COVID-19 Vaccination Information and Resources
Mount Sinai Health System will pause the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in accordance with recommendations by New York State, CDC and FDA due to extremely rare, adverse events related to the vaccine. All Mount Sinai South Nassau vaccination van events will use the Pfizer vaccine for the time being. People who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider. We will provide more information when available.
At this time, we regret that we are unable to take requests for new vaccination appointments. As our vaccine supply permits, we are reaching out to eligible patients and community members to schedule appointments. If you are looking to book a vaccine appointment, please consider vaccination options through New York State and New York City. All second-dose and employee vaccinations are proceeding as scheduled. For more information, visit our Vaccine Appointment Information page.
As of Tuesday, April 6, all residents of New York State ages 16 and over are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.
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.
If you received Dose 1 from Mount Sinai and are scheduled to receive Dose 2, we encourage you to keep your appointment. However, if you:
- Need to reschedule due to an emergency
- Believe your Dose 2 appointment was canceled in error
Please call us at 646-605-5760. This line is NOT for general questions about the vaccine or new appointments.
Frequently Asked Questions About COVID-19 Vaccines
Because information about the development of COVID-19 vaccines changes often, we are regularly updating answers to the most frequently asked questions.
Are COVID-19 vaccines widely available in New York State?
As of Tuesday, April 6, all New York State residents age 16 and up are eligible to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Vaccine supplies are limited and it is usually necessary to schedule an appointment in advance. Vaccination sites may require proof of age and residency.
(Updated 4/6/21)
Should I take the vaccine if I am pregnant or considering pregnancy, or if I am breastfeeding?
Pregnant and breastfeeding persons and those who are considering pregnancy are encouraged to speak to their health care providers about the potential benefit of vaccination, especially if they are a health care worker or an essential worker, or have underlying medical conditions.
If I am eligible for vaccines, where can I get them?
Eligible New York State residents should check the New York State and New York City vaccine websites for information about where to get vaccinated.
(Updated 3/30/21)
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)
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 will also offer an independent opinion about each vaccine’s safety and efficacy. This 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, reviewed the data independently and recommended approval of the Pfizer vaccine on Thursday, December 10; the Moderna vaccine on Friday, December 18; and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Monday, March 1.
(Updated 3/1/21)
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 first 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.
(Updated 3/1/21)
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?
Please note that you must get your second dose at the same location where you got your first. This is a New York State Department of Health requirement and is necessary to ensure that the right quantities of doses are available at each location.
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)
If I already had COVID-19, should I get vaccinated?
If you have had COVID-19 and recovered, it is still worthwhile to get a COVID-19 vaccine. While most people are protected from getting COVID-19 again after they’ve recovered, we don’t know how long that protection lasts.
If I get vaccinated, can I stop wearing masks and socially distancing?
If you get a vaccine, you should still protect yourself by wearing a mask and social distancing in most cases. The CDC said in March that people who are fully vaccinated—meaning two weeks or more have passed since their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or their only shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine—can gather indoors without a mask or social distancing, and can gather with unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk of COVID-19. Otherwise, the CDC, and we, recommend that you still practice social distancing, wear a face mask, and wash your hands often and well. We're going to have to do all of this for a little while longer until we know more about how well the vaccines work and until the pandemic is more under control.
(Updated 3/16/21)
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.
Were the vaccines tested in children?
Pfizer-BioNTech announced on March 31 that it had successfully tested its vaccine in children aged 12-15 and had begun testing it in children ages 5-11. Moderna said it 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 any of those age groups.
(Updated 3/31/21)
Should I get my antibodies tested before or after getting a vaccine?
Testing for COVID-19 antibodies before or after receiving the vaccine is not recommended. Commonly available antibody tests are not designed to detect the type of immune response produced by vaccines. So the results of an antibody test should not be used to infer whether you are immune to COVID-19 by virtue of having been vaccinated.
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.
