COVID-19 Vaccination Information, Appointments and Resources
As of Monday, August 23, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people age 16 and older. It continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA) for people age 12 to 15, and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised people.
First Dose Appointment
If you are 12 or over and live in the United States, you can register for a vaccine (first dose) appointment here. If you prefer to make an appointment by phone, please call (646) 605-5764. We are also continuing to reach out directly to eligible patients and community members to offer vaccinations.
You can also check the New York State, New York City, New Jersey, or Connecticut websites for other locations that offer appointments or walk-in vaccination. New York City is also offering in-home vaccinations for all residents 12 and over, as well as mobile vaccination vans.
If you are seeking vaccination for a person younger than 18, make sure that the location you have chosen offers the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Other vaccines are only authorized for people 18 and over.
Vaccination records from Mount Sinai are available through New York State’s digital app, Excelsior Pass. For more information, see FAQs below or visit the Excelsior Pass website.
Third Dose Appointment
People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised are eligible for an additional (third) dose of an mRNA vaccine. This includes many people who are getting treatment for cancer, have had organ transplants, or receive treatments that weaken their immune systems. See below for more information.
We are not able to offer third doses or additional doses to others at this time, as these have not been authorized by either the FDA or the CDC.
If you think you are eligible and have received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, an appointment for a third dose at a Mount Sinai site can be made here.
COVID-19 Vaccine Myths
There are a lot of myths on the internet about COVID-19 vaccines. Mount Sinai is working with a company called NewsGuard to provide the most accurate information. If you’ve heard something that sounds questionable and want to know if it’s true or not, you can look it up in NewsGuard’s report on the top COVID-19 vaccine myths.
Frequently Asked Questions About COVID-19 Vaccines
Because information about the development of COVID-19 vaccines changes often, we are regularly updating the answers below to the most frequently asked questions.
In addition, a panel of Mount Sinai experts in infectious disease and clinical care have addressed some of the most common concerns about COVID-19 and vaccination in video roundtable discussions. They can be viewed here:
Who is eligible for a third dose of an mRNA vaccine?
On Friday, August 13, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended a third dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines for certain immunocompromised people. You may be eligible if you:
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Are receiving active cancer treatment or have a blood cancer
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Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
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Received a stem cell transplant within the last two years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system after stem cell transplant
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Have a moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome or Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
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Have advanced or untreated HIV infection
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Are receiving current treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response
Additional doses of vaccine are not recommended at this time for those with chronic medical conditions, or based on age or when your vaccination series was completed. An additional dose also is not recommended for those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, because there are no signs that this is necessary.
The CDC, the FDA, and the vaccine manufacturers do not recommend using antibody tests to determine eligibility or need for an additional dose of vaccine.
If you think you may require a third dose of vaccine, please speak with your health care provider. If your first vaccine doses were the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, you can make an appointment with Mount Sinai for a third dose here. If you were previously vaccinated with Moderna and are eligible to receive a third dose, please look to https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov to find a local provider offering Moderna.
If I already had COVID-19, should I get vaccinated?
It is safe and recommended to get vaccinated as soon as you have recovered and are no longer requiring isolation (usually 10 days after the symptoms started). If you have been treated for COVID-19 infection with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma in the past 90 days, you should plan to get vaccinated after the recommended 90-day waiting period.
(Updated 8/31/21)
Are COVID-19 vaccines widely available in New York State? Where can I get one?
Yes. Anyone who is 12 or over and lives in the United States is eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in New York State. You can schedule a vaccination with Mount Sinai via the link above, or check the New York State or New York City websites for additional sites, many of which accept walk-ins. If you are seeking vaccination for a person younger than 18, make sure that the location you have chosen offers the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Other vaccines are only authorized for people 18 and over.
(Updated 5/13/21)
Should I take the vaccine if I am pregnant or considering pregnancy, or if I am breastfeeding?
Yes. The CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccination for people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant, or might become pregnant in the future. Pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19. Getting vaccinated will protect both you and your baby.
Are the COVID-19 vaccines free?
Yes, the COVID-19 vaccines are free for everyone, whether or not you have insurance. If you do have insurance, please bring your card with you to your appointment; your insurance may be billed but you will not be charged a co-pay or other fee.
Can I choose which vaccine I get?
Most vaccination sites are not allowing for patient choice at this time. We recommend that you accept whichever vaccine you are offered and not wait for another vaccine to become available. (Updated 1/14/21)
Are Mount Sinai vaccination records available through Excelsior Pass?
All vaccinations performed at Mount Sinai are sent automatically, as required by New York State, to the state’s digital app, Excelsior Pass. Visit the Excelsior Pass website to learn more. To load your Mount Sinai vaccination record into Excelsior Pass, you will need to know the date of your second vaccination and the type of vaccine you were given. If you don’t remember this information, it is available through MyChart, our electronic health record portal. (Updated 5/11/21)
What should I do if Excelsior Pass can’t find my vaccination record?
