COVID-19 Vaccine Information

As you may have heard, distribution of the first COVID-19 vaccines is now underway in the United States.

Telecare encourages vaccination as important tool to reduce the spread of COVID and prevent COVID infections. As an essential healthcare provider, Telecare facilities will have the opportunity to offer COVID-19 vaccines to our staff and the people we serve in our programs. All Telecare employees must have a completed vaccination or approved exemption by September 30th.

 

Vaccines will be administered at Telecare program locations, or County or Public Health offsite clinics, with all COVID-19 safety protocols in place.

To receive a vaccination, each individual (or their conservator) must complete a signed “informed consent form.” These forms will be provided directly to Telecare staff, persons-served, or conservators as appropriate.

For questions about your Telecare program’s vaccine process, please contact the program administrator. Contact information is available on the Telecare website.

For questions about Telecare corporate office vaccine process, please contact department SVP.

Telecare Vaccine Info Session

Helpful Vaccine Videos & Resources

Understanding side effects

Intro into how vaccines work

How vaccines work against COVID-19

Understanding the J&J vaccine (compared to others)

The vaccine development process and common vaccine questions

Understanding mRNA vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna)

Gaining comfort in vaccines in communities of color

More info about mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna)

Dr. Fauci vaccine guidance

Specific Vaccine Information

Pfizer-BioNTech
COVID-10 Vaccine

  • Click here for the Pfizer patient
    information sheet    .

  • The vaccine was authorized by the FDA on December 11, 2020, for emergency use to prevent COVID-19 for use in individuals age 16 years and older.

  • The vaccine has been tested in approximately 20,000 people, age 16 and above, in clinical trials.

  • The vaccine has been proven to be 95% effective against COVID-19 beginning 28 days after the first dose. In adults over 65, it was 94% effective. While no vaccine is 100% effective, this vaccine will significantly reduce your risk of getting sick with COVID-19 and spreading COVID-19 to your loved ones.

  • The vaccine requires two doses, given three weeks apart. Both doses are given by a shot in the muscle.

  • In clinical trials, the vaccine was well tolerated across all populations, with no serious safety concerns.

  • Those who receive the vaccine can expect to have side effects, including pain at the injection site (and possible swelling or redness), tiredness, headaches, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, feeling unwell, or swollen lymph nodes. These are signs that your body is responding to the vaccine and is starting its own immune system response.

  • There is a very unlikely chance that the vaccine can cause more severe allergic reactions. These would generally happen within a few minutes to an hour of receiving the injection. Symptoms might include difficulty breathing, swelling of the face and throat, fast heartbeat, a bad rash, dizziness, and weakness. If you have a bad reaction, call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest hospital.

Moderna Vaccine

  • Click here for the Moderna patient information sheet.

  • The vaccine was authorized by the FDA on December 18, 2020, for emergency use to prevent COVID-109 for use in individuals age 18 years and older.

  • The vaccine has been tested in approximately 15,400 people, age 18 and above, in clinical trials.

  • The vaccine has been proven to be 94% effective against COVID-19. While no vaccine is 100% effective, this vaccine will significantly reduce your risk of getting sick with COVID-19 and spreading COVID-19 to your loved ones.

  • The vaccine requires two doses, given one month apart. Both doses are given by a shot in the muscle.

  • In clinical trials, the vaccine was well tolerated across all populations, with no serious safety concerns.

  • Those who receive the vaccine can expect to have side effects, including pain at the injection site (and possible swelling or redness), tiredness, headaches, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, nausea and vomiting,

    and fever. These are signs that your body is responding to the vaccine and is starting its own immune system response.

  • There is a remote chance that the vaccine can cause more severe allergic reactions. These would generally happen within a few minutes to an hour of receiving the injection. Symptoms might include difficulty breathing, swelling of the face and throat, fast heartbeat, a bad rash, dizziness, and weakness. If you have a bad reaction, call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest hospital.

Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) Vaccine

  • Click here for the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) patient information sheet.

  • The vaccine was authorized by the FDA on February 27, 2021, for emergency use to prevent COVID-19 for use in individuals age
    18 years and older.

  • The vaccine has been tested in approximately 21,895 people, age 18 and above, in clinical trials.

  • Among clinical trial participants, the vaccine was approximately 67% effective in preventing moderate to severe/critical COVID-19 disease occurring at least 14 days after vaccination and 66% effective in preventing moderate to severe/critical disease at least 28 days after vaccination.

  • Additionally, the vaccine was approximately 77% effective in preventing severe/critical COVID-19 occurring at least 14 days after vaccination and 85% effective in preventing severe/critical COVID-19 occurring at least 28 days after vaccination.

  • The vaccine requires a single vaccine done. The dose is given by a shot in the muscle.

  • In clinical trials, the vaccine was well tolerated across all populations, with no serious safety concerns.

  • There is a remote chance that the vaccine can cause more severe allergic reactions. These would generally happen within a few minutes to an hour of receiving the injection. Symptoms might include difficulty breathing, swelling of the face and throat, fast heartbeat, a bad rash, dizziness, and weakness. If you have a bad reaction, call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest hospital.

More Information about Vaccines :

About COVID-19

  • According to the Mayo Clinic, “Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause illnesses such as the common cold, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).”

