Things to Know

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Here are a few things you should know about the vaccine and what to expect when it is time for you to receive your shot.
Questions about COVID Vaccines for children and adolescents? Read for more detailed answers.
Frequently Asked Questions
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ASL Video Resources: Minnesota Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control
Are the Vaccines Safe? Have They Been Thoroughly Tested?
The COVID-19 vaccines are safe, much safer than getting sick with COVID-19. Tens of thousands of volunteers — including many in the Finger Lakes Region — received the vaccines in clinical trials to make sure they are safe and effective. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to ensure the safety of these vaccines through its ongoing vaccine safety and monitoring system..
Millions of Americans have received the vaccine so far, and the results of the CDC’s ongoing safety monitoring efforts are reassuring. According to the CDC, serious side effects are rare, and long-term side effects are unlikely. Read more about the CDC’s findings.
Scientists began researching possible coronavirus vaccines with the SARS outbreak in 2003. That work on SARS, which is similar to COVID-19, formed the foundation for today's vaccines. Work on the breakthrough technology in the COVID-19 vaccines also began many years ago. Full clinical trials ran while the vaccines were being manufactured to save more time. No steps were skipped. Learn more about how the vaccines were developed.
Yes, the COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for everyone 5 years of age and older, including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now or might become pregnant in the future, as well as their partners. According to the CDC, evidence shows that the benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine outweigh any known or potential risks of vaccination during pregnancy, and pregnant people or those who have been recently pregnant are more likely to become seriously ill from COVID compared to people who are not pregnant. In addition, there is currently no evidence the vaccines cause fertility problems for women or men.
To help you learn more about COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and breastfeeding:
- Tara Gellasch, MD, OBGYN, Chief Medical Officer at Rochester Regional Health, provides answers to some common questions.
- Lorelei Thornberg, MD, OBGYN, a high-risk pregnancy expert at UR Medicine, addresses common concerns in a series of videos.
- Eva Pressman, M.D., chair of the UR Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, answers common questions about COVID boosters during pregnancy.
- Local experts answer questions about pregnancy and COVID-19 in this online Women’s Health Forum, hosted by Common Ground Health.
Yes. Clinical trials for both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines included people of color. Participants in the phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were 26.2% Hispanic/Latino, 9.8% African American, 4.4% Asian, and <3% other races /ethnicities. Participants in the Moderna clinical trials were 20% Hispanic /Latino, 9.7% African American, 4.7% Asian, and <3% other races/ethnicities. According to the independent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the vaccines showed consistent high efficacy (≥92%) across age, sex, race, and ethnicity categories, as well as among individuals who had underlying medical conditions and those with evidence of previous COVID-19 infection.
The National Medical Association, one of the largest national organizations representing Black physicians and their patients, and the National Hispanic Medical Association support the FDA recommendations to approve the COVID-19 vaccines.
Do the Vaccines Work?
Yes, the COVID-19 vaccines reduce your risk of getting COVID-19 and help protect you from severe illness. In addition to clinical trials, studies of how the vaccines work in the real world show that the vaccines work well. Researchers continue to gather and analyze data about the vaccines to make sure they work well against new variants of the virus, such as Omicron. Read the latest on vaccine effectiveness.
It’s important to understand that while COVID-19 vaccines are effective against severe disease and death, no vaccine is perfect. Some people who are fully vaccinated will still get COVID-19 (also known as breakthrough infections). However, evidence shows when people who are fully vaccinated get COVID-19, they are less likely to get seriously ill than those who are not vaccinated and get COVID-19. They are less likely to be hospitalized and die than people who are not vaccinated.
Studies show that the vaccines’ ability to protect against the COVID-19 virus may decrease over time, making them less able to prevent against infection, particularly against the Delta variant. According to the CDC, this is likely due to a couple of factors: decreasing protection as time passes (also called waning immunity) and the greater infectiousness of the Delta variant.
