Newsletter FAQS
Purpose: To provide answers to questions employees may have about the COVID-19 vaccines. NOTE: This FAQ addresses specifically the Moderna and Pfizer brands which were available at the time of this publication.
What is an mRNA vaccine?Both of these vaccines are messenger RNA (mRNA) types of vaccines to protect against infectious diseases. Many vaccines trigger an immune response by putting a weakened or inactivated microbe (virus or bacteria) into our bodies. mRNA vaccines do not do this and were developed differently.
Instead, they teach our cells how to make a protein or just a piece of a protein that triggers an immune response inside our bodies.
That immune response, which produces antibodies, is what protects us from getting infected if the COVID-19 virus enters our bodies. Although these vaccines are the first to use mRNA technology, mRNA technology has been under research since the 1990s.
Was there enough research done before these Pfizer and Moderna brands of COVID-19 were approved?mRNA vaccines have been held to the same rigorous safety and effectiveness standard as all other types of vaccines in the United States. The only COVID-19 vaccines the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will make available for use in the United States (by approval or emergency use authorization) are those that meet these standards.
Researchers have been studying and working with mRNA vaccines for decades. Interest has grown in these vaccines because they can be developed in a laboratory using readily available materials. The mRNA vaccine development process can be standardized and scaled up, making vaccine development faster than traditional methods of making vaccines. mRNA vaccines have been studied before for Flu, Zika virus, Rabies, and Cytomegalovirus (CMV). As soon as the necessary information about the virus that causes COVID-19 was available, scientists began designing the mRNA instructions for cells to build the unique (COVID) spike protein into an mRNA vaccine.
Future mRNA vaccine technology may allow for one vaccine to provide protection for multiple diseases, thus decreasing the number of shots needed for protection against common vaccine-preventable diseases.
Beyond vaccines, cancer research has used mRNA to trigger the immune system to target specific cancer cells.
Does the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines cause COVID illness/disease?No, these vaccines do NOT contain any part of the COVID-19 virus. The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines only contain the instructions for your body to make a single protein from the spike part of the coronavirus.
Neither the instructions (the mRNA) nor the created protein can cause COVID-19.
You will NOT get COVID from being vaccinated. However, some people can have side effects from the vaccine (see below).
Are there side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine?Yes, a person can get very short-term side effects, especially after the 2nd dose.
The goal of any vaccine is to rev up your immune system to combat that virus or bacteria if it enters your body in the future. The symptoms of immune system activation include mild fever, body aches, a headache, and fatigue. A few people may have nausea and vomiting but this is more rare. If someone gets these side effects, they usually begin within a few hours after being vaccinated and subside within 24-48 hours. This is not COVID-19.
If you develop any of these symptoms, it is a good sign as it means you are developing a good immune response to COVID-19.
If you get congestion, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath or loss of taste/smell, this is not due to the mRNA COVID vaccine. These are not symptoms due to the vaccine. If you get those symptoms after getting a mRNA vaccine, you may have developed an illness from the COVID virus, the flu, or some other illness.
If your symptoms are confirmed to be COVID illness with a COVID-19 test, this indicates you were exposed to the COVID-19 virus just prior to your vaccination or during the post-vaccination period before you developed your full immunity. You did not develop COVID-19 illness/disease from the vaccine.
Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe?There is every indication that these vaccines are safe. There have been a few rare cases of severe allergic reaction to this vaccine that can occur with any vaccine or any other medication.
If you have ever had anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction), you should discuss receiving one of these vaccines with your Primary Care Provider (PCP).
Since the vaccine has been in use since the middle of 2020, there is not a long enough time to determine if there might long-term side effects. However, other medications made with the mRNA technology (e.g. cancer medications) have not shown long-term side effects and because these vaccines only contains protein instructions for a single protein, it is unlikely to cause an issue other than the side effects or rare allergic reaction mentioned above.
Can the COVID-19 vaccine change my DNA?No, the mRNA does not affect or interact with our DNA in any way. The mRNA never enters the cell’s nucleus, which is where our DNA (genetic material) is kept.
