There have been a lot of changes and updates related to COVID-19 vaccines recently — so keep reading to get your COVID-19 vaccine questions answered. 

Since the beginning of November, the COVID-19 vaccine has become available to children ages 5-11. Now, everyone ages 5 and older is eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19. A smaller, pediatric dosage of the Pfizer vaccine is the brand authorized for use in children 5-11. This vaccine requires 2 doses, 3 weeks apart. Parents with questions regarding the COVID-19 vaccine are encouraged to talk with their child’s doctor. 

The CDC and Wisconsin Department of Health Services recommend that everyone 16 years of age and older get a COVID-19 vaccine booster. People who received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) can get their booster dose at least 6 months after they received their second dose. People who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine can get their booster at least 2 months after their initial dose. The COVID-19 vaccines work very well, however public health experts are starting to see reduced protection, especially among certain groups of people, against mild and moderate disease. The COVID-19 vaccine booster doses help ensure better protection against COVID-19. 

No vaccine is 100% effective, including the COVID-19 vaccine. People who have been vaccinated can still get COVID-19, however it is much less likely vaccinated individuals will develop the disease, much less likely that they’ll become hospitalized, and much less likely that they would die of COVID-19. Additionally, people who do develop COVID-19 after being vaccinated tend to have more mild symptoms than people who are not vaccinated.

The COVID-19 vaccines cannot make people sick with COVID-19. These vaccines do not contain the live virus that would give people COVID-19. After getting vaccinated many people experience side effects such as a sore arm, headache, fever, or chills. These symptoms are an indicator that the vaccine is doing its job and the body is building protection against COVID-19.

People who become sick with COVID-19 often decide to get vaccinated after being sick — or were vaccinated and now need to get their booster dose. Most people who have tested positive for COVID-19 can get vaccinated or get their booster as soon as they are released from isolation. The two reasons they would need to wait is if they 1) received a monoclonal antibody treatment while they had COVID-19 or 2) had multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). People who received this infusion treatment and children who had MIS-C should wait 90 days before getting the COVID-19 vaccine. 

The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are new to the general public, but they have been in development for over 20 years. The COVID-19 pandemic presented such an urgent public health crisis that immense amounts of resources were poured into developing a vaccine, which is in part why these vaccines were developed relatively quickly. These vaccines are meant to save the lives of humans, and they would not have been given the authorization to be used if they presented an additional threat to the health of those receiving them.

Anyone who has additional questions or concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine should talk to their trusted doctor. More information about COVID-19 vaccines can also be found on the Green County Public Health website, Wisconsin Department of Health Services website or CDC website. 

To find a vaccine provider, community members should go to vaccines.gov.

— Bridget Craker is the Public Health Educator for the Green County Public Health Department and can be reached at bcraker@greengountywi.org or 608-328-9509.