Updated 1/26/2021
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved to two COVID-19 vaccines. Doses of these vaccines are beginning to arrive in Oregon. Healthcare workers and first responders will be the first to get vaccinated. CMH began vaccinating frontline caregivers and first responders on Dec. 23, 2020.
The people who are most affected by the COVID-19 virus will have first access to the vaccination. In Oregon, that’s front-line healthcare workers who could be exposed to the virus at work. It may take several months for the vaccine to become available to everyone who wants it.
Clatsop County is currently in Phase 1A of a three-phase vaccine distribution plan. Please refer to Clatsop County Public Health for information about who will be offered the vaccine during this phase.
Take Clatsop County’s vaccine survey to help our community get vaccinated more efficiently. Your contact and health information will be used by Clatsop County Public Health to plan local vaccination efforts.
Vaccination is reason for hope. It’s one tool to help us end the pandemic. But, we need to continue using our safety measures to keep the virus from spreading. You should wear a mask, distance from others, wash your hands, avoid gatherings and stay home when you’re sick.
Read More:
Podcast: Preparing for the COVID-19 Vaccine with Dr. Regina Mysliwiec
COVID-19 vaccines are not yet available to the general public. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has developed a distribution plan. Check here for information about when and where you can get vaccinated.
Read More: OHA COVID-19 Vaccine Updates (Vacunas contra el COVID-19).
Vaccination is the safest way to develop immunity to COVID-19. Getting vaccinated keeps yourself, your family and your community healthy.
Vaccines help your immune system fight infections better and faster. When you get a vaccine, it sparks your immune response. This helps your body fight off and remember the germ so it can attack it if the germ ever invades again. Your immune system response can sometimes make you feel tired or ill for a few days after getting vaccinated. This is a sign that your body is learning how to fight the virus.
The most common side effects after vaccination are mild. They include:
Read More: OHA COVID-19 Fact Sheet
The COVID-19 vaccines have been tested for safety and were approved by the FDA. Studies show that they are 95% effective at preventing illness. Even if you do get COVID-19, the vaccine may keep you from getting seriously ill.
It’s important that everyone gets vaccinated so we can achieve community immunity. Together we can stop this pandemic!
Getting the COVID-19 vaccine is an important part of protecting yourself, but we can’t go back to “normal life” immediately. It will take time for most adults to get the number of shots needed for full protection against COVID-19. (The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines both require two doses.)
We’ll be able to get back to “normal life” when the number of infections drops significantly. In the meantime, it’s important to continue basic COVID-19 safety measures to stop the spread of disease. We don’t know yet if the COVID-19 vaccine prevents people from carrying the disease. You may still spread the virus to unvaccinated people, including your children or grandchildren.
For the time being, continue to wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands and stay home when you’re sick.
Q: How do I report problems or bad reactions after getting a COVID-19 vaccine?click to open
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I am encouraging all recipients who receive the vaccine to enroll in v-safe. This is a smartphone tool you can use to tell CDC if you have any side effects after getting a COVID-19 vaccine. If you report serious side effects, someone from CDC will call to follow up. I will give you instructions for how to enroll.
Source: CDC
Q: How do I know if COVID-19 vaccine is safe?click to open
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All COVID-19 vaccines were tested in clinical trials involving tens of thousands of people to make sure they meet safety standards and protect adults of different ages, races, and ethnicities. There were no serious safety concerns. CDC and the FDA will keep monitoring the
vaccines to look for safety issues after they are authorized and in use.
Source: CDC
Q: Are there long-term side effects from COVID-19 vaccine?click to open
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Because all COVID-19 vaccines are new, it will take more time and more people getting vaccinated to learn about very rare or possible long-term side effects. The good news is, at least eight (8) weeks’ worth of safety data were gathered in the clinical trials for all the authorized vaccines, and it’s unusual for vaccine side effects to appear more than eight (8) weeks after vaccination.
Source: CDC
Q: Will the shot hurt or make me sick?click to open
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There may be side effects, but they should go away within a few days. Possible side effects include a sore arm, headache, fever, or body aches. This does not mean you have COVID-19. Side effects are signs that the vaccine is working to build immunity. If they don’t go away in a week, or you have more serious symptoms, call your doctor.
Source: CDC
Q: Why do I need two COVID-19 shots?click to open
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Currently authorized vaccines, and most vaccines under development, require two doses of vaccine. The first shot helps the immune system recognize the virus, and the second shot strengthens the immune response. You need both to get the best protection.
Source: CDC
Q: Is it better to get natural immunity to COVID-19 rather than immunity from a vaccine?click to open
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No. While you may have some short-term antibody protection after recovering from COVID-19, we don’t know how long this protection lasts. Vaccination is the best protection, and it is safe. People who get COVID-19 can have serious illnesses, and some have debilitating symptoms that persist for months.
Source: CDC
Q: Is it safe to get a COVID-19 vaccine if I have an underlying medical condition?click to open
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Yes. COVID-19 vaccination is especially important for people with underlying health problems like heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, and obesity. People with these conditions are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19.
Source: CDC
Q: Can my child get vaccinated for COVID-19?click to open
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No. More studies need to be conducted before COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for children aged 16 and younger.
Source: CDC
Q: If I already had COVID-19 and recovered, do I still need to get vaccinated?click to open
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Yes. CDC recommends that you get vaccinated even if you have already had COVID-19, because you can catch it more than once. While you may have some short-term antibody protection after recovering from COVID-19, we don’t know how long this protection will last.
Source: CDC
Q: Can the vaccine give me COVID-19?click to open
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No. None of the COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized for use or in development in the United States use the live virus that causes COVID-19. However, it typically takes a few weeks for the body to build immunity after vaccination. That means it’s possible you could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination and get sick.
Source: CDC
Q: Should I get vaccinated for COVID-19?click to open
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We strongly recommend you get vaccinated. The vaccine will help protect you from getting COVID-19. If you still get infected after you get vaccinated, the vaccine may prevent serious illness. By getting vaccinated, you can also help protect people around you.
Source: CDC
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