If you have not yet downloaded MyChart, our electronic health record portal, we recommend that you do so. Step-by-step instructions can be found here.
Once you have set up MyChart, you can find your vaccination record by clicking on “Menu,” then “Health Summary,” then “Immunizations.” You should see your COVID-19 vaccination information, including the date(s) you were vaccinated and the name of the vaccine manufacturer. Be sure to enter this information, along with your name, date of birth, and other requested information, into the Excelsior Pass website or app exactly as it is recorded in MyChart.
If Excelsior Pass is still unable to locate your record, here are ways to get help:
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Call the Mount Sinai COVID-19 Vaccine Reaction and Documentation Line at 646-605-5749
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Contact Excelsior Pass at 844-699-7277 or via the web
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Contact the New York City Citywide Immunization Registry at 347-396-2400
Most venues that use Excelsior Pass also accept alternate means of proving your vaccination status. If necessary, check with your venue to see if they will accept your MyChart record or written vaccination card. (Updated 6/2/21)
If I got vaccinated outside the United States with a vaccine that is not used here, do I need to get revaccinated?
If you got vaccinated outside the United States, you may have been given a vaccine that has not received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As of May 2021, only the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccines have been authorized by the FDA.
If you received a different vaccine, here is guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for what you should do:
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If you received all recommended doses of a COVID-19 vaccine that is authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO), you do not need to be vaccinated again. As of June 2021, the WHO list of authorized vaccines includes the AstraZeneca, Covishield (India), and Sinovac and Sinopharm (China) vaccines.
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If you received one dose, but not the full recommended number of doses, of a WHO-listed COVID-19 vaccine, or if you received a vaccine that is not listed for emergency use by WHO, you may want to be revaccinated with the full recommended doses of an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine (i.e., two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine). You can go to any U.S. vaccination site to receive these vaccines if you are at least 12 years old and a resident of the United States.
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You should wait at least 28 days between your last dose of the non-U.S. vaccine and your first dose in the United States.
(Updated 6/3/21)
Should I get my antibodies checked after getting my COVID-19 vaccination?
No. COVID-19 antibody tests offered by commercial laboratories are designed to measure immunity resulting from infection, not from vaccination. These tests look for antibodies that are different from those made by current vaccines, so you won’t get a true picture of your protection.
And even if you have antibodies from a previous infection, those test results may not mean you are immune. On May 19, 2021, the FDA issued a safety warning to the public stating that results from COVID-19 antibody tests should not be used to measure the level of protection from COVID-19 at any time, especially after COVID-19 vaccination.
The CDC recommends that people who have had only one dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series get the second dose regardless of the results of antibody testing. Likewise, people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 do not need any additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine if they have negative or low antibody test results.
(Updated 6/11/21)
Should I take over-the-counter pain medications before or after my vaccination?
If you regularly take aspirin, acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol), or ibuprofen (e.g., Motrin, Advil) for other medical conditions, continue to do so as directed by your physician or as needed. Otherwise, do not take these medications before getting vaccinated. Taking over-the-counter medications like these before receiving a vaccine may decrease your immune response to the vaccine, making it less effective. After the vaccination, you can take an over-the-counter medication as needed to address side effects from the vaccine.
What Is an Emergency Use Authorization?
In the United States, vaccines must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before they can be used. The FDA bases its decision on data from clinical trials. In a clinical trial, the vaccine is given to volunteers—sometimes tens of thousands of them—while others get a placebo, meaning an injection that doesn’t contain any vaccine. Scientists observe whether the people who got the vaccine get fewer cases of the disease than those who got the placebo. This means that the vaccine appears to work in those people; this is called the vaccine’s “efficacy.” The scientists also watch out for unexpected side effects that the vaccine might have caused. This is called the vaccine’s “safety.”
If the clinical trial data shows enough evidence of efficacy and safety, the FDA will approve the vaccine and license it for use in the United States.
Sometimes, the FDA will allow a medical product that has not yet been fully approved to be used in an emergency to diagnose, treat, or prevent a serious illness. This is called “emergency use authorization” or “EUA”.
An EUA may be issued when the FDA determines that the product “may be effective” against the disease based on all the available scientific evidence. This is a lower standard than required for full approval of a product; it uses early data gathered from clinical trials.
More information on EUAs is available from the FDA website.
How do we know a vaccine is safe?
The FDA reviews all vaccines for safety before allowing them onto the market. In New York State, the Governor’s Clinical Advisory Task Force, which includes highly respected scientists like Adolfo García-Sastre, PhD, Irene and Dr. Arthur M. Fishberg Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, also offers an independent opinion about each vaccine’s safety and efficacy.
