COVID-19 Vaccine Information

The COVID-19 vaccine helps your body develop immunity and protects you from the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. It is important to note that you cannot catch COVID-19 from the vaccine itself. The vaccines are safe and effective, and we encourage you to get vaccinated.

After you receive any vaccine, your body starts building immunity, which can sometimes cause mild side effects. This is normal and a sign that the vaccine is working. COVID-19 vaccine side effects are similar to those that other common vaccines can cause, such as temporary soreness in your arm, fever, chills, tiredness and headache.

No, members will not have to pay cost sharing for COVID-19 vaccines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pursuant to their emergency use authorization.

According to the CDC, the vaccine can help protect your child from getting infected with COVID-19, reducing their risk of severe disease and hospitalization. The FDA and CDC recommends everyone ages six months and older receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Age-appropriate doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are now available for children ages six months and older. The two vaccines have different dosing recommendations and schedules.

Visit the CDC to learn more about COVID-19 vaccines for children and teens, and contact your child's pediatrician if you have questions about what's best for your child.

The COVID-19 vaccine  is available through select retail pharmacies, certain hospitals, medical practices and local boards of health. Visit www.vaccines.gov or check your state government’s website to find out where the COVID-19 vaccine is available in your area:

• Connecticut
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• Rhode Island

COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are available. It is important to get the first vaccine that is available to you, as they all offer strong protection against hospitalization and death due to COVID-19.

• Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine received full FDA approval for the prevention of COVID-19 in individuals ages 16 and up. For individuals ages six months through 15 years, and for certain immunocompromised individuals receiving additional doses, the Pfizer vaccine remains available under emergency use authorization.
• Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine received full FDA approval for the prevention of COVID-19 in individuals age 18 and older. For individuals ages six months through 17 years, and for certain immunocompromised individuals receiving additional doses, the Moderna vaccine remains available under emergency use authorization.
• Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine has received emergency use authorization from the FDA for individuals age 18 and older for whom the other authorized or approved vaccines are not accessible or clinically appropriate, or who choose to receive it because they would not otherwise receive a vaccine.

The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine requires only one dose. It received emergency use authorization from the FDA for individuals age 18 and older for whom the other authorized or approved vaccines are not accessible or clinically appropriate, or who choose to receive it because they would otherwise not receive a vaccine.

The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines require two doses; if you receive one of these vaccines, you should get the second dose at the recommended time. You should get whichever vaccine is available in your community.

If you receive the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, it is important to get the two recommended doses. If you only receive one dose, your body may not develop the immunity that protects you from the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, leaving you more vulnerable to infection by the variant strains of the virus. This will help protect you, and potentially your loved ones, from the virus.

Visit the CDC’s website, which provides the most up to date details on what to expect after getting the vaccine.

Like many other vaccines, you may experience side effects while your body is building immunity. Temporary soreness in your arm, fever, chills, tiredness and headache are all normal and should go away after a few days. If you have worrisome side effects that do not go away after a few days, or severe headaches/pain that start six or more days after your vaccine, contact your primary care provider.

We don’t yet know. Because the virus is so new, researchers will need time to monitor its response to determine how long the vaccine will protect you from the virus.

COVID-19 vaccine booster shots are recommended for:

• Those five and older who had their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least five months ago
• Those 18 and older who had their second dose of the Moderna vaccine at least five months ago
• Those 18 and older who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago

A second COVID-19 vaccine booster shot is also recommended for certain immunocompromised individuals and people over the age of 50 who received an initial booster dose at least four months ago.

If you have any questions about whether a booster is right for you, please contact your physician.

We will continue to monitor federal and state guidelines for more information on COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for other populations. Visit the CDC’s website for the most up-to-date information.

No. The CDC’s recommendations allow individuals who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose.

We understand that you may have concerns about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. A safety review was part of the FDA emergency use authorization process, and the FDA continues to actively monitor for safety. We encourage you to visit the CDC website for information about COVID-19 vaccine safety and benefits, frequently asked questions and more.

Note: The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine received full FDA approval on August 23, 2021.

COVID-19 vaccines approved for Emergency Use Authorization are currently available to and  recommended by the CDC for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

The New England Journal of Medicine evaluated data from more than 35,000 pregnant individuals who received the mRNA (messenger RNA) vaccines, and found no obvious safety concerns.

The vaccines may also protect your newborn infant from COVID-19 if you are infected during pregnancy. Two recent Israeli studies (Perl et al. & Shlomai et al) find that COVID-19 antibodies pass robustly from mothers to their infants in breast milk for six weeks after vaccination and that no infants breastfed by their COVID-19-positive mothers had evidence of infection. 

If you are pregnant and receive a COVID-19 vaccine, consider using v-safe, a tool from the CDC and FDA that uses text messaging and surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after you receive your vaccination.  

If you have questions about getting the vaccine while pregnant or breastfeeding, we encourage you to speak to your health care provider.

Note: The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine received full FDA approval on August 23, 2021.

For those who have been fully vaccinated, the CDC provides guidelines for what you should and should not do during the remainder of the pandemic to keep yourself and others safe.

At your vaccine appointment, you will receive a COVID-19 vaccination record card. The card will show your name and date of birth, as well as which COVID-19 vaccine you received, where you received it and the date of your vaccination. If you need to return for a second dose of the vaccine, the card will serve as a reminder; be sure to bring the card to your second appointment.

Please do not post pictures of your vaccination record card on social media or share proof of your immunization publicly. This is considered sensitive information that may put you at risk for vaccine scammers and identity theft.

We encourage you to hold on to your vaccine card and keep it with your personal records. The CDC offers tools to help you keep your vaccine records up to date.

Yes, you can have the COVID-19 vaccine and the flu vaccine at the same visit. Generally, the potential side effects after receiving both vaccines are the same as when they are given alone. Visit the CDC to learn about this season’s flu vaccine.