Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Infectious diseases are unpredictable and can have lifelong consequences, including diseases that cause only mild infections or no symptoms. 

Vaccines teach your body how to defend itself from disease without the dangers of a full-scale infection and give you protection that can last a lifetime. Vaccines use your body’s natural defense system (immune system) to help you safely develop immunity against a disease.

Learn more about how vaccines work here.

Last season, those who received a 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine experienced greater protection against illness and hospitalization compared to those who did not receive the vaccine. Learn more about COVID-19 effectiveness from the CDC.

Yes. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the CDC recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to become pregnant or who might become pregnant in the future.

• Pregnant women should stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines and get an updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine.
• COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy is safe and effective. It also builds antibodies that can help protect the baby.
• Receiving mRNA COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy can help protect babies younger than 6 months from severe COVID-19 and hospitalization.
• If you are pregnant or were recently pregnant, you are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19.
• If you have COVID-19 during pregnancy, you are at increased risk of complications that can affect your pregnancy and baby, including preterm birth or stillbirth. You are also more likely to need hospitalization, intensive care and the use of a ventilator. Severe COVID-19 illness can lead to death.
• A COVID-19 vaccine will help prevent or decrease the harm of contracting COVID-19. These vaccines cannot give you the illness.
• COVID-19 vaccines are not associated with fertility problems in women or men.

Women who are pregnant experience the same vaccine side effects as those who are not pregnant. Common side effects can include:

• Pain, swelling and redness on the arm where the shot was given.
• Tiredness, headache and muscle pain
• Chills
• Nausea
• Fever

According to the CDC, Tylenol can be used during pregnancy to treat fever and can help with injection site soreness.

COVID-19 vaccines are also safe and effective for women who are breastfeeding. Studies have shown that women who are breastfeeding and have received mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have antibodies in their breast milk, which could help protect their babies. Learn more here.

Yes. Vaccine doses are adjusted to be age appropriate for children and go through rigorous testing for safety and effectiveness. The side effects are minimal and similar to what a child may experience from other vaccinations.

Getting the vaccine helps protect you from getting sick or severely ill with COVID-19, but no vaccine is 100%.

It’s also possible to get sick with COVID-19 just before or after vaccination. It typically takes around two weeks to get full protection after getting vaccinated. 

COVID-19 vaccinations may cause mild side effects. Some people have no side effects.

The most common side effects are injection site pain, soreness and swelling. These side effects typically go away after one or two days.

COVID-19 vaccinations are typically covered by health insurance plans. Other options are available for those who don’t have health insurance. Children can get a COVID-19 vaccine at no cost through the Vaccines for Children Program. You can also search for assistance at sanfordhelps.com.