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.

The FDA and CDC recommend COVID-19 vaccines for everyone ages six months and older. 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.
 
Please review the CDC’s recommendations for staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines for children and teens. Contact your family’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

Several COVID-19 vaccines have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pursuant to their emergency use authorization. Visit the CDC’s website for the most up to date information on the available vaccines and how to stay up to date with your vaccination. 

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

The CDC’s website has information about the side effects you may have after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
 

Please review the CDC’s recommendations for staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.
 

Please review the CDC’s recommendations for staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters.

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.