How can I get a new COVID-19 vaccination card?

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If you need a new vaccination card, contact the vaccination provider site where you received your vaccine. Your provider should give you a new card with up-to-date information about the vaccinations you have received.

If the location where you received your COVID-19 vaccine is no longer operating, contact your state or local health department’s immunization information system (IIS) for assistance.

CDC does not maintain vaccination records or determine how vaccination records are used, and CDC does not provide the CDC-labeled, white COVID-19 vaccination record card to people. These cards are distributed to vaccination providers by state and local health departments. Please contact your state or local health department if you have additional questions about vaccination cards or vaccination records.

Where can I get a COVID-19 booster shot?

If you need to get your booster shot in a location different from where you received your previous shot, there are several ways you can find a vaccine provider. Find a COVID-19 vaccine or booster: Search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations near you.

How much does the COVID-19 vaccine cost without insurance?

COVID-19 vaccines are available for everyone at no cost, regardless of their immigration or health insurance status.

Do we still need to wear a mask after getting a COVID-19 vaccine?

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After you are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, take these steps to protect yourself and others:

• In general, you do not need to wear a mask in outdoor settings.
• If you are in an area with high numbers of COVID-19 cases, consider wearing a mask in crowded outdoor settings and when you are in close contact with others who are not fully vaccinated.
• If you have a condition or taking medications that weaken your immune system, you may not be fully protected even if you are fully vaccinated. You should continue to take all precautions recommended for unvaccinated people, including wearing a well-fitted mask, until advised otherwise by their healthcare provider.
• If you are fully vaccinated, to maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others, wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission.

What is the difference between a booster shot and a regular COVID-19 shot?

Booster shots are given to people who are likely to have developed a strong immune response with prior vaccination, in order to help increase, or boost, the immunity they already have. This is because there is some evidence from clinical trials that antibodies produced after the first two shots decline over time.

What kind of booster vaccine is available for COVID-19?

Choosing Your COVID-19 Booster Shot Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna (COVID-19 mRNA vaccines) are preferred. You may get Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine in some situations.

Can you still get COVID-19 after vaccine?

Most people who get COVID-19 are unvaccinated. However, since vaccines are not 100% effective at preventing infection, some people who are fully vaccinated will still get COVID-19. An infection of a fully vaccinated person is referred to as a “breakthrough infection.”

Will the COVID-19 vaccine keep you from spreading the virus to others?

COVID-19 vaccines can reduce the risk of people spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. Getting everyone ages 5 years and older vaccinated can help the entire family, including siblings who are not eligible for vaccination and family members who may be at risk of getting very sick if they are infected.

When does immunity start after the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine?

Data released by the U.S. Food and medicine Administration (FDA) show that COVID-19 protection from the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was demonstrated in the clinical trials at about 14 days after the first shot. The FDA said some level of immunity may start sooner, but how much is not certain.

Why do some people still get COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated?

Because vaccines are not 100% effective, as the number of people who are fully vaccinated goes up, the number of vaccine breakthrough infections will also increase. However, the risk of infection remains much higher for unvaccinated than vaccinated people.

Does the COVID-19 vaccine reduce your chances of getting COVID?

COVID 19-vaccines are effective and can lower your risk of getting and spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccines also help prevent serious illness and death in children and adults even if they do get COVID-19.

What exactly does the COVID-19 vaccine do to the body?

COVID-19 vaccines help our bodies develop immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 without us having to get the illness.

Is COVID-19 vaccination still necessary, even after getting the disease and recovering?

Re-infection with COVID-19 occurs, although it is relatively rare. Also, at this point we do not know precisely how long people are naturally protected from getting COVID-19 again after clearing an infection. Follow-up periods for previously-infected individuals are not yet long enough to be able to draw conclusions on the duration of protection against infection beyond six months after infection. As a result, COVID-19 vaccination is recommended even for those who have recovered from the disease.

Can you get COVID-19 if you already had it and have antibodies?

It is important to remember that some people with antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 may become infected after vaccination (vaccine breakthrough infection) or after recovering from a past infection (reinfected).

Which Covid test is most accurate?

“PCR tests are considered the most accurate available,” Dr. Martinello says.

Do I need the COVID-19 vaccine if I still have antibodies?

Yes, the COVID-19 vaccines are recommended, even if you had COVID-19.

Should you get the COVID-19 vaccine if you have been treated with monoclonal antibodies?

People who were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma or people who have a history of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults or children (MIS-A or MIS-C) may need to wait a while after recovering before they can get vaccinated.

Does your immune system get stronger after COVID-19?

Any time you catch a virus and recover from the illness, you retain antibodies. These antibodies help your body fight off future infections so that you either don’t get sick or have milder symptoms.

How long do antibodies last after COVID-19 infection?

Dr. Finstad: It appears that antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 last for at least several months. One SeroNet study found that people who had mild to moderate COVID-19 had neutralizing antibodies for at least 5 months. Another found similar results—people who recovered from COVID-19 had neutralizing antibodies for 6 months.

Are antibodies beneficial during the COVID-19 pandemic?

When reinfections or breakthrough infections happen, having antibodies plays an important role in helping prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death. For many diseases, including COVID-19, antibodies are expected to decrease or “wane” over time.

What does a positive COVID-19 antigen test result mean?

Positive test results using a viral test (NAAT or antigen) in persons with signs or symptoms consistent with COVID-19 indicate that the person has COVID-19, independent of vaccination status of the person.

How long can COVID-19 antibodies be detected in blood samples?

Antibodies may be detected in your blood for several months or more after you recover from COVID-19.