COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Bivalent booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine are also now available to individuals 5 years of age and older. To be eligible to receive the booster, two months must have passed since your second dose of either vaccine. 

 

At this time we are only able to administer the Pfizer vaccine. Some people may prefer the vaccine type that they originally received, and others may prefer to get a different booster. 

Booster doses are a wonderful opportunity to provide additional immune protection. This does not mean that your initial vaccination is not working. Data shows that the COVID-19 vaccines – no matter the manufacturer – are still providing excellent protection from both getting the coronavirus and becoming seriously ill from COVID-19.

The U.S. Food and Drug administration authorized new, bivalent formulations of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to use as a single booster dose for those 5 years of age and older. They also ended authorization of the monovalent vaccines to be used as a booster for this same ages.

Starting October 21st, the bivalent Pfizer vaccine will be available at Grand Itasca as a booster for individuals 5 years of age and older. Patients can still receive the monovalent COVID-19 vaccines for their primary series and as boosters for children 6 month to 4 years old. 

All patients will need to provide a completed consent form to receive their vaccine. Minors will need to provide a consent form that is signed by a parent or guardian. If a parent will accompany the minor to the appointment, the form can be completed at that time. If you are age 18 or older, you can do this at your appointment or fill it out ahead of time and bring it to your appointment. If a minor child is receiving a vaccine at an outreach clinic location, parents should also complete this registration form.

After a 10-day pause in April, the CDC and FDA said on April 23 that health systems can resume giving out the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine. The temporary pause gave experts time to review reports that a rare blood clot disorder called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) was occurring in women younger than 50 after they received the vaccination.

More than 8 million doses of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) have been given out across the country. As of April 25, 2021, experts found 15 reports of the blood clot disorder in women under 50 – or a rate of approximately 0.9 per 1 million vaccinations.

Grand Itasca has resumed Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine at our sites based on these recently issued recommendations. We have every indication that the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine is safe, and we consider the risk to patients to be extremely small. The chance of severe complications or hospitalization due to COVID-19 is far higher, and vaccination remains the fastest and safest way to end the pandemic.

If you have experienced concerning symptoms after receiving the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine, please go to an emergency department, call 911, or reach out to your primary care provider.

To help your appointment go more quickly, please do the following:

• Wear a short-sleeved shirt for ease of receiving the vaccine.
• Wear a mask and maintain a social distance of six feet from others, when possible, at your appointment. Only those getting a vaccine should come to the appointment.
• After receiving the vaccination, you will be asked to wait nearby for a 15-minute observation period to monitor you for immediate adverse reactions. If you have a history of allergic reactions to a vaccine, you will be asked to wait nearby for a 30-minute observation period. Our vaccinators are prepared to respond to adverse reactions during the observation time. They will have access to EpiPens and guidance on how to care for individuals experiencing reactions.
• If you are pregnant, lactating (nursing) or have a weak immune system, review special details about the vaccine on the CDC Website.
• If you have questions, be sure to ask your regular care team before you arrive.
• After each dose of vaccine, we'll check on you through an online platform called GetWell Loop. If you have questions about this platform, please read about GetWell Loop: Frequently Asked Questions.
• Review the Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccine Emergency Use Authorization, Moderna Vaccine Emergency Use Authorization, or Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) Emergency Use Authorization for more details about the vaccines.

The COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) are all safe and highly effective at preventing severe cases of COVID-19, hospitalization, and death due to the disease, according to results from three large clinical trials that together involved more than 100,000 people.

The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines do not use live or weakened versions of the coronavirus causing COVID-19. Instead, these vaccines have genetic material called mRNA or “messenger RNA” that is taken from the virus. Both vaccines come in two doses. People receiving the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will need a second dose 21 days after the first, while those who get the Moderna vaccine will need a booster 28 days later. You will be scheduled for the second dose during your first vaccination appointment.

These vaccines are not interchangeable. For example, you should not mix a first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine with a second dose of the Moderna vaccine. If you received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine during your first appointment, then you should also get the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine during your second dose, so that the vaccine is fully effective.

The Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine comes in a single dose and uses a “vector vaccine” method. Vector vaccines use another weakened virus – in this case, it’s an adenovirus called Ad26 – to deliver genetic material that tricks your body into making a protein which stimulates your body’s immune response. 

During the clinical trials, only mild to moderate flu-like side effects were reported, including a headache, fatigue, chills, fever, and muscle and joint soreness. Side effects are more likely to occur after the second dose. Most of these symptoms ended three days after the vaccine, or earlier.

There is a very small chance that the COVID-19 vaccine may cause a severe allergic reaction. Signs of a reaction include difficulty breathing, swelling of the face and throat, a fast heartbeat, a rash on your body, or dizziness and weakness. If you think you’re having an allergic reaction after leaving Grand Itasca, seek immediate medical care by calling 911.

It is not possible to get COVID-19 from the vaccines. The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines use only genetic material from the coronavirus causing COVID-19 while the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine delivers that genetic material using a weakened adenovirus (Ad26). 

While we have made some progress in the fight against COVID-19 with public health measures like masking and social distancing, widespread vaccination is the only way that we can stop the pandemic. Not only does getting the vaccine protect you against COVID-19, it also reduces the chances that you will spread it to others, including your family and friends.

Yes. People who have tested positive for COVID-19 produce antibodies that offer some protection against the virus, but we don’t know enough yet about antibody protection and how long it may last, so we recommend that everyone get the vaccine. 

We are not charging for the COVID-19 vaccine itself. If you have insurance, you insurance will be billed for administering the vaccine with no out of pocket costs to you. If you do not have insurance, the cost is absorbed by Grand Itasca.