Protect your health with a COVID-19 vaccine

Watch a video to learn COVID-19 vaccine safety and why they're recommended. 

The FDA has approved the COVID-19 vaccine for use in preventing serious illness from COVID-19 among people ages 16 and older. Certain COVID-19 vaccines are also emergency-use authorized (EUA) by the FDA, among people age 5 and older to help prevent serious illness from COVID-19. For people who have certain immunocompromised conditions, the FDA authorized an extra dose of the primary series COVID-19 vaccines to help maximize protection for this population. Details can be found in the chart below.

Like the flu vaccine, vaccination providers will administer the COVID-19 vaccine based on availability. Vaccination providers may not have all FDA-authorized and FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines at their location.

Important reminders on the protection COVID-19 vaccines provide: 

• Like other vaccines, COVID-19 vaccines can take several weeks after vaccination completion for full effectiveness. 
• Fully vaccinated people may carry the virus after exposure, even if they are not showing symptoms. Masks used in indoor and public places help prevent exposure. 
• The duration of protection against COVID-19 is currently unknown and being studied.

Because of this, keep following public health safety guidelines to help protect yourself and others. For the latest information, go to the CDC.

All FDA-authorized and FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at preventing serious illness from COVID-19, according to the CDC. If you have questions about which vaccine might be right for you, talk to your primary care provider or other health care professional. 

Learn more about the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine on the CDC website.  

The safety of vaccines is a top priority, and millions of people have already been safely vaccinated. All FDA-authorized and FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at preventing serious illness, including hospitalization and death, from COVID-19, according to the CDC. They are key to slowing the pandemic. The U.S. vaccine safety system makes sure all vaccines go through an extensive process to confirm levels of safety. The recently FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines went through this process. Even after emergency use authorization, the FDA continues to review clinical data about the vaccines.

Approval is granted once the FDA determines the vaccine to be safe and effective at preventing serious illness from COVID-19. The FDA goes through a detailed review of clinical data and information, as submitted in the Biologics License Application (BLA).

The CDC website has additional COVID-19 vaccine safety information.

Side effects from vaccines are normal signs that your body is building protection. As with other vaccines and according to the CDC, people have reported some side effects with FDA-authorized and FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines. The most common side effect is a sore arm. Some other side effects may feel like flu and might even affect your ability to do daily activities. But they should go away in a few days. You can learn more on the CDC website.

In the event of an emergency, you should call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.

If you have side effects that bother you or do not go away, you should report them to your vaccination provider or primary care provider. You should also notify the CDC at 1-800-822-7967. This is because the CDC and FDA continue to monitor the safety of the FDA-authorized and FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines. You can also use the CDC’s v-safe mobile app, which will help you monitor side effects and get second dose reminders.

The FDA approval determined that the vaccine is safe and effective at preventing COVID-19. The FDA goes through a detailed review of clinical data and information, as submitted in the Biologics License Application (BLA). In addition, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the CDC have recommended the FDA-approved vaccine for use among people age 16 and older.

The COVID-19 vaccine with FDA approval is the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, is known as Comirnaty. This vaccine was approved for use in preventing COVID-19 among people age 16 and older, and continues to be authorized for emergency use to prevent COVID-19 among people 12 to 15 years old and those with certain immunocompromised conditions, as defined by the CDC.

The FDA-authorized and FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines are not recommended for people with certain conditions or of different ages. The current vaccines are authorized for use among the following ages:

• Pfizer-BioNTech is not authorized or approved for children under the age of 5.
• Moderna is not authorized for people under the age of 18.
• Johnson & Johnson's Janssen is not authorized for people under the age of 18 and it is not authorized for a second dose. 

Per the FDA, women younger than 50 years old should be aware of the rare risk of blood clots with low platelets after Janssen vaccination. Other COVID-19 vaccines, such as Pfizer and Moderna, are available where this risk has not been seen.

There are other special considerations for when it might not be a good time to get the vaccine:

• If you've recently been exposed to COVID-19, see the CDC guidelines for getting the vaccine. 
• If you’ve had monoclonal antibody treatment or received convalescent plasma, the CDC states vaccination should not occur for at least 90 days.

Talk to your health care provider if you have questions about getting vaccinated for COVID-19.

According to the CDC, if you have ever had a severe allergic reaction to a vaccine or an injected medicine, you should ask your doctor if you should get a COVID-19 vaccine. A severe reaction is one that requires treatment at a hospital or with medications like an EpiPen (epinephrine). According to the CDC, the likelihood of severe reaction to the FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines is very low.    

The CDC recommends the people who have seasonal allergies or allergies to food, pets or oral medications, can still be vaccinated. If you have any questions, you should check with your health care provider. 

