leave for each vaccine dose. Employees will need to coordinate times with their supervisors. Employees who are travelling from other parts of the state to Auburn in order to receive the vaccine will be required to use their personal leave (sick or vacation) minus the one hour of paid leave. Employees traveling to Auburn in order to receive the vaccine are not eligible for work related travel expense reimbursement.

Vaccinations are now available to members of the campus community as well as the local community. Anyone wanting to schedule a vaccine can go to the vaccine scheduling website and click on “Auburn Community Portal. The available clinics will be listed.

Auburn was approved to receive vaccine allotments by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) on a mandate of first providing inoculations to its faculty, staff and students before opening any subsequent doses to the community at large. Auburn continues working with the ADPH in further distribution of the vaccine as it is made available, and the university expects to eventually receive enough vaccines for the entire campus. The university is currently in Phase 3 of its distribution plan. Phase 3 will initially include family members and dependents of employees and eventually open up to include members of the local community as vaccine becomes available.

Auburn has now entered Phase 3 of its COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan, expanding inoculations to Auburn University retirees as well as the family members and dependents of university employees. Those age 12 and older who have not yet received a first dose of the vaccine can set an appointment through this scheduler website. If you are a retiree, or an employee and scheduling a vaccine appointment for your child and/or spouse, click on “Community Portal.” A Banner ID is required to schedule the appointment. Once an appointment has been set, Auburn will send a confirmation email to the person requesting the vaccine. For more information on Auburn’s phased approach to vaccine distribution, go to the university’s COVID-19 vaccine information webpage.

Below are several how-to videos on the process of getting a COVID-19 vaccine through Auburn as part of Phase 3.

• Scheduling an Appointment

• Cancelling an Appointment

• Rescheduling an Appointment

The Vaccination Program Implementation Committee, made up of members of the Covid-19 Task Force and the Covid-19 Resource Center, is identifying the first groups to be vaccinated based on guidance from the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations based on input from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). ACIP is a CDC advisory committee made up of medical and public health experts who develop recommendations on the use of vaccines in the United States. The CDC and ACIP have defined populations for different vaccination phases.

Auburn University has used these recommendations to model our Covid-19 Vaccination Allocation Guidelines and Vaccination Program Phases. The goal is to move through these phases as quickly as possible so that anyone wishing to have a vaccine will be able to receive it.

Auburn is requiring employees be vaccinated for Covid-19. On Sept. 9, President Biden issued Executive Order 14042 on Ensuring Adequate Covid Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors. Thereafter, on Sept. 24, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force issued Guidance outlining the broad applicability and scope of required workplace safety protocols.

After reviewing the Executive Order, federal guidance, and the University’s federal contracts, Auburn University has determined that to ensure full compliance with federal requirements, all university employees, including student employees, must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by Jan. 18. This adjustment to Auburn’s vaccine policy applies to all full-time and part-time employees, undergraduate and graduate student employees, and TES employees. The vaccine requirement applies regardless of (1) whether an employee works directly on a federal contract and (2) regardless of work location.

Students who are not employed by the university are not required to be vaccinated.

Yes. As the vaccine becomes more widely available there are additional options available for receiving the vaccine. Vaccine availability is still unpredictable and some providers may have more availability and shorter wait times than others. Individuals who wish to be vaccinated for Covid-19 are encouraged to take any opportunities to register or receive the vaccine that may be available to them, such as through health care providers or public health programs, in addition to registering through Auburn.

Additional Vaccine Distributors

Auburn is providing the vaccine at no cost to employees, students and family members. However, vaccination providers in the community may charge an administration fee for giving the shot.

A COVID-19 vaccine might:

• Prevent you from getting COVID-19 or from becoming seriously ill or dying of COVID-19.
• Prevent you from spreading the COVID-19 virus to others.
• Add to the number of people in the community who are protected from getting COVID-19.
• Prevent the COVID-19 virus from spreading and replicating, which allows it to mutate and possibly become more resistant to vaccines.

For more information select the links below:

• Alabama Department of Public Health – Vaccine Basics
• Alabama Department of Public Health – The Facts About COVID-19 Vaccines
• Centers for Disease Control – Benefits of Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine
• Centers for Disease Control – Vaccine Information for Adults

The university has all three vaccinations at this time: Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson.

The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines use the same technology but contain slightly different mRNAs and different ingredients used to protect the mRNA, maintain the pH and stabilize the solution. They are essentially equally effective and have similar side effects.

The university has all three vaccinations at this time: Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.

Click here to review information about development of Covid-19 vaccines in the United States, including information about rate of development.

Yes. Pfizer received authorization for emergency use on 12/10/2020 and Moderna received authorization for emergency use on 12/18/2020. Currently, no Covid-19 vaccines are fully approved by the FDA.

The FDA can issue an EUA during a public health emergency to allow the special use of a medical product not yet approved by the FDA.

For the FDA to issue an EUA, safety and efficacy must be demonstrated, and certain criteria must be met, including that there are no adequate, approved and available alternatives.

