Get the latest on life after you get your vaccine, from how to manage potential side effects to how to access your vaccine record.
Once your appointment is scheduled, find out what information you might need and what to expect while you’re there.
To help you plan and keep you informed, we’ve gathered key public information about COVID-19 vaccines below. The CDC remains the best resource on COVID-19 vaccines .
Watch a video to learn COVID-19 vaccine safety and why they're recommended.
Open video transcriptVoiceover: Life’s path took a sudden turn for everyone when the pandemic struck. And when it struck, it struck us hard. But through the experience, we found ways to change. How we work, how we learn, how we celebrate, how we spend time with family. Even how we seek care.
Thanks to a global effort by biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, the COVID-19 vaccine is here.
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized for emergency use more than one COVID vaccine and vaccination is underway.
[Text on Screen: FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA)]
The vaccines were developed to protect people from COVID-19 and to help stop the spread of this dangerous virus. But is the vaccine safe?
[Text on Screen: Are the vaccines safe?]
The answer is yes. The U.S. Vaccine Safety System validated the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines.
[Text on Screen: The U.S. Vaccine Safety System validated the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines]
You cannot get the COVID-19 virus from the vaccine. This is because the vaccines do not contain the live virus itself. They are designed to teach the body to make antibodies that find and fight the COVID-19 virus.
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Even if you’ve already had COVID-19, regardless of how mild or severe, experts know that immunity subsides after infection, so they strongly recommend getting the vaccine.
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And it won’t cost you anything. You will have a zero dollar cost share on FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines.
[Text on Screen: $0 cost-share on FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines. Through the national public health emergency period]
Vaccine distribution strategy is based on the CDC recommendations and varies by state.
[Text on Screen: Vaccine distribution Based on CDC recommendations, Varies by state]
Now is the time. Getting the vaccine not only lowers your chances of getting COVID-19, it also helps protect our healthcare system and those working within it, so they can provide the care we need, when we need it.
In addition to continuing to follow best practices, masking, hand washing, keeping surfaces clean, and physical distancing, getting the COVID-19 vaccine can help stop the spread of the virus.
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[Text on Screen: Wearing a mask, Washing hands often, Keeping surfaces clean, Physically distancing]
Learn more about how you can take the next step.
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[Text on Screen: uhc.com/covid19vaccines. This is for general educational purposes and is not medical advice. COVID-19 vaccine information is according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Food and Drug Administration as of Feb. 3, 2021. Talk to your health care provider if you have questions about COVID-19 vaccines and your health. Call the number on the back of your Unitedhealthcare member ID card if you have questions about your plan benefits during the national public health emergency period or after it ends.]
[Text on Screen: UnitedHealthcare]
The FDA has approved the COVID-19 vaccine for use in preventing serious illness from COVID-19 among people ages 16 and older. Certain COVID-19 vaccines are also FDA emergency-use authorized (EUA), among people 6 months and older to help prevent serious illness from COVID-19, by the FDA . For people who have certain immunocompromised conditions, the FDA authorized an additional dose of the primary series COVID-19 vaccines to help maximize protection for this population. Details can be found in the chart below.
6 months - 4 years
A 3-dose/3 mcg monovalent primary vaccine series is recommended. A 3 mcg monovalent vaccine is administered for the first and second doses. A 3 mcg bivalent vaccine is administered for the third dose.
Children who previously received a 3-dose monovalent primary series are not authorized to repeat the third primary series dose using the bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
A booster dose is not authorized for this age group who receive a Pfizer-BioNTech primary series.
A 2-dose/10 mcg monovalent primary vaccine series is recommended.
For individuals who are moderately or severely immunocompromised a 3-dose/10 mcg monovalent primary caccine series is recommended.
A single 10 mcg monovalent booster dose (Pfizer-BioNTech) is recommended.
For individuals who previously received a monovalent booster dose, a bivalent booster dose is administered at least 2 months after the last monovalent booster dose.
A 2-dose/10 mcg monovalent primary vaccine series is recommended.
For individuals who are moderately or severely immunocompromised a 3-dose/10 mcg monovalent primary caccine series is recommended.
A single 10 mcg monovalent booster dose (Pfizer-BioNTech) is recommended for all individuals regardless of immune status.
For individuals who previously received a monovalent booster dose, a bivalent booster dose is administered at least 2 months after the last monovalent booster dose.
A 2-dose/30 mcg monovalent primary vaccine series is recommended.
For individuals who are moderately or severely immunocompromised a 3-dose/30 mcg monovalent primary caccine series is recommended.
A single bivalent booster dose (50 mcg Moderna or 30 mcg Pfizer-BioNTech) is recommended.