For more information, you can read the FDA’s fact sheets: Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson's Janssen.

An FDA advisory committee has voted in favor of the FDA authorizing the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use for children ages 5-11.

According to the CDC, the FDA-approved Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine and the FDA-authorized Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine have the same formulation and may be used interchangeably. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine administered for the first two doses of COVID-19 vaccine is the same formulation as the additional third dose and booster dose. There is no additional shot or booster authorized for anyone under the age of 18.

The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine administered for the first two doses of COVID-19 vaccine is the same formulation as the additional third dose. The Moderna COVID-19 booster dose is one-half the formulation of the original series. 

If mammography is scheduled within 6 weeks after your final vaccination shot, consult with your healthcare provider or physician if it should be rescheduled.  

COVID-19 vaccination is recommended by the CDC and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for all people age 12 years and older. This includes people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now or might become pregnant in the future. Pregnant and recently pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant people. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine can protect you from severe illness from COVID-19.

If you have questions, a conversation with your health care provider about the COVID-19 vaccine may be helpful.  

There is no evidence that the vaccine has any effect on male or female fertility. When the vaccine is given during pregnancy, the vaccine allows the mother to create antibodies which then protect both the mother and baby from infection.

According to the CDC, COVID-19 vaccinations should be offered to people regardless of whether they have previously had COVID-19. You do not need an antibody or diagnostic test before or after you are vaccinated to learn if the vaccine worked.

Anyone currently infected with COVID-19 should wait to get vaccinated until after their illness has resolved and after they have met the criteria to discontinue isolation. Additionally, current evidence suggests that reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19 is uncommon in the 90 days after initial infection. So, people with a recent infection may delay vaccination until the end of that 90-day period.

According to the CDC, experts are continuing to study the variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. Viruses constantly change through mutation, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time. There are multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 in the United States, and these variants seem to spread more easily than other variants. An increase in cases of COVID-19 can lead to more hospitalizations and potentially more deaths.

FDA-authorized and FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines help prevent the virus from spreading, which in turn can help decrease the opportunity for virus variants to develop and spread. According to the CDC, vaccines do help with protect against variants, and they continue to be closely investigated with more studies underway.

Vaccines play an essential role in limiting the spread of COVID-19 and protecting people’s health. To help protect your and your loved one’s health, you also need to follow public health safety practices:

• Wear face masks
• Physically distance
• Wash your hands regularly
• Isolate or quarantine when sick
  

 Visit the CDC website to learn more about the virus variants.

 The American Academy of Pediatricians and the American Medical Association support face masks as a science-based tool in helping prevent and control COVID-19.  Masks help keep your respiratory droplets in, while keeping other people’s droplets out. They are effective in helping slow the spread of COVID-19, especially for 1) both vaccinated and unvaccinated people in highly-impacted areas, and, and 2) people and households who are not yet vaccinated or have an underlying medical condition, according to the CDC.

Make sure your mask works the best it can, according to the CDC: 

• Have two or more layers of washable fabric 
• Completely cover your nose and mouth 
• Fit snugly against the sides of your face without gaps 
• Have a nose wire to prevent air from leaking out of the top of the mask 

Learn more about when to wear a mask on the CDC site.

According to the CDC, COVID-19 vaccines can be administered without regard to timing of other vaccines, including the flu vaccine. You can get the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine during the same visit. The CDC says that routine flu vaccination is an important part of preventive care for children, adolescents and adults (including pregnant people) that should not be delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local public health agencies determine quarantine recommendations. According to the CDC, quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others. Exposure is defined as 15 minutes or more of being within 6 feet of an individual who has tested positive or had symptoms within 2 days of exposure. By staying home or not going in public, quarantine helps prevent disease spread before a person knows they have the virus.

The CDC has identified 2 groups of people who do not need to quarantine when exposed:

• People who are fully vaccinated will no longer be required to quarantine following a direct exposure to someone with COVID-19, unless they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Fully vaccinated people are considered those who have had both doses of a two-dose vaccine or the one-dose vaccine, and 2 weeks have passed to allow for the vaccine to work. There are additional considerations for patients and residents who are fully vaccinated and in health care settings.
• People who have recovered from COVID-19 in the past 3 months do not need to quarantine.

Learn more on the CDC website.

According to the CDC, isolation is used to separate people infected with COVID-19 from those who are not infected. People who are in isolation should stay home until it’s safe for them to be around others. At home, anyone sick or infected should separate from others, staying in a specific “sick room” and using a separate bathroom if possible. The length of the isolation period depends on several factors. Review the CDC’s recommendations for when isolation can end based on the situation.

