Get the Facts No steps were skipped to develop the COVID-19 vaccine. The development of COVID-19 vaccines was made possible through historic cooperation between scientists, governments, and the private sector. The federal government created the Emergency Use Authorization approval process in 2004 specifically to ensure that vaccines were safe in case of an emergency like the pandemic. Severe side effects are very rare. The U.S. system to track vaccine side effects is very robust. Millions of vaccinations have been safely administered in the U.S. Severe side effects are rare and are reported in a timely manner. It is much more likely that you will become severely ill from COVID-19 if you are not vaccinated. The vaccines do not change your DNA. COVID-19 vaccines do not change or interact with your DNA in any way. The Pfizer, Moderna, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccines deliver instructions to your cells to start building protection against the virus that causes COVID-19. However, the vaccine never enters the nucleus of the cell, which is where DNA is kept. Once the vaccines deliver these instructions, the vaccine components leave your body. Unlike the mRNA vaccines, Novavax is a protein subunit vaccine. The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine also includes harmless pieces (proteins) of the virus that causes COVID-19; they are pieces of what is often called the spike protein. After vaccination, COVID-19 Vaccines Protect Yourself and Your Family the body creates an immune response to these protein pieces. This response helps protect you from getting sick with COVID-19 in the future. After the body produces an immune response, it discards all the vaccine ingredients, just as it would discard any substance that cells no longer need. This process is a part of normal body functioning. Ready to get vaccinated? Infants, Children and Teen Vaccinations (6 months through 17 years) Maternal Child and Health Clinic (MCH) St. Thomas (340) 777-8804, ext. 2600 78-1-2-3 Estate Contant (Elaine Co. Bldg.) St. Croix (340) 244-0016 Charles Harwood Medical Complex Adult Vaccinations (18 years and older) Community Health Services Clinic St. Thomas (340) 774-7477, ext. 5665 2nd floor, Schneider Regional Medical Center St. Croix (340) 718-1311 ext. 3895/3822 Charles Harwood Medical Complex Modular Unit 1 U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Health Immunization Program STT/STJ (340) 776-1113 | STX (340) 718-1311 COVID-19 Vaccinations | Revised 7/2022 Vaccines are like shields to protect you against illness Vaccines work with your immune system so your body will be ready to fight COVID-19 if you are exposed. They reduce the likelihood that you will get infected if exposed to COVID-19 and reduce the likelihood that you will get severely ill or die if infected with COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccines have been granted Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. They have been evaluated and approved by independent scientists and healthcare professionals. All the vaccines being administered have gone through the same process and safety tests. They meet the same safety standards as previous vaccines. All approved vaccines were tested in tens of thousands of adults from diverse backgrounds. Hundreds of BEFORE VACCINATION The COVID-19 vaccine is FREE. You do not need to have health insurance to be vaccinated. You should bring your insurance card if you have one, but it’s not required, and you will not be charged if you don’t have insurance. A Social Security number or government ID is NOT required. What to expect… DURING VACCINATION AFTER VACCINATION Once on-site you’ll be asked to complete a screening checklist. You will also receive a card documenting your vaccination. It’s important to keep this card for your records. You’ll be asked to wait for on-site for 15 minutes to monitor for an allergic reaction. Allergic reactions are very rare. You may experience side effects after your vaccination. Common side effects include sore arm, fever, and tiredness within 72 hours after receiving the vaccine. These side effects usually mean that the vaccine is working to generate an immune response. You will be considered fully vaccinated 14 days after your last dose. Scientists are studying how long this immunity will last. millions of vaccinations have been safely administered in the United States. There are four COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the U.S. Virgin Islands. They are the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), and Novavax vaccines. Each brand of vaccine is slightly different, but they are all safe and work well. To complete the vaccination series, you currently need two doses of the Pfizer- BioNTech, Moderna, and Novavax vaccines. You only need one dose of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine. To protect yourself against COVID-19 variants consult your healthcare provider about boosters. Who Can Get Vaccinated? Currently, the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are approved for people ages 6 months and older. The Novavax and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccines are approved for people 18 and older. Children under the age of 18 will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardians to get vaccinated. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you can get vaccinated. There is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccination cause problems with pregnancy. In addition, there is no evidence that female or male fertility problems are a side effect of any vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccines.