COVID-19 Vaccine

On this page: About the COVID-19 Vaccines   |   Vaccination for children 

Other resources: Vaccination and pregnancy

VIDEOS: Pediatrician Ben Flannery answers parents' questions

COVID-19 Information

NH+C does not have the updated COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is on order with no estimated delivery date at this time. 

 

NH+C follows CDC and MDH guidelines for COVID vaccination.

NH+C recommends these resources for accurate, reliable information on COVID-19 and vaccination:

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions About the COVID-19 Vaccines

Who should get a COVID vaccine?

Everyone age 6 months and older should get vaccinated, and keep up to date with recommended boosters. It’s a safe and effective way to maintain immunity against severe illness, hospitalization, or death from COVID.

Are the vaccines safe?

Yes. The science behind Pfizer's and Moderna's vaccines (messenger RNA) has been in development for over a decade. All the steps of research and testing were followed to establish the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine. Over 13 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been given worldwide as of May 2023. (Source: World Health Organization)

How effective are the vaccines?

Being fully vaccinated, with all boosters recommended for your age and health conditions, significantly reduces your risk of severe illness or death.

Should I get a booster shot?

Booster shots are recommended for everyone 5 and older to keep your immunity up to date. Get a bivalent booster two months (or longer) after your last shot. 

What are the side effects of the vaccine?

Possible side effects are typical of what happens with other vaccines: low-grade fever, body aches, headache, fatigue, joint pain, soreness at the injection site. Side effects may be greater with the second dose or boosters. Side effects may feel like flu and might even affect your daily activities, but they should go away in a few days.

Side effects are a sign that the vaccine is working: Your body is building immunity without having an actual infection or being infectious to others. (If you have no side effects, that's OK too. The vaccine is still working.)

After I’m vaccinated, can I still spread COVID?

Yes. Some variants are highly contagious and can be spread by vaccinated people.

I’ve already had COVID. Do I still need to get vaccinated?

Yes. When someone gets COVID-19, they develop immunity against the specific variant that infected them.

COVID-19 vaccines provide the best defense against current variants, plus the best defense against any upcoming strains. Vaccines gives a clear, predictable level of protection.

I wouldn’t get very sick if I got COVID. Should I still get vaccinated?

Yes. There’s no way to know how COVID will affect you, even if you are not at increased risk of severe complications. You can also spread the virus to family, friends, and others around you whether or not you have symptoms. Your vaccine protects others, too.

I have allergies. Should I get vaccinated?

If you have allergies so severe that you carry an EpiPen, talk with your provider and allergist about your options.

I’m pregnant. Should I get vaccinated?

Yes. Pregnant people who get COVID are at higher risk of severe illness or death, and COVID can affect your baby’s health, plus increase your risk of premature birth or still birth. (Source: CDC) Talk with your provider if you have concerns. 

I’m breastfeeding. Should I get vaccinated?

CDC recommends that people who are breastfeeding get vaccinated and stay up to date(link is external) with boosters. 

Clinical trials for the COVID-19 vaccines did not include people who were breastfeeding, so data is limited. Available data shows no severe reactions in breastfeeding people or their babies. There has been no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 vaccines are harmful to people who are breastfeeding or their babies. (Source: CDC) 

Does the vaccine affect fertility?

No. No vaccine affects fertility or sterility, in women or men, girls or boys. However, getting sick with COVID can affect sperm count and motility in men.

How do the vaccines work?

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use “messenger RNA” (mRNA) to teach cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response inside the body. That immune response produces antibodies that protect you from getting infected if the real virus enters your body.

Does my vaccine protect my loved ones?

Yes. This is one of the best ways to protect yourself and everyone around you.

Where can I find more information about COVID vaccines?

 

There’s a lot of information being published about COVID vaccines. Please choose reliable sources to learn the facts, so you can make an informed decision about your health – and your loved ones.
•    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(link is external)(link is external)
•    CDC-recommended sources(link is external)(link is external)
•    Minnesota Department of Health(link is external)(link is external)
•    Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center

Vaccination for children 6 months and older: Pediatrician Ben Flannery, MD

Why should my child be vaccinated?

American Academy of Pediatrics recommends it(link is external)(link is external).

Children can get sick from COVID, some with long-lasting health problems.

Early studies show that the more times a person gets COVID, the harder it is on their immune system.  Every new variant affects a child more, and has higher risk of severe COVID than previous variants. Your child is at higher risk for severe COVID now (2022) compared to when COVID began, due to mutations in the virus.

Children also can spread COVID to others, even if they don’t have any symptoms. Vaccinating children helps break the path of virus to other family members and friends.

Having all members of your household vaccinated is the best protection for your whole family.

How do we know it’s safe for children?

COVID vaccines have had the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history, including studies in adolescents and children. (Source: CDC)

Moderna and Pfizer have tested their vaccines on thousands of individuals, and studies have found the vaccines to be completely safe and effective at preventing COVID – especially serious illness and death.

When should my child be vaccinated?

As soon as you can arrange it.

Even if your child has (or recently had) COVID, it’s safe to get them vaccinated whenever it’s available to you.

COVID vaccine is safe to be given at the same time as any other immunizations.

What are the side effects?

Most people experience mild (or no) side effects. Side effects are normal signs that the body is building protection.

During testing, children 6 months and older have gotten the vaccine with minimal side effects.

Your child may have pain at the injection site, some redness and swelling. Your child also may have fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever or nausea. Side effects may appear a few hours after injection and may last a few days.

You can give your child non-aspirin pain reliever (ibuprofen, Tylenol, acetaminophen) for any of these common side effects. (There’s no need to give pain relievers before your child’s injection; that medication is likely to wear off before side effects appear.)

Before the appointment, we recommend having something to eat. It will keep your child’s blood sugar steady and help keep them calm, especially if they're nervous or excited.

 

Vaccination and pregnancy, fertility, breastfeeding: The OB/GYNs of the Women’s Health Center

I’m pregnant. Should I get vaccinated?

Yes. If you are pregnant now, you should get a COVID-19 vaccine. Pregnancy increases the risk of severe illness, complications of pregnancy, and even death from COVID-19. Vaccination reduces that risk dramatically.  All evidence shows COVID vaccination is safe during pregnancy.

Vaccination protects your baby, too. Data indicates that vaccination during pregnancy may provide antibody protection to the newborn right after birth.  If you are not vaccinated, COVID-19 infection during pregnancy raises the risk of pregnancy complications such as premature birth and stillbirth.

I want to get pregnant soon. Should I get vaccinated now?

Yes. We strongly encourage you to get vaccinated. Vaccination protects you and your loved ones. You do not need to delay getting pregnant after you get a vaccine. Vaccination will not affect your ability to get pregnant.

I heard that vaccines can affect my fertility. Is that true?

No. COVID-19 vaccines DO NOT affect fertility. It’s distressing that many young women (and men) have latched onto misinformation that vaccines could affect their ability to have children in the future. That is a scary thought. But it simply is not true. There is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines affect fertility. Researchers have been studying and working with mRNA vaccines for decades. That gives us confidence that new vaccines using this proven technology are safe for you today and into your future.

I’m breastfeeding. Can I get vaccinated?

Yes. If you are breastfeeding, we recommend that you get vaccinated. You can keep breastfeeding your child. When you get vaccinated, the antibodies made by your body may be passed through breastmilk, and help protect your child from the virus.