Similar to an approval evaluation, the FDA reviews clinical trial data, looking specifically for safety data and efficacy data to make their decision. Career scientists at the FDA are tasked with ensuring that this vaccine is safe and it works, just as they do for all other vaccines we use in the United States.

According to CDC, vaccination should be offered regardless of history of prior symptomatic or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Data from phase 2/3 clinical trials suggest vaccination is safe and likely efficacious in these people.

Current evidence suggests that people who have had Covid-19 may be protected for up to 90 days after their initial infection, so they may decide to wait until after this period, if desired.

Each vaccine uses a slightly different approach with the same goal: to induce an immune response in the body against SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes Covid-19. The vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna are both mRNA vaccines.

This type of vaccine operates somewhat differently than other types, like the seasonal flu vaccine. mRNA vaccines contain a message from the virus that causes Covid-19 and gives our cells instructions for how to make a harmless protein unique to the virus.

After our cells make copies of the protein, they destroy the genetic material from the vaccine. Our bodies recognize that the protein should not be there and build immune cells that will remember how to fight the virus that causes Covid-19 if we are infected in the future.

Most of the vaccines will require two shots, with the second shot received 21 to 28 days after the first, depending on the vaccine.

Yes, by way of the date you select after entering the scheduler website. When scheduling your appointment, the date in the scheduler will indicate which product is being administered that day

All currently authorized and recommended Covid-19 vaccines are safe, effective, and reduce your risk of severe illness. The CDC does not recommend one vaccine over another. Pfizer is for people 16 and older; requires 2 shots; and the second dose is 21 days after the first. Moderna is for people 18 and older; requires 2 shots; and the second dose is 28 days after the first. Johnson & Johnson is for people 18 and older; requires 1 shot. There is a warning for women aged 18-49. Reports of adverse events following the use of the J&J vaccine suggest a very low but increased risk of a rare adverse event call thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). Nearly all reports of this serious condition, which involves blood clots with low platelets, have been in adult women younger than 50 years old. Women younger than 50 years old should be aware of the rare but increased risk of this adverse event and that there are other Covid-19 vaccine options available for which this risk has not been seen

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses to be effective. The second dose of the Pfizer vaccine is administered three weeks after the first dose while the second dose of the Moderna vaccine is administered four weeks after the first.

Producing a vaccine against Covid-19 has been the top priority of scientists and governments around the world to help bring an end to the pandemic. With the coordinated and enormous investment of resources, development of these vaccines has been accelerated, all while maintaining standards for safety and efficacy.

Rather than eliminating steps from traditional vaccine development timelines, steps are proceeding simultaneously, such as scaling up manufacturing while safety and efficacy data are collected.

Before receiving approval for emergency use, pharmaceutical companies must provide evidence that their vaccines are safe. A team of experts from the FDA, CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and other agencies reviewed all available data on safety and efficacy before recommending them for use.

It is important to note that the Pfizer and Moderna trials did not include individuals younger than 18 years old, pregnant or nursing women, or immunocompromised individuals and therefore, whether these vaccines work or are safe in these groups cannot been determined at this time.

No serious side effects have been reported with either the Pfizer or the Moderna vaccines to date. Any side effects from Covid-19 vaccination are normal and indicate that you are building protection. Most of the side effects go away quickly. Learn more about what side effects to expect and what to do about them if you experience them. Most adverse events were mild or moderate in severity and short-lived. Noted adverse effects were injection site redness, pain and swelling, fatigue, fever, chills, headache, nausea, muscle pain and joint pain.

According to the FDA the most commonly reported side effects, which typically lasted several days, were pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, and fever. Of note, more people experienced these side effects after the second dose than after the first dose, so it is important for recipients to expect that there may be some side effects after either dose, but even more so after the second dose.

If you experience a severe allergic reaction, call 9-1-1, or go to the nearest hospital. Call the vaccination provider or your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.

For more information, visit the CDC’s Safety of Covid-19 vaccines and CDC’s Covid-19 Vaccine FAQ’s.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccine studies found that two doses were needed to optimize the immune response and provide the best protection from Covid-19. Therefore, the 2-dose regimen is strongly recommended and will be necessary for documentation of full vaccination.

Yes, health officials believe that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will offer protection against the different variants of the coronavirus. Research is ongoing to further study this issue.

No. This was not evaluated and there is no evidence that the vaccines are interchangeable. If you get a first dose of one vaccine, you should get a second dose of the same vaccine. Individuals administering the vaccine will be tracking this issue.

According to CDC guidance, second doses administered within a grace period of ≤ 4 days from the recommended date for the second dose are considered valid; however, doses administered earlier do not need to be repeated. The second dose should be administered as close to the recommended interval as possible. However, there is no maximum interval between the first and second dose for either vaccine.

It typically takes a few weeks after the final dose of a vaccine for the body to build up immunity to the disease. However, it is not necessary for one to quarantine between each dose. Individuals are recommended to continue with their daily lives while following Covid-19 public health recommendations.