If problems are discovered with a vaccine after its release, the FDA can recommend a pause in its use, as it did with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after reports of rare but significant blood clots in several people who had taken the vaccine. After reviewing the data, the FDA decided to continue allowing its use with a warning about the rare clotting events on the label.
(Updated 4/26/21)
Will taking the vaccine give me COVID-19?
No. It is NOT possible to get COVID-19 from any of the vaccines that have received emergency use authorization or are in advanced clinical trials.
(Updated 2/8/21)
Are we taking the federal government’s word that a vaccine is safe?
No. The Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP), a group of medical and public health experts that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), also assesses the safety and efficacy of vaccines. They will also develop recommendations on COVID-19 vaccine use.
Additionally, in New York State, the Governor’s Clinical Advisory Task Force will independently review the vaccines as they are made available. According to the Governor’s plan, “The Task Force’s independent review of any federally authorized COVID-19 vaccine will help address publicly reported concerns about the scientific process and rush to market. The Task Force will rely on numerous data sources including public information and the findings of expert third party independent organizations.”
What do we know about side effects of the vaccines?
Like all vaccines, the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines can cause side effects. These rarely interfere with daily activities, and often go away with over-the-counter pain medications. It is common to have these types of side effects after a vaccination. They mean your immune system is working and making antibodies as it’s supposed to.
The following side effects were common for all three vaccines:
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Pain at injection site
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Tiredness
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Headache
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Muscle pain
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Chills
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Joint pain
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Fever
These are not all the possible side effects you may have when taking the vaccine. If you experience any side effects not listed here, tell your health care professional.
In mid-April, the FDA said that six cases had been reported in the United States of a rare and severe type of blood clot in patients who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The FDA advised that people who have received the J&J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.
Since April 2021, there has been an increase in reports of myocarditis—inflammation of the heart—and pericarditis—inflammation around the heart—after receipt of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. These reports are rare, given that more than 165 million people have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. The cases reported have tended to occur within several days after the second dose, and more frequently in vaccinated adolescents than in the general population. The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics continue to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for adolescents given the risks of COVID-19 infection in this age group. If you experience chest pain, shortness of breath, or feeling like your heart is racing or fluttering, please consult a health care professional.
(Updated 6/11/21)
How many shots do I have to get if I want to be protected against COVID-19?
Some of the vaccines that have been authorized by the FDA—including the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines—require two doses three to four weeks apart. It is very important that you get both doses at the recommended times. Others, including the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, require only one shot.
We do not yet know how long the protection from these vaccines will work. It is possible that you will need to get additional shots in the future.
(Updated 3/16/21)
If I received my first dose at another site, can I get my second dose with you?
We recommend that you receive your second dose at the same location where you got your first dose.
(Updated 5/7/21)
If I am diagnosed with COVID-19 or asked to quarantine, when can I get my second dose?
After you are feeling well and complete your isolation period, please let the site where you received your first dose know and the second dose can be rescheduled.
Should I take these vaccines if I have severe allergies?
Do not get the Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines if you have had a severe allergic reaction (i.e., anaphylaxis) to vaccines or the components of that vaccine. If you have a history of severe medication allergies, please discuss with your health care provider.
(Updated 3/1/21)
Do the clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines include people from the most affected groups?
Yes.
While vaccines work the same in people of different races or ethnicities, it is important to make sure vaccines are tested in diverse population groups before they are released. The phase 3 clinical trials conducted by Pfizer and Moderna included significant numbers of participants from the population groups most at risk for COVID-19.
In Pfizer’s U.S. trial, 13.1 percent of participants are Hispanic/Latinx, 10.1 percent are Black, 5.5 percent are Asian American, and 1 percent are Native American. About 45 percent of U.S. participants are 56-85 years of age.
For comparison, in the most recent estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau, 18.4 percent are Hispanic/Latinx, 12.8 percent are Black, 5.7 percent are Asian American, and 0.9 percent are Native American. The Census uses slightly different age groups than the drug companies, but says that 27.4 percent of Americans are between ages 55 and 84.
Of the patients in Moderna’s trial, 9.7 percent identified as Black or African American, 20 percent as Hispanic/Latinx, 4.7 percent as Asian, and 0.8 percent as Native American. Also, 25.3 percent were over the age of 65 (compared to 16.5 percent in the general population), and 22.3 percent had at least one high-risk chronic disease, such as diabetes, severe obesity, and cardiac disease.
In Johnson & Johnson’s worldwide trials, 59 percent of patients were white, 45 percent were Hispanic and/or Latinx, and 19 percent were Black or African American. In their trial in the United States, 74 percent were white, 15 percent Hispanic/Latinx, and 13 percent Black/African American. Forty-one percent of participants in the Johnson & Johnson study had health conditions associated with an increased risk for severe COVID-19.