  • COVID-19 is in the coronavirus family but is a unique virus labeled as “novel.”

  • “The virus is now known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease it causes is called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).”

Learn About Vaccines Being Developed for COVID-19:

Find Vaccine Availability Near You:

  • Once COVID-19 vaccines become more widely available, this resource will help you find vaccine options near you. https://vaccinefinder.org/

Emergency Use Authorization (EAU)

  • What is Emergency Use Authorization?

    • “Under section 564 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), the FDA Commissioner may allow unapproved medical products or unapproved uses of approved medical products to be used in an emergency to diagnose, treat, or prevent serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions caused by CBRN threat agents when there are no adequate, approved, and available alternatives.”

  • Does that mean this vaccine is experimental?

    • NO; a drug, biologic, or device still needs to submit peer-reviewed studies

  • Learn more about a vaccine’s path to Emergency Use Authorization

For Those Interested in the Science

More Information and Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Helpful Links

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Vaccine FAQ Page

How does the vaccine work?

  • Vaccines are designed to stimulate the human body’s own protective immune responses so that if a person is infected, their immune system can recognize the infection and react to it. While vaccines are developed in different ways using different methods, it’s important to remember that they cannot give you COVID-19.

How is a vaccine developed and tested?

  • Approval of a vaccine for use in people involves multiple phases with different goals for assessing effectiveness and safety in different populations. There are a total of four phases and the vaccine needs to meet very intense safety criteria before completing each phase. Once a vaccine is approved for use after phase three, it has been tested in tens of thousands of people and if no significant harmful side effects are noted, it is considered safe for use. Phase four involves continued monitoring and gathering of safety data. This type of clinical trial has been used for decades to approve medications and vaccines.

What are the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements for the safety and efficacy of a COVID-19 vaccine?

  • FDA requires 50% efficacy of a COVID-19 vaccine. FDA requires eight weeks of safety data on the COVID-19 vaccine.
    How will we know it is safe? Safety is the most important requirement for the vaccine and is assessed in trials by independent experts.

  • Most adverse side effects occur within six weeks of vaccine administration, and the FDA has required eight weeks of safety monitoring so it can track any side effects.

  • FDA advises a minimum of 3,000 participants to assess safety. The current phase three trials have 30,000 to 50,000 participants. This really demonstrates how safety is a top priority for the FDA and the medical community.

Who else will be evaluating this vaccine to ensure it is safe and effective?

  • There are two advisory committees:

    • The Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) that advises the FDA;

    • The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that advises the CDC.

  • These advisory boards are independent. Their job is to monitor vaccines to ensure safety regardless of money, politics, etc. The people on these committees are experts from academic institutions and they are vetted to not have a conflict of interest. Experts who may have a conflict of interest are not put on these committees. The committees will evaluate the vaccine data for safety, efficacy and also help to determine how it will be distributed.

How long will the vaccine protect us?

  • It is likely that we will not know the answer to that question when a vaccine is released. That will take more research. This vaccine may be like the annual flu vaccine, where we may need to have vaccine shots for COVID-19 on a regular basis. More research is needed to know this; it also depends if the virus changes over the coming months to years.

Will we still need to wear masks and practice physical distancing once we are vaccinated?

  • Yes, masking and physical distancing will continue to be critical tools in preventing transmission until a large percentage of the population is vaccinated and we have more information as to whether the vaccine provides long-term protection.

When is a vaccine coming to our program?

  • We don’t know exactly when we’ll get our first vaccines; we believe some Telecare long-term care facilities will be able to hold vaccine clinics in December 2020. We will share more information as we have it.

How much supply will we receive?

  • At this time, we don’t know exactly how much each program will receive, but we expect our initial amount to be very limited and to increase based on available supplies and guidance from public health authorities.

Will I be required to get a COVID-19 vaccine?

  • No. The COVID-19 vaccine is voluntary for Telecare staff and clients.

  • While the vaccine is voluntary, and the decision is yours, we strongly encourage you to consider choosing to receive the vaccine as soon as you are eligible to protect your own health and safety, and that of your co-workers, families, and the people and communities we serve.

How will you determine who gets the vaccine(s) first?

  • The vaccine will be distributed by the federal government, and state and county governments in a phased way – based on how much vaccine is available, and prioritizing groups with the greatest risks and needs.

  • Telecare will follow guidance from federal, state, and county governments — including public health departments. We will also work closely with our customers to try to ensure that our programs and essential health workers are in line for vaccine supplies.

  • Generally, public health departments are advising that the initial vaccines will go to Skilled Nursing Facilities and long-term care facilities, and will focus on the frontline healthcare workers who are at the highest risk for exposure at work based on the care environment where they work, their role, and the nature of their contact with patients. Telecare will make more information available as we learn more – and as more vaccine supplies become available.

Will people who have already gotten sick with COVID-19 still benefit from getting vaccinated?

  • At this time, experts do not know how long someone is protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. Due to the severe health risks associated with COVID-19, and the fact that re-infection with COVID-19 is possible, even those who have previously had COVID-19 are encouraged to consider receiving the vaccine.

Will I have to pay for the COVID-19 vaccine?

  • You won’t be charged for the vaccine. It will be covered like your normal flu vaccination.