When a person is vaccinated against COVID-19 they are protected from the virus and the Delta variant. The vaccine is 95% effective. Fully vaccinated people have developed immunity and will not infect others, they help protect children under 12 from getting sick with COVID-19. They also gain peace of mind and freedom to return to pre-pandemic activities. Vaccinations are safe and effective.

Recipients: 

1. Can resume activities without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.
2. Need to pay close attention to the situation at their international destination before traveling outside the United States.
3. Do NOT need to get tested before leaving the United States unless required by the destination.
4. Still need to show a negative test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before boarding an international flight to the United States.
5. Should still get tested 3-5 days after international travel.
6. Do NOT need to self-quarantine after arriving in the United States
7. If they have been around someone who has COVID-19, they do not need to stay away from others or get tested unless they have symptoms.
8. However, if they live or work in a correctional or detention facility or a homeless shelter and are around someone who has COVID-19, a vaccinated person should still get tested, even if they do not have symptoms.

COVID-19 vaccination will help protect people from getting COVID-19. People may have some side effects, which are normal signs that the body is building protection.
On the arm where the shot was given:

• Pain
• Redness
• Swelling

Throughout the rest of the body:

• Tiredness
• Headache
• Muscle pain
• Chills
• Fever
• Nausea

States made the vaccine available to all adults 18 years and older on May 1, 2021. 

• The Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech were approved for use in children ages 12-17 in May. 
• Studies have started to determine the correct dosage for younger children.

Probably not. Different vaccine providers enrolled with the Illinois Department of Public Health get different vaccines, depending on their needs and storage capacity. At the time an appointment is made the provider will advise patients which vaccine will be available.

In most circumstances, fully vaccinated people do not have to wear a mask. They can resume activities without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.

FACT: The COVID-19 vaccine will not affect fertility. The truth is that the COVID-19 vaccine encourages the body to create copies of the spike protein found on the coronavirus’s surface. This “teaches” the body’s immune system to fight the virus that has that specific spike protein on it.

FACT: People who have gotten sick with COVID-19 may still benefit from getting vaccinated. Due to the severe health risks associated with COVID-19 and the fact that re-infection with COVID-19 is possible, people may be advised to get a COVID-19 vaccine even if they have been sick with COVID-19 before.

FACT: Studies found that the two initial vaccines are both about 95% effective — and reported no serious or life-threatening side effects. There are many reasons why the COVID-19 vaccines could be developed so quickly. Here are just a few:

1. The COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna were created with a method that has been in development for years, so the companies could start the vaccine development process early in the pandemic.
2. China isolated and shared genetic information about COVID-19 promptly, so scientists could start working on vaccines.
3. The vaccine developers did not skip any testing steps but conducted some of the steps on an overlapping schedule to gather data faster.
4. Vaccine projects had plenty of resources, as governments invested in research and/or paid for vaccines in advance.
5. Some types of COVID-19 vaccines were created using messenger RNA (mRNA), which allows a faster approach than the traditional way that vaccines are made.
6. Social media helped companies find and engage study volunteers, and many were willing to help with COVID-19 vaccine research.
7. Because COVID-19 is so contagious and widespread, it did not take long to see if the vaccine worked for the study volunteers who were vaccinated.
8. Companies began making vaccines early in the process — even before FDA authorization — so some supplies were ready when authorization occurred.

FACT: The COVID-19 vaccine will not affect fertility. The truth is that the COVID-19 vaccine encourages the body to create copies of the spike protein found on the coronavirus’s surface. This “teaches” the body’s immune system to fight the virus that has that specific spike protein on it.

FACT: The vaccine for COVID-19 cannot and will not give people COVID-19. The two authorized mRNA vaccines instruct the body’s cells to reproduce a protein that is part of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which helps the body recognize and fight the virus if it comes along. The COVID-19 vaccine does not contain the SARS-Co-2 virus, so people cannot get COVID-19 from the vaccine. The protein that helps the body’s immune system recognize and fight the virus does not cause infection of any sort.

FACTS:

1. In April 2021, the CDC temporarily paused and then resumed use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine However, on On April 23, 2021, after investigating the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that the administration of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine can resume.
   
   
2. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines can have side effects, but the vast majority are very short-term —not serious or dangerous. The vaccine developers report that some people experience pain where they were injected; body aches; headaches or fever, lasting for a day or two. These are signs that the vaccine is working to stimulate the immune system. If symptoms persist beyond two days, they should call their doctor.
   
   
3. If a person has allergies — especially severe ones that require carrying an EpiPen — they should discuss the COVID-19 vaccine with their doctor, who can assess the risk and provide more information on being safely vaccinated.

FACT: The COVID-19 vaccines are designed to help the body’s immune system fight the coronavirus. The messenger RNA from two of the first types of COVID-19 vaccines does enter cells, but not the nucleus of the cells where DNA resides. The mRNA does its job to cause the cell to make protein to stimulate the immune system, and then it quickly breaks down — without affecting the DNA.

FACT: The mRNA technology behind the new coronavirus vaccines has been in development for almost two decades. Vaccine makers created the technology to help them respond quickly to a new pandemic illness, such as COVID-19.

FACT: The first two COVID-19 vaccines to be authorized by the FDA contain mRNA and other, normal vaccine ingredients, such as fats (which protect the mRNA), salts, as well as a small amount of sugar. These COVID-19 vaccines were not developed using fetal tissue, and they do not contain any material, such as implants, microchips or tracking devices.