For individuals who previously received a monovalent booster dose, a bivalent booster dose is administered at least 2 months after the last monovalent booster dose.
6 months - 4 years
A 2-dose/25 mcg monovalent primary vaccine series is recommended.
For individuals who are moderately or severely immunocompromised a 3-dose/25 mcg monovalent primary vaccine series is recommended.
A single 10 mcg bivalent booster dose (Moderna ) is recommended.
A 2-dose/25 mcg monovalent primary vaccine series is recommended.
For individuals who are moderately or severely immunocompromised a 3-dose/25 mcg monovalent primary vaccine series is recommended.
A single bivalent booster dose (10 mcg Moderna or 10 mcg Pfizer-BioNTech) is recommended.
A 2-dose/50 mcg monovalent primary vaccine series is recommended.
For individuals who are moderately or severely immunocompromised a 3-dose/50 mcg monovalent primary vaccine series is recommended.
A single bivalent booster dose (25 mcg Moderna or 10 mcg Pfizer-BioNTech) is recommended.
A 2-dose/100 mcg monovalent primary vaccine series is recommended.
For individuals who are moderately or severely immunocompromised a 3-dose/100 mcg monovalent primary vaccine series is recommended.
A single bivalent booster dose (50 mcg Moderna or 30 mcg Pfizer-BioNTech) is recommended.
For individuals who previously received a monovalent booster dose, a bivalent booster dose is administered at least 2 months after the last monovalent booster dose.
A 2-dose/0.5 ml primary vaccine series is recommended for all individuals regardless of immune status.
A single bivalent booster dose (50 mcg Moderna or 30 mcg Pfizer-BioNTech) is recommended.
Like the flu vaccine, vaccination providers will administer the COVID-19 vaccine based on availability. Vaccination providers may not have all FDA-authorized and FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines at their location.
Important reminders on the protection COVID-19 vaccines provide:
Because of this, you should follow public health safety guidelines to help protect yourself and others. For the latest information, go to the CDC .
The safety of vaccines is a top priority, and millions of people have already been safely vaccinated. All FDA-authorized and FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at preventing serious illness, including hospitalization and death, from COVID-19, according to the CDC They are key to slowing the pandemic. The U.S. vaccine safety system makes sure all vaccines go through an extensive process to confirm levels of safety. The recently FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines went through this process. Even after emergency use authorization, the FDA continues to review clinical data about the vaccines.
Approval is granted once the FDA determines the vaccine to be safe and effective at preventing serious illness from COVID-19. The FDA goes through a detailed review of clinical data and information, as submitted in the Biologics License Application (BLA) .
The CDC website has additional COVID-19 vaccine safety information .
Side effects from vaccines are normal signs that your body is building protection. As with other vaccines and according to the CDC, people have reported some side effects with the FDA-authorized and FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines. The most common side effect is a sore arm. Some other side effects may feel like flu and might even affect your ability to do daily activities. But they should go away in a few days. You can learn more on the CDC website .
In the event of an emergency, you should call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.
If you have side effects that bother you or do not go away, you should report them to your vaccination provider or primary care provider. You should also notify the CDC at 1-800-822-7967. This is because the CDC and FDA continue to monitor the safety of the FDA-authorized and FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines. You can also use the CDC’s v-safe mobile app , which will help you monitor side effects and get second dose reminders.
The FDA has a review process for safety and effectiveness that it completes before it will authorize vaccines for emergency use by the general public. Once the FDA authorizes a vaccine for emergency use, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet to vote on recommending the vaccine.
When evaluating an emergency use authorization (EUA), the FDA carefully balances the potential risks and benefits of the products based on the data currently available. During the national public health emergency period, the FDA continues to monitor both the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.
As more COVID-19 vaccines are authorized for emergency use by the FDA, ACIP will quickly hold public meetings to review all available data about each vaccine and make recommendations for their use in the United States. Learn more about how the CDC is making COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.
The FDA approval determined that the vaccine is safe and effective at preventing COVID-19. The FDA goes through a detailed review of clinical data and information, as submitted in the Biologics License Application (BLA). In addition, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the CDC have recommended the COVID-19 FDA-approved vaccines:
The current FDA-authorized and FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines are not recommended for people with certain conditions or of different ages. The current vaccines are authorized for use among the following ages:
is not authorized or approved for children under six months old.is not authorized for children under six months old.is not authorized for people under the age of 12.is not authorized for people under the age of 18.
Per the FDA , women younger than 50 years old should be aware of the rare risk of blood clots with low platelets after Janssen vaccination. Other COVID-19 vaccines, such as Comirnaty and Spikevax,, are available for which this risk has not been seen.
There are other special considerations for when it might not be a good time to get the vaccine:
Talk to your health care provider if you have questions about getting vaccinated for COVID-19.