According to the CDC, while most people get over COVID-19 within weeks of illness, some people experience post-COVID-19 conditions that continue 4 weeks or more after infection. Several recent studies show that between 27-33% of patients who get COVID-19 and were not hospitalized developed some lasting symptoms, no matter their age, prior health or severity of their infection. While much is still unknown, the CDC reports these “long-haul” conditions can come to life in a variety of ways, ranging from difficulty breathing, fatigue, joint pain or mood changes to even more serious issues like multi-organ damage or autoimmune conditions. FDA-authorized and FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines play an important role in preventing serious illness from COVID-19. Additional information on "long haul"COVID-19 is available on the CDC website.

Here’s what we understand today: 

• Be prepared to show your photo ID, such as a driver’s license, to show proof of identity.
• Medicare plan members: 
  • You will need your red, white and blue Medicare card because Medicare is paying for your vaccine in 2021. If you don’t have your Medicare card, you can find it by logging in to your Social Security account. More information can be found on the CMS site.
  • If you receive your vaccine at a regular provider visit, you will also need your UnitedHealthcare member ID card.   
• Non-Medicare plan members: Bring your UnitedHealthcare member ID card. 

Remember to wear your face mask and to physically distance at your appointment. 

Additional information on preparing for your vaccination appointment can be found on the CDC website.

For many members, UnitedHealthcare pays an administrative fee to the vaccination provider that covers the member’s standard observation. By showing your health insurance card, you are also helping make sure there is a digital record of your COVID-19 vaccination available through your online UnitedHealthcare member account, which will help you keep a record of your vaccination status. 

If you receive additional services during your vaccination appointment or get the vaccination during a regular office visit, you may be responsible for copays, deductibles, coinsurance or out-of-network charges, according to your benefits plan.  Your vaccination provider should not charge you for the standard observation, which is the 15-30 minutes after receiving the vaccination.

Here are 3 key points from the CDC to keep in mind for your appointment: 

1. Allow extra time. Your vaccination provider will likely monitor you after receiving the vaccine. This is in case of a rare allergic reaction. So, you’ll want to plan some extra time.
2. Schedule the second dose. Plan ahead for your second dose by scheduling your second vaccine appointment if possible. You can also sign up for free text messaging through the CDC’s VaxText to a get a reminder about your second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
3. Keep vaccine cards in a safe place. You should receive a vaccination card during your appointment that says which vaccine you received, the date it was received and where it was received. We suggest you keep your vaccination card in a safe place.

If you are receiving an additional dose, your vaccination card will be updated to reflect those doses at your next appointment. We encourage you to keep your card with you.

Follow the vaccination instructions from the manufacturer for the primary series:

• Pfizer’s Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine: Requires 2 doses, given 3 weeks apart
• Moderna COVID-19 vaccine: Requires 2 doses, given 1 month apart
• Janssen COVID-19 vaccine: Requires 1 dose, no second dose

If a second dose is part of the series, you will need to get both doses within 3-4 weeks to get the protection indicated by the manufacturer. You should make sure both of the doses received for the primary series are from the same manufacturer and that the second dose is as close to the recommended timing as possible.

We strongly encourage members to schedule both doses at the same time to meet these time frames and get protection from COVID-19. The vaccination provider should assist the member with scheduling the second dose when they receive their first dose and help them know when to get the second dose.

They can also sign up for free text messaging through the CDC’s VaxText to a get a reminder about their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The CDC recommends getting the next shot in your series as close to the recommended timing as possible. Follow the vaccination instructions from the manufacturer. If you miss your vaccination appointment or are outside of the timing, you can still get the second dose and you won’t need to start over with a first dose. And even if the second dose is late, the second dose will still help you get protection from COVID-19. You should schedule your next appointment with your vaccination provider as soon as you can.

You should have received a vaccination card at your first appointment with information on the COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer, date of your first vaccination and when your second dose is due. If you cannot find that, your vaccination provider can help you know which vaccine you received. You may also be able to find your vaccination information within your vaccine record in your secure account within myuhc.com or medicare.uhc.com.

You should talk to your health care provider or COVID-19 vaccination provider. They will help you  determine the best next step to completing the COVID-19 vaccination series.