Health care professionals and researchers are still learning about Covid-19 and new information is discovered nearly every day that is helpful in the fight against this disease. Because Covid-19 is still a relatively new virus, it is difficult to know exactly how the virus affects the body long-term and how long immunity from natural infection lasts.

Therefore, it is also difficult to predict how long a vaccine will provide protection against the virus. As the vaccines are administered and new information is gathered, additional data about how long it will protect against the virus will be made available.

Although phase 3 trial results are not available, experimental vaccine interim data indicate 90% efficacy after two doses. Efficacy is the measure of effectiveness obtained from a randomized controlled clinical trial. Further details regarding the effectiveness of the vaccine, such as how long the vaccination offers protection, are not yet available.

Learn more about how well vaccines work in clinical trials, and how the nation’s vaccine experts will continue to study effectiveness in the real world here.

Getting the influenza vaccine is still very important as one can be infected with both influenza and the coronavirus. Influenza vaccination will also prevent a surge of influenza cases in hospitals that may be overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients. Getting both the influenza and Covid-19 vaccine around the same time is considered safe, though experts recommend spacing of the vaccinations by a few days to weeks apart.

The Pfizer vaccine will be available for patients 12 and older. The Moderna vaccine will be available for patients 18 and older. There are ongoing trials in younger children at this time.

There are several resources, including the CDC’s Frequently Asked Questions about COVID -19 Vaccination. Also, please see:

• CDC - Covid-19 Vaccines

• FDA - Covid-19 Vaccines

• HHS – Fact Sheet: Explaining Operation Warp Speed

• Pfizer EUA Fact Sheet

• Moderna EUA Fact Sheet

A COVID-19 vaccine might:

• Prevent you from getting COVID-19 or from becoming seriously ill or dying of COVID-19.
• Prevent you from spreading the COVID-19 virus to others.
• Add to the number of people in the community who are protected from getting COVID-19.
• Prevent the COVID-19 virus from spreading and replicating, which allows it to mutate and possibly become more resistant to vaccines.

For more information select the links below:

• Alabama Department of Public Health – Vaccine Basics
• Alabama Department of Public Health – The Facts About COVID-19 Vaccines
• Centers for Disease Control – Benefits of Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine
• Centers for Disease Control – Vaccine Information for Adults

The university has all three vaccinations at this time: Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson.

The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines use the same technology but contain slightly different mRNAs and different ingredients used to protect the mRNA, maintain the pH and stabilize the solution. They are essentially equally effective and have similar side effects.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a “viral vector vaccine” that uses a harmless virus (called a viral vector) to deliver a message to your cells with instructions for making the coronavirus spike protein. After your cells produce the spike protein, your immune system creates antibodies toward the spike protein, protecting you from infection.

Visit the CDC website for more information on the Different COVID-19 Vaccines.

Click here to review information about development of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States, including information about rate of development.

Yes. Pfizer received authorization for emergency use on 12/10/2020, Moderna received authorization for emergency use on 12/18/2020, and Johnson & Johnson received authorization for emergency use on 2/27/21.

On August 23, 2021 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Biologics License Application (BLA) approval to Pfizer for the companies’ COVID-19 vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older. According to the FDA “the public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product.”

The Pfizer vaccine also continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA), including for individuals 12 years of age and older, for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised people, and for a single booster dose in people: 1) 65 and older; 2) 18 through 64 at high risk of severe COVID-19; or 3) 18 through 64 years of age with frequent institutional or occupational exposure to COVID-19.

On October 26, 2021 Members of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee to recommend emergency use authorization (EUA) of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds.

The FDA can issue an EUA during a public health emergency to allow the special use of a medical product not yet approved by the FDA.

For the FDA to issue an EUA, safety and efficacy must be demonstrated, and certain criteria must be met, including that there are no adequate, approved and available alternatives.

Yes, you should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19 because research has not yet shown how long you are protected from getting COVID-19 again after you recover from COVID-19 and the 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 2 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.

Vaccinations will protect you. COVID-19 can cause severe illness, hospitalization, and death. The risk of these bad outcomes increases with some medical conditions and with age, particularly above age 50. It is true that in the majority of younger, healthy people COVID-19 usually causes mild symptoms, though severe infections can occur. Even in those who develop mild illness, the impact can be significant — missing up to 10 days of work or school due to mandatory isolation, reduced quality of life related to loss of taste or smell, and for approximately one in four people, symptoms may last for two or more months.

Receiving the vaccine will protect others. When you protect yourself with the vaccine, you are much less likely to become infected and pass it on to somebody else, such as loved ones or coworkers who might be at higher risk of more severe illness. Also, by vaccinating a large percentage of the population, we slow virus transmission and reduce its ability to mutate into new and potentially more dangerous variants.

It’s natural to want to make an informed decision about the COVID-19 vaccine. Fortunately, the safety of the vaccine seen in the clinical trials has been verified by the real-world results. In August 2021, the FDA granted full approval to the Pfizer COVID-19 mRNA vaccine for use in people ages 16 years and older. The transition from emergency use authorization (EUA) status to full licensure was based on additional data and longer follow-up showing that the vaccine met certain safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality standards.

