COVID-19 Vaccine
The FDA and and CDC have authorized third doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for those who have moderate to severely compromised immune systems. Additional doses are not authorized for Johnson & Johnson at this time.
Additional doses should not be given sooner than 28 days after receiving a second dose of Pfizer or Moderna.
Individuals with the following conditions are currently eligible to receive a third dose:
- Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood.
- Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system.
- Received a stem cell transplant within the last two years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system.
- Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome).
- Advanced or untreated HIV infection.
- Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response.
Boosters
Appointments for booster doses are not currently available but may be available in the coming days when vaccine providers have formal guidance from the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). On 9/22 the FDA amended the emergency use authorization for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to include the use of a single booster dose. On 9/23, the ACIP met to review the available data and amended authorization to make formal recommendations to the CDC for the use of Pfizer booster doses. Once formal guidance from CDC and CDPHE is available, vaccine providers may start to give Pfizer booster doses following that guidance. Keep an eye on our website for updates or sign up here to receive updates via email and text once available.
FAQs
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Larimer County coordinates with local organizations to ensure resources are available to assist with public health volunteer needs. You can also register as a volunteer with these Colorado organizations.
- Medical and health professions: The Colorado Volunteer Mobilizer is currently working to recruit and train individuals from the following areas: Physicians, Nurses, Pharmacists, Respiratory Therapists, EMT/Paramedics, Behavioral/Mental Health and Veterinary/animal response to name a few, to respond to "all-hazards" incidents.
- Non-medical volunteers: Please sign up with Volunteers of America Colorado to be contacted to volunteer at community vaccination sites in Larimer County.
- Non-medical volunteers can sign up here with the Larimer County Health Department to be contacted if volunteers are needed for other COVID-19 response activities in Larimer County.
- Register to volunteer to help in Colorado through the Colorado Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety.
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To replace your COVID vaccine card, contact the provider you went to for your vaccine first.
To replace your vaccine card, we will need to verify your immunization record in our record system or in the Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS). If you were vaccinated by the health department or at the State Community Vaccination Site at The Ranch, please complete this form to request a new card.
If you were vaccinated by another healthcare provider in Colorado, you may complete the replacement card request form. We are not able to verify records for immunizations provided outside of Colorado.
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The FDA requires that vaccines undergo a rigorous scientific process, including three phases of clinical trials, before they authorize or approve a vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccines are subject to the same safety standards as other vaccine trials.
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To date, the independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board overseeing Phase 3 trials of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines has not identified or reported any serious safety concerns. All phase 3 studies have Data Safety and Monitoring Boards. The boards are made up of independent scientists hired by the company to look at the safety data and check at regular intervals whether the company should cancel or continue with the study.
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Additionally, two independent advisory committees will review a vaccine’s safety data before it is made available to the public. These committees are the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), which advises the FDA, and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which advises the CDC.
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Learn more about the Vaccine safety and development process.
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You will not be immediately protected from COVID-19 after receiving the vaccine. Studies show that it takes about two weeks after your last dose for your body to be able to protect itself against illness.
People are considered fully vaccinated:
- 2 weeks after their 2nd shot in a 2-dose series, like the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines
- 2 weeks after a single shot vaccine, like the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine
Current information suggests it is possible that someone who has been vaccinated against COVID-19 may still have a mild or asymptomatic infection or spread the virus to others. So it is important to continue taking precautions. Continue wearing masks and practicing physical distancing until it is clear that it is safe to stop.
While no vaccine is 100% effective, the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Jonhson vaccines are highly effective for preventing severe COVID-19 illness, hospitalization, and death.
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Employers may be able to require COVID-19 vaccination for in-person work for their employees, but an employee may be entitled to an exemption through the ADA and Civil Rights Act of 1964. The state of Colorado is not currently pursuing any mandates. The U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission has more information on this on their website.
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Feeling a little under the weather in the day or two after getting a vaccine is quite normal. Pain at the site the shot was given is common.
