COVID-19 Vaccines

Your Safety is Our Priority

Due to limited supply, COVID-19 vaccines are not available in our practices. Vaccines are available, by appointment, through our community vaccination events. Please frequently monitor your local Health Department’s website (Lee or Collier County, for example) for information on future vaccination clinics.

Frequently asked Question about COVID-19 Vaccines:

Is Healthcare Network providing the COVID-19 vaccine?
Yes. Due to limited supply, COVID-19 vaccines are not available in our practices. Vaccines are available, by appointment, through our community vaccination events. Please frequently monitor your local Health Department’s website (Lee or Collier County, for example) for information on future vaccination clinics.

Florida is currently in distribution Phase 1. Outlined below is the Phase 1 distribution, per Office of the Governor.
Phase 1 – includes long-term care facility residents and staff; persons 65 years of age and older, healthcare personnel with direct patient contact. – visit Florida Department of Health for further details.

When will the COVID-19 vaccine be available to general community?
Initial supplies of the vaccine are limited and will be delivered in accordance with federal and state agencies. The vaccine may not be widely available to the public until several months into 2021. Healthcare Network is prepared and standing ready to be able to administer the vaccine to our patients and the community when state and federal guidelines permit.

How many shots of the COVID-19 vaccine will be needed?
Healthcare Network is currently administering the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, which requires 2 doses given 28 days apart. When you receive your first dose, you will get a vaccination card to show when you return for your second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine. Remember to bring your card when you return.

Note: Vaccines products such as Pfizer and Moderna are not interchangeable. A person should be sure they know which vaccine product they got as the first dose and be clear about when to return for the second dose.

How long does protection from vaccine last? Will a booster or annual vaccine be needed?
We do not know how long protection will last following complete vaccination (2 doses) of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine or if more doses will be necessary in the future. This is still being evaluated scientific subject matter experts.

Is the vaccine safe?
Safety is the top priority of any vaccine. The FDA is committed to science and the critical evaluation of all new vaccines for their safety and efficacy in an unbiased way before their authorization for use.In accordance with Phase 1 distribution, Healthcare Network is currently administering the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, which requires 2 doses given 28 days apart. The FDA has authorized the emergency use of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 18 years of age and older under an Emergency Use Authorization.

What medical information will your vaccination provider need before you get the COVID-19 vaccine?
You will be asked to document medical conditions, including if you:
- have any allergies
- have a fever
- have a bleeding disorder or are on a blood thinner
- are immunocompromised or are on a medicine that affects your immune system
- are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
- are breastfeeding
- have received another COVID-19 vaccine

What side effects can I expect from the vaccines?
COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you from getting COVID-19. You may have some side effects, which include pain, tenderness and swelling around the injection site, headache, fatigue, fever, joint pain, muscle pain, nausea and vomiting. Serious adverse reactions are rare. But if redness or tenderness where you got the shot increases after 24 hours, or the side effects are worrying you or aren’t going away after a few days, call your doctor.Healthcare Network will monitor recipients after the vaccine for immediate adverse reactions:

30 minutes: Persons with a history of an immediate allergic reaction of any severity to a vaccine or injectable therapy and persons with a history of anaphylaxis due to any cause

15 minutes: All other persons

If you experience a severe allergic reaction, call 9-1-1, or go to nearest hospital. Signs of severe allergic reaction can include difficulty breathing, swelling of your face and throat, a fast heartbeat, a bad rash all over your body and dizziness and weakness.

If you have a history of allergic reactions to vaccines, talk to your healthcare provider before receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

Is there a cost to receive the vaccine at Healthcare Network?
Healthcare Network is currently administering the COVID-19 vaccine free of charge.

If I have already had COVID-19 and recovered, do I still need to get vaccinated?
There is not enough information currently available to say if or for how long after infection someone is protected from getting COVID-19 again; this is called natural immunity. Early evidence suggests natural immunity from COVID-19 may not last very long, but more studies are needed to better understand this.

Can I get COVID-19 from the vaccine?
The vaccines do not contain live virus that cause COVID-19 and therefore cannot give someone COVID-19.

Will we still need to wear masks and practice physical distancing once the vaccine is available?
It will take many months before a large portion of the population is able to be vaccinated. In the meantime, wearing masks, physical distancing and avoiding large gatherings will continue to remain essential to reducing the spread.

Is the vaccine safe for pregnant women?
Pregnant and breastfeeding women have been excluded from the leading vaccine clinical trials so far. This is not unusual as vaccine clinical trials typically do not enroll participants who are pregnant or lactating until the vaccine has been shown to be safely tolerated in people who are not pregnant.There are current studies on the COVID vaccine in which pregnant women are part of the study pool. We should have that data in the coming year.

Counseling for pregnant women about the vaccine will be updated as more data is available

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/pregnancy.html

https://www.henryford.com/coronavirus/vaccine-faqs#sure

Can children get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Pfizer’s vaccine is approved for anyone 16 years and older, while Moderna’s vaccine is approved for anyone 18 years and older. The vaccines’ efficacy and safety are currently being evaluated for younger children.

Are Healthcare Network employees required to take the vaccine?
The COVID-19 vaccine is not being required at this time, though it is strongly recommended for all healthcare workers for their protection, and the protection of Healthcare Network patients. All employees will be still be required to follow PPE protocols.

Questions about your individual decision to take the vaccine should be addressed with your primary care physician.