The speed with which the COVID-19 vaccines were developed was incredibly fast. But the science and technology to make it happen came after decades of research. COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are new, but scientists have been studying mRNA for many years. They cannot change your DNA. The mRNA sends a message to the body’s cells to make only a specific protein, not a virus, that stimulates the immune system to give you protection. Experts predict that most vaccines in the future will use mRNA technology.

COVID-19 has decimated communities of color, which are overrepresented in front-line, essential jobs, and vulnerable to risk factors that can make COVID-19 worse. There are many social, geographic, political, economic, and environmental factors that create challenges to vaccination access and acceptance, and that often affect racial and ethnic minority groups. Some communities, particularly communities of color, may have historical reasons to doubt the health care system. But these communities have also been among the hardest hit by this pandemic, and like all of us, have a lot to gain from vaccination.

Data consistently show health disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups relative to White populations, including most adult vaccination coverage. These disparities persist even when controlling for other demographic and socioeconomic factors. Both historical and current experiences of racism and discrimination contribute to mistrust of the medical system among racial and ethnic minority groups. This mistrust extends to vaccines, vaccination providers, and the institutions that make recommendations for the use of vaccines. This skepticism, and lack of access, also extends to the COVID-19 vaccines.

The university is committed to helping build vaccine confidence across campus, including with racial and ethnic minority groups. This means sharing clear and accurate information to educate about COVID-19, raising awareness about the benefits of vaccinations, and addressing common questions and concerns.

For more information, please review the links below from the CDC:

• Health Equity Considerations and Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups
• Social Determinants to Health
• Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 - Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
• COVID-19 Vaccine Equity for Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups
• Race and Ethnicity Data on COVID-19 Vaccination

Each vaccine uses a slightly different approach with the same goal: to induce an immune response in the body against SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna are both mRNA vaccines. The vaccine produced by Johnson & Johnson is a vector vaccine.

mRNA vaccines operate somewhat differently than other types, like the seasonal flu vaccine. mRNA vaccines contain a message from the virus that causes COVID -19 and gives our cells instructions for how to make a harmless protein unique to the virus.

After cells make copies of the protein, they destroy the genetic material from the vaccine. The body recognizes that the protein should not be there and build immune cells that will remember how to fight the virus that causes COVID -19 if we are infected in the future.

Vector vaccines contain a modified version of a different virus than the one that causes COVID-19. Inside the shell of the modified virus, there is material from the virus that causes COVID-19. This is called a “viral vector.” Once the viral vector is inside our cells, the genetic material gives cells instructions to make a protein that is unique to the virus that causes COVID-19. Using these instructions, our cells make copies of the protein. This prompts our bodies to build T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes that will remember how to fight that virus if we are infected in the future.

Producing a vaccine against Covid-19 has been the top priority of scientists and governments around the world to help bring an end to the pandemic. With the coordinated and enormous investment of resources, development of these vaccines has been accelerated, all while maintaining standards for safety and efficacy.

Rather than eliminating steps from traditional vaccine development timelines, steps are proceeding simultaneously, such as scaling up manufacturing while safety and efficacy data are collected.

For more information on how COVID-19 vaccines work:

• Understanding How COVID-19 Vaccines Work
• Understanding mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines
• Understanding Viral Vector COVID-19 Vaccines

All COVID-19 vaccine ingredients are safe. Nearly all the ingredients in COVID-19 vaccines are ingredients found in many foods – fats, sugars, and salts. All COVID-19 vaccines are manufactured with as few ingredients as possible and with very small amounts of each ingredient. Each ingredient in the vaccine serves a specific purpose as seen in the table below. Neither the Pfizer nor Moderna vaccines contain preservatives, antibiotics, medicines/therapeutics, tissues, food proteins, metals or latex. Click here for a chart from the Alabama Department of Public Health on ingredients in COVID-19 vaccines.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine also both contain a harmless piece of messenger RNA (mRNA). The COVID-19 mRNA teaches cells in the body how to create an immune response to the virus that causes COVID-19. This response helps protect you from getting sick with COVID-19 in the future. After, the body produces an immune response, it discards all of the vaccine ingredients, just as it would discard any information that cells no longer need. This process is a part of normal body functioning.

The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine also contains a piece of a modified virus that is not the virus that causes COVID-19. This modified virus is called the vector virus. The vector virus cannot reproduce itself, so it is harmless. This vector virus gives instructions to cells in the body to create an immune response. This response helps protect you from getting sick with COVID-19 in the future. After the body produces an immune response, it discards all of the vaccine ingredients just as it would discard any information that cells no longer need. This process is a part of normal body functioning.

No. The COVID-19 vaccines don't use the live virus that causes COVID-19. As a result, the COVID-19 vaccines can't cause you to become sick with COVID-19 or shed any vaccine components. It does take a few weeks for your body to build immunity after getting a COVID-19 vaccination. As a result, it's possible that you could become infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or after being vaccinated.

