What you need to know about the covid vaccine

Americans could start receiving a covid-19 vaccine as early as this month, as three drugmakers have produced vaccines deemed highly effective. Health and government officials are moving quickly to organize the distribution and delivery systems for the vaccines. Three drugmakers — AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer — are seeking regulatory approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for three different vaccines. Here are some common questions about the vaccines.

Who will get the vaccine first in Pennsylvania once it is available?

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, officials will work to get the vaccine out to Pennsylvanians in three phases: During Phase 1, the vaccine will go to health care personnel, emergency medical services first responders and residents and staff of congregate care settings. In Phase 2, efforts will focus on ensuring access to the vaccine for Phase 1 critical populations who were not yet vaccinated and the general population. In Phase 3, efforts will focus on ensuring the entire population will have access to the vaccine.

When will I be able to able to get a shot? Will I need two doses?

Individuals will receive two shots separated by 21 days, said Excela Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Carol Fox. “We do not yet know when that might be,” said Fox who prefaced her remarks by saying Excela Health will be following the guidelines set by the state for distribution.

If you’ve had covid, should you get the vaccine?

Yes, according to Pittsburgh-based infectious disease and critical care physician Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

“You should still get the vaccine even if you’ve had covid-19 in the past. Though a prior infection confers immunity, it is somewhat unpredictable and the duration is uncertain,” Adalja said. “Your natural immunity would be boosted by the vaccine. If your covid-19 infection was recent (within 3 months), you may want to let others get the vaccine ahead of you in your priority group, however.”

What are the potential side effects?

Sore arm, generalized achiness, fatigue and fever, according to Fox. “We’re told that approximately 20% of individuals will experience some side effects, more so after the second dose,” Fox said.

Can my kids get the covid vaccine?

The state department of health says the vaccines that will be available early on are for people 18 and older. More research is needed to make sure any covid-19 vaccine will be safe and effective for infants, kids and teens.

Will people have a choice on which vaccine to get?

Probably not, according to Adalja. But he has also said that between Pfizer and Moderna, there is no reason to prefer one or the other.

“The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines to my knowledge look to be interchangeable for the recipient of the vaccine,” Adalja said. “So there’s really no reason to be going across the border to get the Moderna vaccine if your state is offering the Pfizer vaccine.”

Should people with allergies avoid getting vaccinated?

“We are told that individuals with prior reaction to vaccines may want to wait for a period of time to receive the vaccine in order to get a better sense of why they may or may not have a reaction,” said Fox.

Will the vaccine be mandatory?

The state Department of Health said it has no plans to make the vaccine mandatory.

“You have to remember that this is going to be available not with a full FDA licensure, but with an emergency use authorization,” Dr. Adalja said. “I don’t think this is something that could be mandated or would be mandated because its availability is based on a limited amount of data.”

Does getting the vaccine make you immune to covid-19?

The covid-19 vaccination will help protect you by creating an antibody response without having to experience sickness, according to the state department of health. Both natural immunity and immunity produced by a vaccine are important aspects of covid-19 that experts are trying to learn more about, and the CDC will keep the public informed as new evidence becomes available.

How much vaccine will be available?

When the FDA first authorizes or approves the use of one or more covid-19 vaccines in the United States, there may be a limited supply. This would mean that not everyone will be able to be vaccinated right away, the health department said.