It's common to have flu-like symptoms like muscle aches, fatigue, chills, and fever after the injection. It's more common to have these symptoms after the second shot, but they can still happen after the first. These symptoms can be managed by resting, drinking lots of fluids, and taking over-the-counter medications like tylenol or ibuprofen unless your doctor has told you in the past not to take these types of medications. If the symptoms don't go away after 1-2 days, or if you have any concerns about their duration or severity, we recommend that you reach out to your physician for further guidance.Severe reactions are rare. If you believe you are having a serious reaction the a vaccine, please contact your healthcare provider for advice. If you would like to report an adverse (bad) reaction to a vaccine, you can do so through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). VAERS is an early-warning system that collects and analyzes reports of any problems that happen after vaccination. Anyone can submit a report, including parents, patients, and health care professionals.
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On Friday 4/23, The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the Colorado Joint Vaccine Task Force alerted providers that they can proceed with using the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine immediately. The pause of this particular vaccine highlights the FDA and CDC commitment to vaccine safety.
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Serious side effects (also known as adverse events) are extremely rare. The federal government takes all reports of vaccine adverse events seriously.
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CDC and FDA reviewed data involving six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in people who received the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine. They found that this vaccine may be associated with an increased risk of very rare but potentially severe blood clots, now called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome or TTS, particularly among women under the age of 50. Approximately seven cases of TTS per 1,000,000 vaccine doses have been identified in women under 50 to date.
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The FDA and CDC have confidence that the Janssen vaccine is safe and effective in preventing COVID-19.
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CDPHE has sent information to health care providers to inform them about how to identify and treat TTS in the very rare case it were to occur. The FDA and CDC have confidence that this vaccine is safe and effective in preventing COVID-19.
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The FDA has determined that the available data show that the vaccine’s known and potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks in individuals 18 years of age and older.
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At this time, the available data suggest that the chance of TTS occurring is very low, but the FDA and CDC will remain vigilant in continuing to investigate this risk.
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Health care providers administering the vaccine and vaccine recipients or caregivers should review the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers Administering Vaccine (Vaccination Providers) and Fact Sheet for Recipients and Caregivers, which have been revised to include information about the risk of this syndrome, which has occurred in a very small number of people who have received the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine.
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People who have received the Janssen vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.
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There are many benefits of the one-dose vaccine:
- Only requires one dose for protection, which means "fully vaccinated" status in just two weeks.
- Eliminates need to quarantine if exposed once 14 days past shot (this is true of all COVID-19 vaccines)
- 2 dose vaccines, while very effective, take up to 6 weeks for complete vaccination
- Getting back to normal sooner
- Protecting those around you sooner
Reactions to vaccines typically happen in the 15-30 minutes after getting the shot, this is why medical staff observe patients before they can leave the vaccine site. We understand that there are people (around 120k in Colorado) that have received the J&J vaccine and might have concerns.
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Individuals who are fully vaccinated (2 doses of Pfizer or Moderna and 1 dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine) do not need a booster vaccination at this time. Boosters are not currently authorized or recommended in the United States and Larimer county is not currently offering additional booster vaccinations for those who are fully vaccinated. The CDC, FDA, and public health officials are reviewing new data as it becomes available, and will share any updated recommendations to keep the public informed.
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Adults 18 or over and parents / guardians of minors under 18 can view and print an official record of their immunizations using the Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS) Public Portal. In order to retrieve these immunization records, the patient information in CIIS must match what you are entering into the search.
To update your vaccination records, email a copy of your vaccination card to: cdphe.ciis@state.co.us
To request an official copy of your CIIS record for yourself or your minor child, please complete this form. The records can be emailed via encrypted email as a PDF attachment, mailed, or picked up at our Fort Collins office.
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Yes. For additional FAQs, please visit the Colorado Health Department website.
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The AstraZeneca vaccine is not currently available in the United States. For those who received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine and were unable to complete the full series, the CDC recommends receiving 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna). Those who will be completing their vaccine series with the mRNA vaccines should receive their first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine no sooner than 28 days after their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