The recent emergence of the Omicron variant makes booster shots even more important. Scientists around the world are studying vaccine effectiveness related to this variant, which appears to be highly transmissible. According to the CDC, strong immunity will likely prevent serious illness, and the CDC recommends that everyone 18 and older receive a booster either when they are six months after their initial Pfizer or Moderna series or two months after their initial Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The vaccines continue to be very effective at preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death from more widely circulating variants of COVID-19. Learn more about COVID-19 booster shots and who should receive them.
What are the Vaccines' Side Effects?

Common side effects can include fever, fatigue, headaches, muscle and joint pain, or chills, lasting about 12 to 24 hours. Having these side effects does not mean you are sick with COVID-19. Rather, they are a sign that the vaccine is doing its job: training your body to build immunity against the COVID-19 virus.
The vaccines do not contain any part of the COVID-19 virus and cannot cause that infection. Learn more about what side effects to expect and get helpful tips on how to reduce pain and discomfort after your shots.
Serious side effects (also called adverse events) after COVID-19 vaccination are rare. They can include serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) and other conditions. Learn more and how the CDC monitors the safety of these vaccines.
What About the Vaccines for Children and Teens?
Children ages 6 months and older are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are authorized for use in children and adolescents:
Moderna vaccine
- For children ages 6 months to 5 years: The Moderna vaccine for children in this age group requires two doses. The doses are spaced four weeks apart. Each dose is 25 micrograms, which is one-quarter of an adult dose.
- For children age 6 to 17 years: The Moderna vaccine for children and adolescents in this age group requires two doses. The doses are spaced four weeks apart, and the dosage is the same as the dosage for adults.
Pfizer vaccine
- For children ages 6 months to 4 years: The Pfizer vaccine for children in this age group requires three doses. The first two doses are given three weeks apart, and the third dose follows at least two months later. Each dose is 3 micrograms, which is lower than the doses older children and adults receive (10 micrograms for children 5-11 and 30 micrograms for children 12 and older).
- For children ages 5 to 11 years: The Pfizer vaccine for this age group requires two doses. Each dose is 10 micrograms, which is lower than the dose individuals 12 and older receive (30 micrograms). Children ages 5 and older are eligible to receive a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine five months after they have completed their first two doses.
- For children ages 12 to 17: The Pfizer vaccine for this age group requires two doses, given three weeks apart. The dosage of vaccine for this age group is the same as the dosage for adults (30 micrograms). Children ages 12 and older are eligible to receive a booster dose of vaccine five months after they have completed their first two doses.
Yes, the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective in children and adolescents.
The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have been studied in clinical trials that focused on children ages 6 months and older.
The CDC and FDA are continuing to monitor the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines in real-world conditions, as well as in clinical trials.
Read about one family’s experience participating in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials.
Read more about how the COVID-19 vaccines work and what you should know about vaccines for children younger than 5 in this information for parents from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
With both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, the main difference is the dosage. Younger children receive a lower dose of the vaccines than older children and adults.
Moderna vaccine
- For children ages 6 months to 5 years: The Moderna vaccine for children in this age group requires two doses. The doses are spaced four weeks apart. Each dose is 25 micrograms, which is one-quarter of an adult dose.
- For children age 6 to 17 years: The Moderna vaccine for children and adolescents in this age group requires two doses. The doses are spaced four weeks apart, and the dosage is the same as the dosage for adults.
Pfizer vaccine
- For children ages 6 months to 4 years: The Pfizer vaccine for children in this age group requires three doses. The first two doses are given three weeks apart, and the third dose follows at least two months later. Each dose is 3 micrograms, which is lower than the doses older children and adults receive (10 micrograms for children 5-11 and 30 micrograms for children 12 and older).
- For children ages 5 to 11 years: The Pfizer vaccine for this age group requires two doses. Each dose is 10 micrograms, which is lower than the dose individuals 12 and older receive (30 micrograms). Children ages 5 and older are eligible to receive a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine five months after they have completed their first two doses.
- For children ages 12 to 17: The Pfizer vaccine for this age group requires two doses, given three weeks apart. The dosage of vaccine for this age group is the same as the dosage for adults (30 micrograms). Children ages 12 and older are eligible to receive a booster dose of vaccine five months after they have completed their first two doses.
