COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Anyone age 5 years and older is now eligible to receive the vaccine.  

When you schedule your vaccine appointment through the Zotec scheduling system, you should also register for your appointment at the same time. We encourage you to register beforehand so you do not have to do this when you arrive at the vaccination clinic for your appointment.

If you do not register for the appointment at the time of scheduling it, you should receive a follow-up text or e-mail from Zotec with a link to complete your demographic/registration steps.

Please try to complete the registration process prior to your arrival at the vaccination clinic. This will help save a considerable amount of time for both you and our vaccination clinic staff.

Please do not schedule your second appointment until after you have received the first dose. Doing this prior to your first appointment results in someone else losing a spot to receive their first vaccination dose.

Your second appointment will be set up after you receive the first vaccine dose. Vaccination clinic staff will help set up the appointment at the clinic.

Yes. Once you receive your first dose of either current vaccine on the market, you should not receive the second dose no more than four days prior the 21- or 28-day interval, or wait period. There is no maximum interval; however, no more than six weeks between intervals is currently recommended.

If an emergency prevents you from making your appointment, please call 211 to reschedule.

The vaccine has been tested on more than 45,000 people in clinical trials. The trials have shown that the vaccine was safe and effective, but can have side effects, including fever, muscle aches, and headaches. These side effects are more common after the second vaccination.

Yes. People who want to get pregnant in the future may receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Based on current knowledge, experts believe that COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to pose a risk to a person trying to become pregnant in the short or long term. Scientists study every vaccine carefully for side effects immediately and for years afterward. The COVID-19 vaccines are being studied carefully now and will continue to be studied for many years, similar to other vaccines.

The COVID-19 vaccine, like other vaccines, works by training our bodies to develop antibodies to fight against the virus that causes COVID-19, to prevent future illness. There is currently no evidence that antibodies formed from COVID-19 vaccination cause any problems with pregnancy, including the development of the placenta. In addition, there is no evidence suggesting that fertility problems are a side effect of ANY vaccine. People who are trying to become pregnant now or who plan to try in the future may receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available to them.

The vaccine has not been studied yet in pregnant women. It is recommended that pregnant women consult with their physician about whether or not they should receive the vaccine at this time.

No. There is no cost to receive the vaccine.

Both Pfizer and Moderna reported that their vaccines were about 95% effective in clinical trials in protecting patients from COVID-19, which is very high for a vaccine. It will also help protect people around you, including patients, your loved ones, and co-workers. This vaccine is a big step toward stopping the pandemic.

The vaccines from both Pfizer and Moderna are known as mRNA or messenger RNA vaccines. That means it uses a piece of the virus that prompts the body to recognize the disease-caused part of the virus and create an immune response to block infection. This is not live virus and cannot give you COVID-19.

The vaccine is given in the arm in two shots, 21-28 days apart. Healthcare workers who receive the first shot must commit to returning in 21-28 days for the second shot. Both injections are required to achieve 95% effectiveness.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be distributed. If you receive a Pfizer vaccine, you will need to receive a second dose of the vaccine within 21 days. If you receive a Moderna vaccine, you’ll need to receive a second dose within 28 days.

Protection occurs seven days after the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine and two weeks after the second Moderna dose.

The CDC recommends waiting 90 days from the onset of a COVID infection before being immunized. This is because your body has already created antibodies that will continue to fight the virus for at least this amount of time following your last symptoms. Although there is no risk to getting the vaccine before the 90-day waiting period, delaying the vaccine allows others who are not immune to get immunized.

According to the CDC, if you are fully vaccinated, you can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic.

Fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.

If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, find a vaccine.

In general, people are considered fully vaccinated: 

• 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
• 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.

If you don’t meet these requirements, regardless of your age, you are NOT fully vaccinated. Keep taking all precautions until you are fully vaccinated.

The vaccine is currently approved for people ages 5 and older. Additionally, individuals who have severe, life-threatening allergies to immunizations/injected medicines or have an allergy to an ingredient in the vaccine should not receive the vaccine.

The ingredients in currently available COVID-19 vaccines include mRNA, lipids, salts, sugars, and buffers. Buffers help maintain the stability of the pH solution. Vaccine ingredients can vary by manufacturer. To learn more about the ingredients in authorized COVID-19 vaccines, see:

• Information about the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
• Information about the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine

Individuals with any other allergy (e.g.latex, pills, pollen, etc.) should receive the vaccine when they are eligible.

ISDH is not requiring the vaccine, but you are encouraged to receive the vaccine to protect yourself, your loved ones and to help slow the spread of the virus.

Some employers and schools are now requiring the vaccine.

When you receive your second dose of the vaccine, you will get a certificate that states your current status as fully vaccinated. This status should also show up in your personal medical chart, or platform such as MyChart; however you may need to ask your provider or physician to import the data. If you need proof of your vaccination status for travel or otherwise, contact your physician's office. 

Individuals can obtain their full immunization record from MyVaxIndiana.  Information pertaining to how to access it can be found at: https://www.in.gov/isdh/17094.htm

ISDH has launched a COVID vaccine website here:  www.ourshot.in.gov

Some women who receive the COVID-19 vaccine develop swollen lymph nodes under their arm on the same side as their vaccine injection. This is the normal immune reaction to a vaccine. These swollen lymph nodes usually return to normal on their own in a few days or weeks.

Swollen lymph nodes matter because breast radiologists look closely for any changes on your mammogram. Swollen lymph nodes under one arm can be seen on a mammogram and can be a rare sign of breast cancer.

If there are swollen lymph nodes on your mammogram, depending on your medical history and when you received your vaccine, the breast radiologist may recommend that you return to the breast center for an ultrasound of your underarm area, and they also may recommend a follow up exam to show that the lymph nodes have returned to normal size.

When should I schedule my screening mammogram?

Try to schedule your screening mammogram before your first COVID-19 vaccine dose or at least 4 weeks after your second vaccine dose. This reduces the chance that swollen lymph nodes from the vaccine will appear on your mammogram.

What if my mammogram is already scheduled?

Keep your vaccination appointment. Getting vaccinated is critical to stop the spread of COVID-19. Consider rescheduling your screening mammogram if possible before your vaccine. However, if you are already overdue for your screening exam or cannot reschedule within the next few months, keep your screening mammogram appointment and keep your COVID-19 vaccination appointments.

Regular screening mammograms ensure that breast cancer can be detected as early as possible. Both are very important to ensure that you stay healthy. It’s especially important to keep your mammogram appointment if you are significantly overdue for screening. Remember: annual screening saves the most lives.

Notify your mammography technologist if you have received a COVID-19 vaccine. Tell her when you received the vaccine, and which arm the vaccine was given. State whether it’s your first or second dose. This information will help the breast radiologist interpreting your screening mammogram.

If you have any changes in your breast or underarm, such as pain or a lump, contact your medical provider. The guidelines above are only for women with no breast symptoms who are scheduled for a COVID-19 vaccine.