Yes, by way of the date you select after entering the scheduler website. When scheduling your appointment, the date in the scheduler will indicate which product is being administered that day.

All currently authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective, and reduce your risk of severe illness. The CDC does not recommend one vaccine over another. Click here to learn more about the Different COVID-19 Vaccines.

The Pfizer vaccine is available for people 12 and older; requires 2 shots; and the second dose is 21 days after the first. The FDA and CDC has recently approved the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5-11. Some groups of people are recommended to get a booster shot at least 6 months after getting their second shot. You can get any of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States for your booster shot. Click here to view the FDA Pfizer Vaccine Information Fact Sheet.

The Moderna vaccine is available for people 18 and older; requires 2 shots; and the second dose is 28 days after the first. Some groups of people are recommended to get a booster shot at least 6 months after getting their second shot. You can get any of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States for your booster shot.

Click here to view the FDA Moderna Vaccine Information.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is available for people 18 and older; requires 1 shot. Click here to view the FDA Johnson & Johnson Fact Sheet.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses to be effective. The second dose of the Pfizer vaccine is administered three weeks after the first dose while the second dose of the Moderna vaccine is administered four weeks after the first. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires 1 dose.

Producing a vaccine against COVID-19 has been the top priority of scientists and governments around the world to help bring an end to the pandemic. With the coordinated and enormous investment of resources, development of these vaccines has been accelerated, all while maintaining standards for safety and efficacy.

Rather than eliminating steps from traditional vaccine development timelines, steps are proceeding simultaneously, such as scaling up manufacturing while safety and efficacy data are collected.

Fully vaccinated people are much less likely to get COVID-19 of any severity. The Pfizer and Moderna reduce the risk of symptomatic infection by more than 90% and appear to reduce the risk of asymptomatic infection by about 80%. Importantly, all three authorized vaccines provide near complete protection against developing severe infection that could lead to hospitalization or death.

The rising rates of vaccination across the country are thought to be an important reason why most regions are seeing large reductions in transmission. This has allowed more businesses and schools to fully open up and for the relaxation of masking, distancing and gathering limit requirements. At this time, the large majority of new COVID-19 cases are occurring in unvaccinated individuals.

Learn more about vaccine effectiveness from the CDC.

All vaccines go through clinical trials to test safety and effectiveness. For the COVID-19 vaccine, the FDA sets high safety standards for vaccine developers to meet. This infographic from the National Institutes of Health shows the four phases a vaccine goes through before it is released to the public.

If a vaccine or medicine is needed to address an emergency situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic, once it is shown to be safe and effective, the FDA can grant it an emergency use authorization, or EUA. An EUA allows a vaccine, treatment or medication to be used before the formal FDA approval.

Once a vaccine gets an EUA and is being given to people, the FDA and the CDC continue to watch carefully to make sure no problems arise. Data on the vaccine’s safety record accumulates over time when more and more people who receive it report on their experience and any side effects they experience.

You can learn more from the CDC about COVID-19 Vaccine safety at the links below:

• Ensuring COVID-19 Vaccination Safety in the US
• Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines
• Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Overview and Safety
• Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Overview and Safety
• Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Overview and Safety

Before receiving approval for emergency use, pharmaceutical companies must provide evidence that their vaccines are safe. A team of experts from the FDA, CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and other agencies reviewed all available data on safety and efficacy before recommending them for use.

No serious side effects have been reported with any of the COVID-19 vaccines to date. Some people notice side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine, such as pain or swelling where they got the vaccine. Other noted adverse effects were injection site redness, pain and swelling, fatigue, fever, chills, headache, nausea, muscle pain and joint pain. Of note, more people experienced these side effects after the second dose than after the first dose, so it is important for recipients to expect that there may be some side effects after either dose, but even more so after the second dose.

COVID-19 vaccine side effects may last about a day or two, and do not signify illness. Most adverse events were mild or moderate in severity and short-lived. These are signs that your immune system is responding and preparing to fight the coronavirus if you catch it. If symptoms persist, you should call your doctor.

If you experience a severe allergic reaction, call 9-1-1, or go to the nearest hospital. Call the vaccination provider or your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.

If symptoms persist, you should call your doctor. For more information on Possible Side Effects After Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine click here.

Since April 2021, there have been more than a thousand reports of cases of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the lining outside the heart) happening after receiving the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines in the US according to the CDC. Considering the hundreds of millions of vaccines doses that have been administered, these reports are very rare. The problem occurs more often in adolescents (teens) and young adults, and in males. The myocarditis or pericarditis in most cases is mild and resolves quickly.

Additional information can be found here.

You should seek medical attention right away if, within a few days of receiving the second injection of Pfizer or Moderna, you or your child experiences chest pain, shortness of breath, or feelings of having a fast-beating, fluttering, or pounding heartbeat.

Use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine might increase the risk of a rare and serious blood clotting disorder. Nearly all of those affected have been women ages 18 to 49, with the disorder happening at a rate of 7 for every 1 million vaccinated women in this age group. For women age 50 and older and men of all ages, the disorder is even more rare.