The side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine in children are similar to those in adults. They are generally mild to moderate and include soreness in the arm where the injection was given, redness and swelling, fatigue, headache, muscle and/or joint pain, chills, fever, swollen lymph nodes, nausea, and decreased appetite. In clinical trials, more children reported side effects after the second dose than after the first. Most side effects occurred within two days after vaccination and went away within one to two days.
Cases of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the heart’s outer lining) have been reported among adolescents and young adults who have received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. There were no cases of myocarditis or pericarditis among the 5- to 11-year-old study population. Reports of these conditions are rare, and the FDA and CDC have determined that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks of not being vaccinated. Learn more about these conditions.
How Can I Prove That I’ve Been Vaccinated?
You can either show the white vaccination card you received when you got your vaccine, or you can download New York State’s Excelsior Pass, a free, secure and voluntary way to show that you have been vaccinated.
The Excelsior Pass is like a mobile boarding pass that you can keep on your smartphone or print out. Your Pass is generated based on data provided by your vaccine provider to the secure New York State and New York City immunization and COVID-19 testing databases. Check out these FAQs to learn more.
Still have questions about the COVID-19 vaccines?
Talk with a 211 representative today; simply call, text, or chat 7-days a week.
Science
New Kinds of Vaccines
Vaccines train the body's immune system to protect us from infections and disease. Until now, many vaccines used a weakened or inactivated germ to stimulate an immune response. The COVID-19 vaccines work by getting your immune system to recognize a key feature of the coronavirus called the spike protein. The current vaccines take different approaches to this:
- mRNA Vaccines: The Prizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines use a molecule called messenger RNA (mRNA) — not the COVID-19 virus — to deliver genetic instructions to build the virus's characteristic spike protein and trigger an immune response that protects us from being infected. Learn How the COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Work.
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Adenovector Vaccines: The Johnson & Johnson vaccine uses DNA to deliver the genetic instructions to build the virus's characteristic spike protein. The DNA is added to another virus, called an adenovirus, that is pulled into your body's cells where the gene for the spike protein is read and copied into mRNA. The mRNA then helps to trigger an immune response that protects us from being infected by the COVID-19 virus. Adenoviruses commonly cause cold-like symptoms, but in this vaccine, the adenovirus has been changed so that it cannot make you sick. Learn how the Johnson & Johnson vaccine works.
COVID-19 has killed more than 560,000 people in the U.S.
That’s why a panel of experts have decided the benefits of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine outweigh the risks — especially for certain groups. Local researchers explain why you can trust J & J.
Because these vaccines do not use the virus that causes COVID-19, they cannot make you sick with COVID-19. These vaccines also do not affect or interact with our DNA in any way.
Learn How the COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Work.
Our Region's Role
Angela Branche, MD, an Infectious Disease specialist at the University of Rochester Medical Center,
and Ann Falsey, MD, an Infectious Disease specialist at Rochester Regional Health, work together to lead clinical
trials of COVID-19 vaccines in the Finger Lakes region.
Researchers, doctors and volunteers in the Finger Lakes region have played an important part in testing potential COVID-19 vaccines. Since mid-2020, health systems including the University of Rochester Medical Center and Rochester Regional Health, as well as independent research centers such as Rochester Clinical Research and Finger Lakes Clinical Research, have been offering COVID vaccine trials. These trials included the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine that was approved by the FDA in December.
Locally, researchers have emphasized the importance of diversity among the clinical trial participants. Read about some of their efforts:
- Pandemic spurs quest to enroll more Black Americans in vaccine trials, Reuters, Jan. 28, 2021
- Diversity Crucial to Success of COVID-19 Vaccine Trials, Minority Reporter, Oct. 22, 2020
- Wade Norwood on the COVID-19 Vaccine: My Journey Has Moved Me to Say Yes, Minority Reporter, Jan. 15, 2021
- Connections: Discussing coronavirus vaccine trials, WXXI News, Aug. 19, 2020
Hundreds of Finger Lakes area residents have participated in these clinical trials and continue to volunteer for ongoing studies of other vaccine candidates. We are grateful for their participation and commitment to finding vaccines to fight COVID-19 infection.