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COVID-19 vaccine: It's safe and it works

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Take the next step and get your vaccine today.

Find the vaccine near you.

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The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, and helps slow the spread of the disease. All U.S. residents may get the vaccine. It's time to do our part. Get the vaccine, even if you've already had COVID-19. Together, we can move beyond the pandemic.

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Do your part, get the vaccine

Get back to a normal life. Find out where you and your loved ones can get the shot today.

 Find the vaccine near you

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I'm fully vaccinated, now what?

Thanks for doing your part. You can get back to normal life, with a few exceptions.

Learn more

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Frequently asked questions

Get the facts and all your questions answered.

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Hear the facts from an Optum doctor

Listen to an Optum doctor and learn more about COVID-19 myths and facts.

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COVID-19 vaccine FAQs

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  • It will lower your chances of getting COVID-19 or becoming seriously sick. 
    The vaccine helps your body protect itself from COVID-19. It will also help keep you from spreading COVID-19 to others.  

    • It will help you protect yourself, your family and your community.
      You can spread COVID-19 without feeling sick.
    • It will help stop COVID-19.
      The more people who get the vaccine, the less chance COVID-19 has to spread. We need to use all the tools we have to stop it. 
    OR

  • COVID-19 vaccines are safe. They work well at keeping people from getting COVID-19. You can read more about it on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

    The FDA follows a very strict system to make sure vaccines are safe. The FDA followed this system with all of the COVID-19 vaccines that it approved. 

    The FDA keeps collecting information about vaccines after they are approved. It watches for new information about side effects. You can find out more about COVID-19 vaccine safety on the CDC website. 

    COVID-19 vaccines are key to slowing the pandemic. Take care of yourself and others. Get the vaccine as soon as it’s offered to you.

    OR

  • You can find a vaccine near you here.

    OR

  • The CDC has updated its guidelines. You may still need to wear a mask and follow social distancing (stay six feet away from others): 

    • In health care settings and on airplanes and public transportation
    • In locations where federal, state and local laws differ
    • Around people whose bodies can't fight infections (like COVID-19)

    If there are no special rules for a location, and you are fully vaccinated:

    o You don't need to wear a mask indoors or outdoors

    o You don't need to "social distance" (stay six feet away from others)

    For more information, please visit the CDC website.

    OR

  • According to the CDC, COVID-19 vaccines will not give you COVID-19. The vaccines that the FDA has approved:

    • Don’t have the COVID-19 virus 
    • Can’t make you sick with COVID-19 

    There are other COVID-19 vaccines being developed in the United States. None of those use the live virus that causes COVID-19. 

    The goal for each vaccine is to teach the body to find and fight the COVID-19 virus. Read more about these facts and others on the CDC website.

    OR

  • The COVID-19 vaccine has been tested in clinical trials. It was only approved because it can greatly lower the chances of getting COVID-19.

    Even if you catch COVID-19, this vaccine may help keep you from getting very ill. Your body will be ready to fight the virus.

    OR

  • You may be told to get a COVID-19 vaccine, even if you’ve been sick with COVID-19 before. At this time, we don’t know how long you’re safe from getting sick again after you’ve had COVID-19. 

    Scientists are studying this. So far, research has showed that people in general don't stay safe from COVID-19 for long.

    OR

  • The short answer is "no." It won't change your genes. 

    The term, mRNA, stands for “messenger ribonucleic acid.” It’s basically directions for making a protein or a piece of a protein. 

    The mRNA from a COVID-19 vaccine never enters the part of the cell where our genes are kept. So the mRNA can’t change your genes. 

    Instead, COVID-19 mRNA vaccines work with the body’s natural defenses. It helps the body find and fight COVID-19. 

    OR