COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Yes, the vaccines are safe.

• All the standard safety rules were followed for making the vaccines.
• The two vaccines being used in Massachusetts have been tested with many people (across different age groups, countries of origin, races and ethnicities).
  • For detailed information about Pfizer vaccine studies, visit: GRADE: Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
  • For detailed information about Moderna vaccine studies, visit: GRADE: Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine

This is how the vaccines were made so quickly:

• Scientists have been studying coronaviruses for over 50 years, so they knew a lot about them.
• The type of vaccines used (called mRNA vaccines) have been used in cancer vaccine studies for many years. This gave scientists a head start.
• Many scientists all over the world worked on this together.
• Companies usually wait until all of the studies are complete, and then they start making vaccines. With the COVID-19 vaccine, they started making the vaccines much sooner. As soon as the vaccines were found to be safe, the companies were able to ship them to the states.

Yes, all Cambridge residents will be able to get vaccinated. Because there is not enough vaccine for everyone right away, you’ll need to wait your turn.

Vaccine safety trials for children are not yet done. Children will be able to get vaccinated once vaccines are approved for them.

People in Massachusetts will be vaccinated in three phases:

Phase 1 (started January 2021):

• Health care workers
• First responders like police, firefighters and ambulance staff
• People in long-term care facilities, senior housing, and other group living situations

Phase 2 (started February 2021):

• People who are 75 years or older
  • A caregiver bringing a person 75+ to a mass vaccination site may also be vaccinated. Both people must register in advance. Some other sites may not allow a caregiver to receive a vaccine
• People who are 65 years or older
• People with 2 or more of the following health problems:
  • Asthma (moderate-to-severe)
  • Cancer
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
  • Down Syndrome
  • Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
  • Weakened immune system from organ transplant
  • Obesity (BMI >30) or Severe Obesity (BMI >40)
  • Pregnancy
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Smoking
  • Type 2 Diabetes
• People who work in certain essential jobs (for example: employees in grocery stores, restaurants, schools, transportation).

Phase 3: Vaccines will be available for the general public, meaning all adults in Cambridge. This phase is not expected to start until April of 2021 and will last for several months.

For the full vaccination schedule for Massachusetts, please visit the state’s website.

People in Massachusetts will be able to get vaccinated at large public vaccine clinics, pharmacies, local health departments, and primary care providers.

• When it is your turn to get vaccinated, you can go to vaxfinder.mass.gov to find an appointment near you to sign up for. For example:
  • Large clinics at Gillette Stadium, Fenway Park
  • Many CVS and Walgreens pharmacies
• If you cannot use a computer to sign up for a vaccine appointment, and you are in a group that is eligible for a vaccine, you can call the state’s hotline at 2-1-1 for help signing up over the phone.
• Some hospitals and health care organizations will let patients know when they can make an appointment to get vaccinated

The City of Cambridge sends out email updates about COVID-19, including vaccines. You can sign up to receive these updates here.

There are several ways to learn when it’s your turn:

• The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has a schedule on its website: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/when-can-i-get-the-covid-19-vaccine
• The City of Cambridge sends out email updates about COVID-19, including vaccines. You can sign up to receive these updates at: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/xdOL2Ta/COVID19
• Your primary care provider will have information about when you are eligible to get the vaccine.
• In addition, the City of Cambridge will be using posters, billboards, flyers, and other methods to let you know about vaccine updates.

Don’t worry! If you are in a group that can get the vaccine in Phase 1 or 2 and you miss your turn, you will still be able to get your vaccine.

If you have had an immediate allergic reaction - even if it was not severe - to a vaccine or injectable medication, ask your doctor if you should get a COVID-19 vaccine.

If you have allergies not related to vaccines or injectable medications - such as food, pet, venom, environmental or latex allergies - the CDC recommends that you get vaccinated. People with a history of allergies to oral medications may also get vaccinated.

The COVID-19 vaccine can cause mild side effects after the first or second dose, including:

• Pain, redness or swelling where the shot was given
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Muscle pain
• Chills
• Joint pain

These reactions mean the vaccine is working to help teach your body how to fight COVID-19 if you are exposed. Most side effects happen within the first three days after you get the vaccine and last only one to two days.

The COVID-19 vaccine can cause an allergic reaction right after getting the vaccine, but very rarely. That’s why people are watched for 15 or 30 minutes after they receive the vaccine to make sure that they are not allergic.

The vaccine is being offered for free by the federal government. Doctors and insurance companies are not allowed to ask patients to pay for the vaccine.

Yes. We know that getting the vaccine protects you from getting sick from COVID-19. But we don’t know yet if you can still spread the virus to others.

• Wearing a mask in public, when visiting friends or family, or when someone in your house is sick is now more important than ever with the increased spread of new COVID-19 variants
• Even after you get the vaccine, you need to cover your mouth and nose with a mask, wash hands often, and stay at least 6 feet away from others.
• It is very important that we all continue to do our part to stop the spread of COVID-19

No, the vaccine does not cause COVID-19. None of the approved COVID-19 vaccines were made with the virus.

We think that having COVID-19 will protect you from getting it again, but it is not sure for how long. That’s why people who have had COVID-19 should still get the vaccine. They should have completed isolation and have no symptoms of COVID-19 before getting the vaccine.

Some people might get sore muscles, feel tired, or have mild fever after getting the vaccine. These reactions mean the vaccine is working to help teach your body how to fight COVID-19 if you are exposed. For most people, these side effects will last no longer than a few days. If you have any concerns, call your doctor or nurse.

The current COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) require two shots for you to have full protection.

There is no COVID-19 vaccine yet for children under age 16. Several companies have begun enrolling children as young as age 12 in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials. Studies including younger children will begin soon.

COVID-19 vaccination might not be recommended for people with certain health conditions. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about getting the vaccine.

The FDA allows pregnant women to receive the vaccine.

• Pregnant women were not studied in the vaccine trials. If you are pregnant, you should talk about the vaccine with your health provider.
• If you are breastfeeding, you can still get the vaccine and do not need to stop breastfeeding.

People who want to get pregnant in the future may receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

• Based on current knowledge, experts believe that COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to pose a risk to a person trying to become pregnant, either now or in the future.
• Like other vaccines, the COVID-19 vaccines are being studied carefully and will continue to be studied for many years.
• There is no evidence suggesting that fertility problems are a side effect of ANY vaccine.

The COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) being used currently in Massachusetts do not have any:

• Eggs, pork (or other) animal products or gluten
• Antibiotics
• Blood products
• DNA
• Fetal material
• Microchips
• Preservatives
• Soy

No. The COVID-19 vaccines currently being used in Massachusetts are “messenger RNA (mRNA)” vaccines.

• mRNA vaccines work by telling your body how to make a protein that helps you stay safe from the virus (this is called immunity).
• Injecting mRNA into your body will not do anything to your DNA. Your body will break down and get rid of the mRNA soon after it has been injected.

More information on how mRNA vaccines work can be found at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Yes. The vaccine is free for all Massachusetts residents, including undocumented immigrants. Health insurance (including Medicare and Medicaid) will cover the cost of the vaccine for insured patients. People who do not have insurance will not be required to pay.

It is normal for viruses to change as they spread, and for new variants (or types) of viruses to appear. Scientists are working to learn more about new COVID-19 types -- including if the vaccines we have -- will protect against them.