The FDA and the CDC have recommended that use of the vaccine in the U.S. can continue because the benefits outweigh the risks. Evidence of these blood clots haven’t been reported in the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.

Serious side effects of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine can occur within three weeks of vaccination and require emergency care. Possible symptoms include:

• Shortness of breath
• Persistent stomach pain
• Severe or persistent headaches or blurred vision
• Chest pain
• Leg swelling
• Easy bruising or tiny red spots on the skin beyond the injection site

Mild to moderate headaches and muscle aches are common in the first three days after vaccination and don't require emergency care.

Yes, COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all people 12 years and older, including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future. You might want to have a conversation with your healthcare provider about COVID-19 vaccination. While such a conversation might be helpful, it is not required before vaccination. Learn more about vaccination considerations for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Over the past months, millions of people in the U.S. have been safely vaccinated. The FDA has fully approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, and may fully approve other coronavirus vaccines in the future. The FDA and CDC continue to carefully monitor each of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines for safety concerns.

Learn more about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccine studies found that two doses were needed to optimize the immune response and provide the best protection from COVID-19. Therefore, the 2-dose regimen is strongly recommended and will be necessary for documentation of full vaccination. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires 1 dose.

No. If you get a first dose of one vaccine, you should get a second dose of the same vaccine. Individuals administering the vaccine will be tracking this issue.

On October 20, 2021, the FDA authorized the use of mix and match booster doses in eligible populations with currently available (i.e., FDA-authorized or approved) COVID-19 vaccines. A single booster dose of any of the available COVID-19 vaccines may be administered as a heterologous booster dose following completion of primary vaccination with a different available COVID-19 vaccine.

According to CDC guidance, second doses administered within a grace period of ≤ 4 days from the recommended date for the second dose are considered valid; however, doses administered earlier do not need to be repeated. The second dose should be administered as close to the recommended interval as possible. However, there is no maximum interval between the first and second dose for either vaccine.

It typically takes a few weeks after the final dose of a vaccine for the body to build up immunity to the disease. However, it is not necessary for one to quarantine between each dose. Individuals are recommended to continue with their daily lives while following COVID-19 public health recommendations.

Health care professionals and researchers are still learning about COVID-19 and new information is discovered nearly every day that is helpful in the fight against this disease. Because COVID -19 is still a relatively new virus, it is difficult to know exactly how the virus affects the body long-term and how long immunity from natural infection lasts.

Therefore, it is also difficult to predict how long a vaccine will provide protection against the virus. As the vaccines are administered and new information is gathered, additional data about how long it will protect against the virus will be made available.

On October 20, 2021 the FDA The FDA and CDC took action to expand the use of a booster dose for COVID-19 vaccines in eligible populations. The agency is amending the emergency use authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines to allow for the use of a single booster dose as follows:

• The use of a single booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine that may be administered at least 6 months after completion of the primary series to individuals:
  • 65 years of age and older;
  • 18 through 64 years of age at high risk of severe COVID-19;
  • 18 through 64 years of age with frequent institutional or occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2.

• The use of a single booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered at least 2 months after completion of the single-dose primary regimen to individuals 18 years of age and older.

• The use of each of the available COVID-19 vaccines as a heterologous (or “mix and match”) booster dose in eligible individuals following completion of primary vaccination with a different available COVID-19 vaccine.

• To clarify that a single booster dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered at least 6 months after completion of the primary series to individuals 18 through 64 years of age with frequent institutional or occupational exposure to COVID-19.

For more information on COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots click here.

No vaccine is 100% effective against any disease. COVID-19 vaccines can be effective at protecting you from COVID-19, especially severe illness and death. COVID-19 vaccines can reduce the risk of people spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. The CDC recently published a study showing fully vaccinated people were more than 10 times less likely to die or be hospitalized than the unvaccinated.

Benefits of Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine (CDC)

Getting the influenza vaccine is still very important as one can be infected with both influenza and the coronavirus. Influenza vaccination will also prevent a surge of influenza cases in hospitals that may be overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. Getting both the influenza and Covid-19 vaccine around the same time is considered safe, though experts recommend spacing of the vaccinations by a few days to weeks apart.

Although fewer children have been infected with COVID-19 compared to adults, children can:

• Be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19
• Get sick from COVID-19
• Spread COVID-19 to others

The CDC recommends everyone 12 5 years and older should get a COVID-19 vaccination to help protect against COVID-19. Widespread vaccination is a critical tool to help stop the pandemic. People who are fully vaccinated can resume activities that they did prior to the pandemic. Children 5 years and older are able to get the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine.

For more information on the COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens click here.

• Where can I go for more information on the COVID-19 vaccine

There are several resources, including the CDC’s Frequently Asked Questions about COVID -19 Vaccination. Also, please see:

• CDC - COVID-19 Vaccines
• FDA - COVID-19 Vaccines
• HHS – Fact Sheet: Explaining Operation Warp Speed
• Pfizer EUA Fact Sheet
• Moderna EUA Fact Sheet

Certain contractors that work on campus daily to provide critical services to the university and have direct contact with students or employees have been identified. Supervisors for those contractors have been contacted to schedule vaccines. This process is ongoing as additional vaccine becomes available and vaccinations can be scheduled.