According to the CDC , if you have ever had a severe allergic reaction to a vaccine or an injected medicine, you should ask your doctor if you should get a COVID-19 vaccine. A severe reaction is one that requires treatment at a hospital or with medications like an EpiPen (epinephrine). According to the CDC, the likelihood of severe reaction to the FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines is very low.
The CDC recommends the people who have seasonal allergies or allergies to food, pets or oral medications, can still be vaccinated. If you have any questions, you should check with your health care provider.
For more information, read the FDA’s patient fact sheets: Pfizer-BioNTech , Moderna , Novavax and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen . Health care professionals can also look to the FDA’s health care provider fact sheets available for Pfizer-BioNTech , Moderna , Novavax and Janssen ; and the package inserts for Comirnaty and Spikevax .
According to the CDC, the FDA-approved Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine and the FDA-authorized Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine have the same formulation and may be used interchangeably. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine administered for the first two doses of COVID-19 vaccine is the same formulation as the additional third dose and booster dose. While the ingredients are the same for all ages, people ages 12 years and older receive a higher dosage than children ages 6 months through 11 years old.
According to the CDC, The FDA-approved Moderna Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine and the FDA-authorized Moderna COVID-19 vaccine have the same formulation and may be used interchangeably. The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine administered for the first two doses of COVID-19 vaccine is the same formulation as the additional third dose. The Moderna COVID-19 booster dose is one-half the formulation the original series.
COVID-19 vaccination is recommended by the CDC and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for all people age 12 years and older. This includes people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now or might become pregnant in the future. Pregnant and recently pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant people. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine can protect you from severe illness from COVID-19.
If you have questions, a conversation with your health care provider about the COVID-19 vaccine may be helpful.
If mammography is scheduled within 6 weeks after your final vaccination shot, consult with your healthcare provider or physician if it should be rescheduled.
There is no evidence that the vaccine has any effect on male or female fertility. When the vaccine is given during pregnancy, the vaccine allows the mother to create antibodies which then protect both the mother and baby from infection.
According to the CDC , COVID-19 vaccinations should be offered to people regardless of whether they have previously had COVID-19. You do not need an antibody or diagnostic test before or after you are vaccinated to learn if the vaccine worked.
Anyone currently infected with COVID-19 should wait to get vaccinated until after their illness has resolved and after they have met the criteria to discontinue isolation. Additionally, current evidence suggests that reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19 is uncommon in the 90 days after initial infection. So, people with a recent infection may delay vaccination until the end of that 90-day period.
The American Academy of Pediatricians and the American Medical Association support face masks as a science-based tool in helping prevent and control COVID-19. Masks help keep your respiratory droplets in, while keeping other people’s droplets out. They are effective in helping slow the spread of COVID-19, especially for 1) both vaccinated and unvaccinated people in highly-impacted areas , and, and 2) people and households who are not yet vaccinated or have an underlying medical condition, according to the CDC .
Make sure your mask works the best it can, according to the CDC :
Learn more about when to wear a mask on the CDC site .
According The CDC , COVID-19 vaccines can be administered without regard to timing of other vaccines, including the flu vaccine. You can get the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine during the same visit. The CDC says that routine flu vaccination is an important part of preventive care for children, adolescents and adults (including pregnant people) that should not be delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Local public health agencies determine quarantine recommendations , According to the CDC , quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others. Exposure is defined as 15 minutes or more of being within 6 feet of an individual who has tested positive or had symptoms within 2 days of exposure. By staying home or not going in public, quarantine helps prevent disease spread before a person knows they have the virus.
The CDC has identified 2 groups of people who do not need to quarantine when exposed:
Learn more on the CDC website .
According to the CDC , isolation is used to separate people infected with COVID-19 from those who are not infected. People who are in isolation should stay home until it’s safe for them to be around others. At home, anyone sick or infected should separate from others, staying in a specific “sick room” and using a separate bathroom if possible. The length of the isolation period depends on several factors. Review the CDC’s recommendations for when isolation can end based on the situation.
According to the CDC , while most people get over COVID-19 within weeks of illness, some people experience post-COVID-19 conditions that continue 4 weeks or more after infection. Several recent studies show that between 27-33% of patients who get COVID-19 and were not hospitalized developed some lasting symptoms, no matter their age, prior health or severity of their infection. While much is still unknown, the CDC reports these “long COVID” conditions can come to life in a variety of ways, ranging from difficulty breathing, fatigue, joint pain or mood changes to even more serious issues like multi-organ damage or autoimmune conditions. FDA-authorized and FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines play an important role in preventing serious illness from COVID-19. Additional information on PASC is available on the CDC website .
