COVID-19 Vaccine Information & Registration

Although children generally suffer milder illness from COVID-19 than adults, they may still suffer long-lasting, severe complications and even death if they do get the disease. Since there is no way to predict which children might become severely ill, getting vaccinated reduces their chances of serious complications.

Johns Hopkins pediatricians Anna Sick-Samuels and Allison Messina pointed out in a recent interview that vaccinating children is yet another step to getting the pandemic under control. Infected children can transmit the virus to others even if they themselves have no symptoms. The vaccine will help protect the people around them, including people who might be at higher risk for serious illness.

They suggest to parents, “Another reason to consider a COVID-19 vaccine for your child is to protect the health of the broader community. Each child or adult infected with the coronavirus provides a chance for the virus to mutate and create a variant that might prove more dangerous or resistant to the available vaccines and therapies. Fewer overall infections among the population means less chance of dangerous coronavirus variants.”

You can read more of their interview here.

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will be administered to 12-15 year olds as a series of two doses, three weeks apart, using the same dosage and dosing interval as for 16 years of age and older.

Learn more about the FDA’s expansion of the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to include 12-15 year olds.

The side effects reported during clinical trials in adolescents aged 12-15 years were similar to those most commonly reported for participants 16 and older. These lasted from 1-3 days and included:

• Pain at the injection site
• Tiredness
• Headache
• Fever or chills
• Muscle pain
• Joint pain

These are all indications that the body is building protection against the virus. Except for injection site pain, more adolescents reported these side effects after the second dose than after the first. Not everyone experiences side effects, and an absence of side effects does not mean the vaccine is not working.

Clinical studies using the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for participants 12-15 were conducted and the data reviewed using the same stringent safety criteria and protocols as were followed in studies for participants 16 and up. In phase 3 trials with 2,260 US adolescents aged 12-15, the vaccine was found to be well-tolerated and effective, and Pfizer reported very strong protective antibody responses in this age group.

Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock commented “Parents and guardians can rest assured that the agency undertook a rigorous and thorough review of all available data, as we have with all of our COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorizations.”

Learn more about the rigorous safety standards that must be met for the FDA to grant Emergency Use Authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines.

Because the COVID-19 vaccines are age-based and not weight-based, a child is not required to achieve a certain weight before being vaccinated. Vaccines work differently in the body than medications, which is why often the same vaccine dosage can be given to different age groups.

The Pima County Health Department recommends the following:

• You should first contact the site where the vaccines were received.
• If the original vaccinator is unable to provide a replacement card, a new card can be obtained from the Health Department. Someone requesting a vaccine record should send an email to HEOCVaccineRecords@pima.gov that includes name and phone number. A staff member from the Health Department will contact that person and ask for additional information to verify the vaccine record. Additional personal information should not be included in the email request; that information will be gathered over the phone. These phone calls will generally occur Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• If the requestor does not have email access, they can be directed to the main HD phone line (520-724-7770) where a staff member will get their name and phone number. This information will be sent in an email request to HEOCVaccineRecords@pima.gov. Phones will be staffed Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Requestors will also be offered access through MyIR. MyIR is an application that gives access to the Arizona State Immunization Information System (ASIIS) vaccine data for printing and downloading. The use of MyIR requires verification from a clinical provider. Registration in MyIR will not be required to get a replacement vaccine card.
• Requestors who cannot pick up their replacement card at an office can choose to have their new card mailed to them.
• Please report any suspicious vaccine record activity to the Health Department at HEOCVaccine@pima.gov

No, getting vaccinated has not been shown to affect one’s fertility or to cause sterility.

There was a false report that circulated on social media about infertility and spike proteins. The spike protein the vaccine teaches the body to make to combat the virus is completely different and distinct from the surface protein involved in growth and development of the placenta during pregnancy.

Dr. Zev Williams, chief of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center explains, “There is no significant similarity between the target of the vaccines and surface proteins on the placenta. If there was cross-reactivity between the vaccine and the surface of the placenta, you would also expect to see an increase in miscarriage among pregnant women with COVID-19, because people infected with the actual virus produce the same antibodies. But we haven't seen that happen."

Johns Hopkins physicians Dr. Gabor Kelen and Dr. Lisa Maragakis discuss infertility concerns in their column COVID-19 Vaccine Myth Versus Fact. “Getting the COVID-19 vaccine will not affect the fertility of women who are seeking to become pregnant, including through in vitro fertilization methods.” They commented that “During the Pfizer vaccine tests, 23 women volunteers involved in the study became pregnant, and the only one who suffered a pregnancy loss had not received the actual vaccine, but a placebo.”

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine notes that because the COVID-vaccines are not composed of live virus, they are not thought to cause an increased risk of infertility.

Evidence has shown, however, that getting the COVID-19 virus poses an increased risk to those who are pregnant, and the virus may also increase the risk for serious pregnancy outcomes including preterm birth.

While there yet have been no data reporting male sterility following vaccination, studies are underway at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine to evaluate the effects on sperm of men who receive the vaccine.

The CDC notes a “plausible causal relationship between the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and a rare and serious adverse event- blood clots with low platelets (thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, or TTS).” After reviewing all available safety data, the CDC and FDA determined the benefits outweigh the risks, and that use of this vaccine could resume.

For all women, this is a rare adverse event; the rate of occurrence is 7 in 1 million women younger than 50 years old. It is even rarer for women older than 50 and for men of any age. The CDC advises women younger than 50 years old should be aware of the rare but increased risk of blood clots with low platelets after vaccination, and that other COVID-19 vaccines are available where this risk has not been seen.

For three weeks after receiving this vaccine, watch for symptoms including:

• Severe or persistent headaches  
• Blurred vision
• Persistent abdominal pain 
• Shortness of breath 
• Chest pain
• Leg swelling 
• Tiny red spots on the skin (petechiae) 
• New or easy bruising

If you develop any of the above symptoms, contact your healthcare provider and seek urgent medical treatment.

If you have any adverse events after vaccination, report them to v-safe and the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.  

The CDC has more information about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine including frequently asked questions. Health experts will continue to monitor the safety of all COVID-19 vaccines.

The SAVE LIVES Act, signed into law on March 24, 2021, authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide COVID-19 vaccine to all Veterans, including those not enrolled in the VA health care system, their caregivers and spouses.

These groups are eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine at VA:

• Anyone who served in the U.S. military
• Spouses of Veterans
• Caregivers of Veterans
• Recipients of Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) benefits

Go to www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine for more information and to get started.

Why get a vaccination at VA? Veterans who are not currently receiving benefits can get a vaccine through the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System while also checking to see if they can be enrolled for health benefits and services.

Setting an appointment may go more quickly if:

• You use a desktop or laptop, not a mobile device
• You use Chrome, Edge, or Firefox browsers
• You have your insurance card handy (if you have insurance)