COVID-19

Vaccine Fact Sheets and Forms

Frequently Asked Questions

The CDC recommends all people age 5 and older get vaccinated against COVID-19, including people who were previously infected with the virus. Research shows that immunity in people who have been infected with COVID-19 wanes over time. and that COVID-19 vaccination can provide a higher and more consistent level of immunity from COVID-19 than from infection alone.

COVID-19 vaccination is effective in preventing reinfection in people who previously had COVID-19. One study, for example, showed that among people hospitalized with COVID-19, those who were previously infected with COVID-19 were 5 times more likely to get COVID-19 again if they were unvaccinated than people who were fully vaccinated. For that reason, even if you have already had COVID-19, vaccination is an important step to protect yourself and those around you.

Side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines are typically mild and subside in one to two days — like soreness in the arm, fatigue, headaches, or a slight fever.

The risk of having a serious adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine is very low — far lower than the risk of contracting COVID-19. The CDC and FDA are closely monitoring vaccine outcomes to ensure safety.

If you have a question about the vaccines, talk with your healthcare provider.

People have a right to have their health information private and are protected under HIPPA. In a small community it can be easy to identify a person based on where they live or work. We work directly with the patient and determine close contact and let those people know immediately that they need to quarantine and monitor for symptoms.

In the event that we would be unable to determine close contacts of the individual (if they went to a mass gathering) we would release the location, dates, and times that the individual was there and inform anyone at that gathering to self-quarantine and monitor for symptoms.

Stay home and away from others. Contact your doctor for treatment options. You may return to normal activities when you meet the following conditions:

You have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications
Your symptoms have been improving.

Once you resume normal activities, it is recommended to take additional measures for the next 5 days to curb the spread of the disease. This includes wearing a well-fitting mask, keeping distance from others, and washing your hands frequently.