COVID-19 Vaccine

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COVID-19 VACCINATIONS

What you should know.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved three vaccines for COVID-19; the Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, and Moderna options. StarMed is currently offering all options.

Please read below for answers to commonly asked questions and to view the current phased approach to vaccine rollout in the State of North Carolina.

Vaccine Fact Sheets for Download

Commonly Asked Questions.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization to three vaccines, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Other COVID-19 vaccines may be approved in the months ahead. StarMed offers all three vaccines at this time for those receiving their 1st and/or 2nd doses.

Yes. A vaccine earns government approval only after it has been proven to be both safe and effective. The approval process involves panels of independent experts retained by the pharmaceutical companies as well as reviews by the FDA’s own scientific staff and an independent panel of experts convened by the FDA. No serious safety concerns have been reported with either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

No. It is not possible to get COVID-19 from the vaccines.

Yes. Very effective. In clinical trials, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were shown to be more than 94% effective and Johnson & Johnson more than 66%.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will require two doses to ensure full protection. The Pfizer vaccine will require a second dose 21 days after the initial shot, and the Moderna vaccine will require a second dose 28 days later. The vaccines are not interchangeable, meaning that you will need to receive the same type of vaccine for both doses. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a single dose.

It normally takes two to three weeks for immunity to develop and several weeks for a full antibody response.

Some people may experience side effects, including sore arms, muscle aches and fever. This is a normal sign that your body is building protection. These symptoms are not expected to last long.

We should to continue wearing masks, social distancing and washing our hands often to protect those who are not eligible for vaccination at this time. These precautions should continue until enough people have been vaccinated to contain the spread of the virus.

The Pfizer vaccine has been approved for those 12 and older. Ongoing clinical trials for Moderna could lead to this vaccine being an option for younger people in our community soon.

The American College of obstetrics & gynecology strongly recommends that all eligible persons receive a COVID-19 vaccine as pregnancy is considered a risk factor for poor outcome in people who contract COVID-19. The vaccine does not cause defects or harm to the baby.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has included a great deal of information on its website.

NC VACCINE GROUP SCHEDULE

Group 1: Health care workers & Long-Term Care staff and residents (ACTIVE)

  • Health care workers with in-person patient contact
  • Long-term care staff and residents—people in skilled nursing facilities, adult care homes and continuing care retirement communities
  • Learn more about Group 1

Group 2: Older adults (ACTIVE)

Group 3: Frontline essential workers (ACTIVE)

  • The CDC defines frontline essential workers as workers who are in sectors essential to the functioning of society and who are at substantially higher risk for exposure to COVID-19
  • Learn more about Group 3

Group 4: Adults at high risk for exposure and increased risk of severe illness (ACTIVE)

  • Anyone 16-64 years old with high-risk medical conditions that increase risk of severe disease from COVID-19 such as cancer, COPD, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, Type 2 diabetes, among others, regardless of living situation
  • Anyone who is incarcerated or living in other close group living settings who is not already vaccinated due to age, medical condition or job function
  • Essential workers not yet vaccinated. The CDC defines these as workers in transportation and logistics, water and wastewater, food service, shelter and housing (e.g., construction), finance (e.g., bank tellers), information technology and communications, energy, legal, media, public safety (e.g., engineers) and public health workers
  • Learn more about Group 4

Group 5: Everyone who wants a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccination (ACTIVE)