(Updated 3/1/21)
How well do the first vaccines work?
The FDA reports that the vaccine made by Pfizer had an efficacy rate of 95 percent. That means that under the controlled conditions of the company’s phase 3 trial there were 95 percent fewer cases of COVID-19 in the group of people who got the vaccine compared to the group of people who got the placebo.
The FDA reports that the vaccine made by Moderna had a similar efficacy rate to Pfizer’s, and that the vaccine’s efficacy rates were similar across genders, age groups, racial and ethnic groups, and groups with comorbidities.
The FDA reports that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine had an efficacy rate at preventing moderate to severe COVID-19 of 66 percent worldwide, 72 percent in the United States, and 64 percent in South Africa where a new virus variant has become prevalent. This efficacy rate was similar for all major racial and ethnic groups and all age groups, but the efficacy dropped to 59 percent for groups with comorbidities.
According to the FDA, all three vaccines were nearly 100 percent efficacious at preventing hospitalization and death in the clinical trial populations. This may be the most significant finding of the clinical trials. It suggests that all of these vaccines can sharply reduce the severity of COVID-19 and ease the burden on hospitals.
(Updated 3/1/21)
How do the COVID-19 vaccines work?
Vaccines expose us to pieces of either a bacteria or a virus. Our body mounts an immune response by making antibodies against those pieces. Antibodies are proteins that fight germs like viruses and bacteria by latching onto and disabling them. The goal is that our body will then recognize those pieces and use the antibodies to fight off any future exposure to the real bacteria or virus.
There are several different types of vaccines.
Traditional vaccines include pieces of the virus in them. This causes your immune system to react by making antibodies against those pieces.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are called “messenger RNA” vaccines. They do not contain pieces or proteins from the virus. Instead, they contain instructions for your cells, called “messenger RNA.” This messenger RNA tells your cells to make the COVID-19 spike protein themselves. Once your cells make the spike protein, your immune system will make the antibodies that fight COVID-19 and protect you from getting sick from this virus.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine also instructs your cells to make the COVID-19 spike protein themselves, but it delivers those instructions by using a harmless adenovirus, similar to a common cold virus, rather than using messenger RNA.
(Updated 3/29/21)
What is “herd immunity” and when will we get there?
Herd immunity means that enough people in a community are immune to a disease that the disease can’t spread easily among them. That helps protect people who are not immune—for example, those who can’t be vaccinated for some reason—from getting sick. In the case of COVID-19, we don’t yet know how many people need to be vaccinated to reach herd immunity. But we are likely still far away from that point.
How do I know what vaccine information online is accurate?
There is a lot of information on the internet about vaccines, and it can be difficult to know which sites to trust. Mount Sinai is providing a tool called NewsGuard, which is a browser extension you can download that will help determine which information about vaccines and other health topics is accurate.
I’ve heard some really hard-to-believe things about COVID-19 vaccines. How can I find out if they’re true?
There are a lot of myths on the internet about COVID-19 vaccines. Mount Sinai is working with a company called NewsGuard to provide the most accurate information. If you’ve heard something that sounds questionable and want to know if it’s true or not, you can look it up in NewsGuard’s report on the top COVID-19 vaccine myths.
Will the COVID-19 vaccine affect my period?
Medical researchers have not found any evidence that the COVID-19 vaccine will impact the menstrual cycle. Fluctuations in the menstrual cycle are quite common and have a variety of causes including stress, weight gain, changes in physical activity, and underlying medical conditions. Susan S. Khalil, MD, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, encourages patients who notice irregularities in their cycle to contact a gynecologist.
(Updated 5/7/21)
Were the vaccines tested in children?
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorized for use in children ages 12-15 after the manufacturer reported that tests in that age group showed it to be 100 percent effective at preventing symptomatic disease. Pfizer-BioNTech is now testing it in children ages 5-11, and Moderna is testing its vaccine in two different age groups: children under 12 (including babies as young as 6 months), and children ages 12-17. The FDA has not yet authorized the vaccines for use in those age groups.
(Updated 5/13/21)
How long does immunity last after the vaccine?
We do not know how long the protection will last. The clinical trials are ongoing with the aim of determining this information.
What blood type is the vaccine the least effective for?
This was not included in the clinical trials, but it is unlikely that blood type would affect vaccine response.
Can I donate blood after receiving vaccine?
At this time, there is no contraindication to donating blood, but you should inform the collecting agency of your vaccination status. If they have any concerns, they will let you know.
Do we know if COVID-19 vaccine reacts with other vaccines I may be prescribed?
This is not yet known. You should discuss your COVID-19 vaccination with your primary physician. You and your doctor should then work together to plan how other vaccinations will be spaced around your COVID-19 vaccinations.