• Wear your mask into the vaccine clinic and during your vaccination.
• Bring your AU ID and one other form of identification (must be 18 years of age or older).
• Bring a pen to sign paperwork.
• Complete and print vaccine paper work and bring to your appointment.
• Wear loose-fitting clothing so upper arms can be easily accessed for injection.
• Review the COVID Moderna EAU Fact Sheet.
• Review the Covid-19 V-Safe Handout.
• Review your calendar to ensure you will be able to return for the second vaccine in 28 days (appointment date for the second dose will be scheduled based on vaccine availability).

Everyone who is able to get the vaccine should get it as soon as possible. The more people who get vaccinated, the better we'll be able to stop the spread of the virus.

• Anyone with a severe allergy to a vaccine component (i.e., one that causes anaphylaxis or requires medical intervention);
• Individuals with a history of severe allergy to any vaccine or injectable medication
• Those younger than 12 years of age;
• People currently isolating or experiencing symptoms of Covid-19; these people can get vaccinated once they are finished isolation and their primary symptoms have resolved.

• Pregnant women
• People with certain immune-compromising conditions
• Breastfeeding women
• People on anticoagulants

People with immune-compromising conditions may get the Covid-19 vaccine as long as they are not in one of the following categories:

• Severe allergy to a vaccine component (i.e., one that causes anaphylaxis or requires medical intervention)
• History of severe allergy to any vaccine or injectable medication

However, it is recommended that individuals with compromised immune systems discuss their personal risks and benefits with a healthcare provider to determine whether to receive the vaccine. Data about how well the vaccine works and its safety in immune-compromised individuals are not currently available, so it is possible that these individuals could have a lower immune response to vaccination. On the other hand, persons with these conditions may also be at higher risk of severe disease due to Covid-19. Therefore, the CDC recommended that people who are immune-compromised or taking immunosuppressive medications could receive the vaccine if they wanted as long as they do not have other contraindications.

With this said, knowing the potential for a lower immune response, if someone with an immune-compromising condition decides to get vaccinated, it will be important to get both doses and practice other public health measures until more is known about their protection against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.Post-licensure monitoring systems, like the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) and the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), will be used to allow for real-time monitoring of these sub-groups.

• Someone with a history of severe allergy (requiring medical intervention) to anything other than a vaccine or injectable medication can get the vaccine, but they should remain at the vaccination location for medical observation for 30 minutes after receipt of the vaccine.
• Pregnant women who develop a fever after vaccination should take acetaminophen.
• People who recently had Covid-19 and were treated with antibody-based therapies (e.g., monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma) should wait until 90 days after treatment to be vaccinated.
• People with a known Covid-19 exposure should wait until their quarantine is over before getting vaccinated (unless they live in a group setting, such as a nursing home, correctional facility, or homeless shelter, in which case they can be vaccinated during the quarantine period).
• People who got another vaccine (non-Covid-19 vaccine) should wait at least 14 days before getting Covid-19 vaccine. Likewise, if a person got the Covid-19 vaccine, they should wait at least 14 days before getting any other vaccines (non-Covid-19 vaccines).

Yes, as per CDC recommendations, vaccinations should be offered to persons regardless of history of prior symptomatic or asymptomatic coronavirus infection, including a positive antibody test. For persons who experience lingering symptoms for weeks and months after diagnosis (i.e., “Covid-19 long-haulers”), vaccination is similarly considered safe and likely efficacious.

For persons with current Covid-19, vaccination should be deferred until recovery from acute illness and can be deferred up until 90 days after the current episode.

Per CDC and FDA recommendations, those who have had a severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) to any component of the vaccines should not be vaccinated. For those who have had a severe allergic reaction to another vaccine or injectable treatment (intramuscular, intravenous, or subcutaneous) the vaccine can still be administered; however, it is recommended that the risks be discussed with a healthcare provider and that the recipient be monitored for 30 minutes post-vaccination. For those with any other allergy (e.g. food, pollen, pets), vaccination should be offered. All individuals who received vaccines should be observed for about 15 minutes after vaccination.

Pregnant women and women trying to conceive were not included in the first round of clinical trials for the Covid-19 vaccines, so no safety data is currently available for these groups.

However, CDC recommends that pregnant women consider their personal risk of contracting Covid-19 by occupation or other activities, risk of Covid-19 to her and her pregnancy, efficacy of the vaccine, and known side effects of the vaccine when deciding whether to be vaccinated. Pregnant women and women trying to conceive should have a discussion with their healthcare provider about risks and benefits of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Yes. Although women who are breastfeeding were not included in the clinical trials, current data suggest that Covid-19 is not transmitted through breast milk, so it is not expected that vaccination would cause a concern either. On the other hand, some women who are breastfeeding will be at higher risk for exposure, so they could benefit from receiving the vaccine.