According to CDC, several groups are authorized to receive a COVID-19 booster shot:

• People ages 18 and older who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine may get a booster of any of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States at least 6 months after last dose in the primary series.
• People age 50 years and older who received Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 should get a booster of any of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States at least 6 months after last dose in the primary series.
• People age 18 and older and living in a long term care setting who received Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 should get a booster of any of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States at least 6 months after last dose in the primary series.
• People age 18 and older who received the Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccine should get a booster at least 2 months after last dose in the primary series of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna), which is preferred over the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine for booster vaccination. Recipients of an mRNA vaccine primary series ages 18 + who are unable to receive an mRNA booster dose may be offered a Janssen vaccine booster dose following discussion of the benefits and risks.
• People age 16 or 17 may get a Pfizer-BioNTech booster at least 6 months after second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

If you received a Pfizer-BioNTech, Comirnaty or Moderna primary series, you should get a booster at least 6 months after last dose in the primary series if you are:

• Ages 50 and older
• Ages 18 and older and living in a long-term care setting

If you received a Pfizer-BioNTech, Comirnaty or Moderna primary series, you may get a booster at least 6 months after last dose in the primary series if you are:

• Ages 18-49
• 16 or 17 and receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech booster

When to get a booster if you received a Pfizer-BioNTech, Comirnaty or Moderna vaccine: At least 6 months after your second shot

Which booster should you get? Any of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States. However, according to the CDC, an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) is preferred over the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine for booster vaccination. Recipients of an mRNA vaccine primary series ages 18 + who are unable to receive an mRNA booster dose may be offered a Janssen vaccine booster dose following discussion of the benefits and risks.

If you received the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, you are eligible for a booster if you are 18 years or older

When to get a booster if you received the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine: At least 2 months after your primary series

Which booster should I get? Any of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States. However, according to the CDC, an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) is preferred over the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine for booster vaccination. Recipients of an mRNA vaccine primary series ages 18 + who are unable to receive an mRNA booster dose may be offered a Janssen vaccine booster dose following discussion of the benefits and risks.

Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose. Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type that they originally received, and others may prefer to get a different booster. CDC’s recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots. However, according to the CDC, an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) is preferred over the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine for booster vaccination. Recipients of an mRNA vaccine primary series ages 18 + who are unable to receive an mRNA booster dose may be offered a Janssen vaccine booster dose following discussion of the benefits and risks.

What is the difference between an additional primary dose and a booster shot?

An additional primary dose is administered to people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems. The additional primary dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is intended to improve immunocompromised people’s response to their vaccine primary series. A booster shot is administered when a person has completed their vaccine primary series to enhance or restore protection against COVID-19 which may have decreased over time.

COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are widely available across vaccination providers, including retail pharmacies, doctors’ offices and other health systems.

Additional Primary Dose

According to the CDC, if you received a Pfizer-BioNTech (ages 12 and older) or Moderna (ages 18 and older) mRNA COVID-19 vaccine primary series and have a moderately to severely compromised immune system, you should receive an additional primary dose of the same mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least 28 days after the second dose.

Currently, CDC does not recommend an additional primary dose if you received a single-dose J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.

Booster Shots

Immunocompromised people 18 years and older who received a J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine primary dose should also receive a single COVID-19 vaccine booster shot at least 2 months after their primary dose.

Moderately to severely immunocompromised people ages 18 years and older who received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine primary series, and an additional primary mRNA vaccine may get a booster shot 6 months after completing their vaccine primary series.

If you get a booster shot you have the option to either get the same COVID-19 vaccine product as your primary series, or you can get a different COVID-19 vaccine. You may have a preference for the vaccine type that you originally received, and you may prefer to get a different booster. CDC’s recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots. However, according to the CDC, an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) is preferred over the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine for booster vaccination. Recipients of an mRNA vaccine primary series ages 18 + who are unable to receive an mRNA booster dose may be offered a Janssen vaccine booster dose following discussion of the benefits and risks. You may consider the benefits and risks of each product and discuss with your healthcare provider which COVID-19 vaccine product is the most appropriate booster for you.

CDC has not made a recommendation for this scenario yet. 

There are now booster recommendations for all three available COVID-19 vaccines in the United States. Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose. Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type that they originally received, and others may prefer to get a different booster. CDC’s recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots. However, an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) is preferred over the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine for booster vaccination. Recipients of an mRNA vaccine primary series ages 18 + who are unable to receive an mRNA booster dose may be offered a Janssen vaccine booster dose following discussion of the benefits and risks.

The vaccine used for the additional primary dose should be same as the vaccine used for the primary vaccine series. If the mRNA vaccine product given for the first two doses is not available or is unknown, either mRNA COVID-19 vaccine product may be administered.

CDC recommends the additional primary dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine be administered at least 28 days after a second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for immunocompromised people ages 12 years and older.

To help ensure your safety, the CDC is recommending that you share your proof of vaccination card with your health care provider so they can confirm you meet the appropriate eligibility criteria.

Current guidance is if a member received COVID-19 vaccine/s prior to a hematopoietic cellular transplant (HCT) or CAR T-cell therapy, then a primary series should be repeated at least 3 months after the transplant.