In addition, women do not need to delay breastfeeding for any period of time after they have been vaccinated.

• Currently, the Pfizer vaccine is available to individuals age 12 and up, and the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are both available to individuals 18 years of age and older. Before COVID-19 vaccines become available for children, clinical trials need to be completed. The timing for when the vaccine will be available for children under the age of 12 depends on the results of the clinical trials. Right now we do not have a timeline for when COVID-19 vaccine will be available to children under the age of 12. Pfizer has finished a clinical trial for younger ages. Moderna is undergoing vaccine studies for children 6 months to 11 years old and another for ages 12 to 17.

People who had Covid-19 are recommended to get the vaccine after they have recovered. The vaccine trials included people who were previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, and the vaccine was found to be safe. Because we do not know how long antibodies last after infection and a small number of people have had more severe second bouts of infection, the vaccine can be beneficial in boosting a person’s existing immunity from infection.

Cancel your scheduled appointment, self-quarantine for 10 days, get tested at any point if you become symptomatic, consider getting tested 5 to 8 days after the last known date of exposure and if all tests are negative reschedule your vaccination date.

If any of their tests are positive, begin your 10-day isolation period, inform your close contacts to quarantine and get tested, and reschedule to receive your first vaccination 90 days after completion of their isolation period.

If it is within 10 days of their scheduled appointment for their 2nd dose, cancel their appointment. Self-quarantine for 10 days, get tested at any point if they become symptomatic, consider getting tested 5 to 8 days after the last known date of exposure and if all tests are negative reschedule their vaccination date. If any of their tests are positive, begin their 10-day isolation period, inform close contacts to quarantine and get tested and plan to receive their first vaccination shot 90 days after completion of their isolation period. Inform the CDC of their positive test result.

Begin isolation for 10 days, inform close contacts to quarantine and get tested, cancel their scheduled appointment for the 2nd dose and reschedule for a minimum of 90 days after their isolation period is over. Inform the CDC of their positive test.

If they were exposed, they should self-quarantine for 10 days, get tested at any point if they become symptomatic, consider getting tested 5 to 8 days after the last known date of exposure. If their tests are negative, they can stop their quarantine. If their tests are positive, begin their 10-day isolation period, inform close contacts to quarantine and get tested and report to the CDC their positive test result.

As recommended by the CDC, do not premedicate with aspirin, acetaminophen , ibuprofen, etc. unless these are medications you take regularly as part of your usual and customary health practices. However, these pain relievers may be used, as needed, after your vaccine for intolerable symptoms such as fever, arm soreness, headache, etc. You may view information from the CDC regarding this issue.

Contact your health care provider or the AU Medical Clinic.

The mRNA vaccines require two doses. While people will have some immunity after the first dose, protection will be most likely about one week after receipt of the second dose.

This is not known at this time. Scientists are continuing to collect data about long-term immunity to SARS-CoV2.

Based on experience with other vaccines and early data from the Covid-19 vaccines, it is likely that people who are vaccinated will have enough immunity where they will not pass the virus to others if exposed, but this is not 100 percent certain.

No. While experts learn more about the protection that Covid-19 vaccines provide under real-life conditions, it will be important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to us to help stop this pandemic, like covering your mouth and nose with a mask, washing hands often, and staying at least 6 feet away from others. Together, Covid-19 vaccination and following CDC’s recommendations for how to protect yourself and others will offer the best protection from getting and spreading Covid-19.

Everyone will still need to practice recommended public health measures for a while because it will take some time to slow or stop the spread of the virus. Two factors are important for understanding why:

• While the vaccines appear to be highly effective at preventing disease, it might not prevent asymptomatic infection, meaning vaccine recipients might still be able to get infected, but not have symptoms and, therefore, unwittingly spread the virus. The companies will be doing additional studies to better understand whether this is the case.

• Scientists estimate that to control Covid-19, about 7 or 8 of every 10 people will need to be immune. Given that the U.S. population is more than 330 million people, this means that almost 250 million of them will need to be immune to reach this goal. Between March and November 2020, almost 12 million people in the U.S. were found to be infected, although estimates from antibody studies suggest that the number might be 3-7 times greater. Despite this the virus rages on, demonstrating just how many more people need to become immune before we can expect to control the spread of Covid-19. This also shows how important vaccines are in controlling the spread because more than 250,000 people died as a result of Covid-19 infections between March and November 2020. If we had to rely on infections alone to stop the spread of Covid-19, between 1 million and 5.4 million people would die on the way to 250 million people becoming immune.

For these reasons, there will still be some period of time during which other measures, such as masks, physical distancing, and other public health measures, will be required to slow or stop the spread of the virus. And, because we won’t know who might still be able to be infected after vaccination or previous illness, everyone will be asked to comply.

There is still more to learn about the protection that Covid-19 vaccines provide before deciding to change recommendations on steps everyone should take to slow the spread of the virus that causes Covid-19. Other factors, including how many people get vaccinated and how the virus is spreading in communities, will also affect this decision.