Once the mRNA has been used to make a piece of the coronavirus spike protein, the body breaks it down and gets rid of the mRNA soon after it is finished using the instructions.
Can the COVID-19 vaccine make me infertile?There is no indication that the vaccine can make you infertile.
Can I receive the COVID-19 vaccine if I am pregnant or breastfeeding?Yes, you can get the vaccine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. The risks if you get the COVID-19 disease during pregnancy are understood to be significant. Although it has not been formally studied to date, there have not been any indications that the vaccine would harm a pregnancy.
It is recommended that you should discuss the COVID-19 vaccine further with your OB doctor if you are pregnant or with your child’s pediatrician if breastfeeding for further guidance.
Was politics involved in getting this COVID-19 vaccines approved?No. Many of us are aware that there was a tremendous amount of conflicting information during the summer and fall of 2020. However, the scientific process was appropriately followed to the end, when the FDA approved, under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), the Pfizer vaccine, and then the Moderna vaccine. To date, millions of people in our country and around the world have received these vaccines, with only the side effects and rare allergic reactions discussed above being seen.
How long will I be protected or have immunity once I receive both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine?Given that this is a new virus and new vaccine, it is unknown how long this vaccine’s immunity will last. Research data will indicate if the COVID-19 vaccine will be like the flu vaccine that we need to receive every year or like the tetanus vaccine that we get every 10 years. This will become more clear as time progresses.
If I already had COVID-19, should I still get vaccinated?Yes, you should still be vaccinated. It is not clear how long natural immunity lasts after COVID-19 illness, and there have been rare cases of someone getting COVID-19 a second time.
If you are currently sick with COVID-19 or some other significant illness, you should delay being vaccinated until you feel better.
If you had COVID-19 and were treated with some type of antibody treatment (e.g., monoclonal, plasma), you should delay being vaccinated until you’re are at least 90 days from that treatment.
Am I required to get the COVID-19 vaccine?No, getting the COVID-19 vaccine is not required at this time. However, it is highly recommended that we all get this vaccine unless there is a compelling medical reason not to.
Being vaccinated and developing immunity will not only protect you from COVID-19 but also protect those you are in contact with from getting COVID from you. This will help break the chain of transmission of this disease, and you will be part of the long-term solution to getting our lives moving back towards normal.
IMPORTANT: Please provide a copy of your COVID-19 vaccination card or documentation to your manager to upload into ADP WFN, so there is a record in the event the vaccine is required at a later date.
Will the vaccine cover the new strains of COVID?There are many different strains of the COVID-19 virus circulating around the world. We have recently heard about strains from the United Kingdom and South Africa that seem to be more easily spread from person-to-person.
At present, based on the limited research we have seen, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines should continue to be effective with these strains. This is because of the area of the mutations in these new strains is not in the area of the spike protein coded by the mRNA vaccines.
As more of our population receives the COVID-19 vaccination, and the virus has less opportunity to spread, it will also have less opportunity to mutate into other variants. This is an important reason to receive your COVID-19 vaccination.
Are stem cells and fetal cells involved in manufacturing the vaccine?No. Stem cells and fetal cells, including MRC-5, were NOT used to develop the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
Are there egg products in the vaccine?No. Eggs and egg products were NOT used in the development of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
Does this vaccine contain thimerosal?No, there is no thimerosal (a preservative) used in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
If I get the vaccine, and then test positive shortly afterwards (no symptoms at the time of vaccine) will I have a worse outcome?No, developing COVID illness at or near the time of vaccination should not lead to a worse outcome. Theoretically, if you got the vaccine and were then exposed and got COVID-19, you should have a day or two of a head start on obtaining immunity. This may help you recover from your illness more quickly.
I don’t think I should get the vaccine because I am not in the high-risk category, and I should keep my immune system strong to fight the virus myself. Do you agree?Actually, without the vaccine, if you have to fight off COVID-19, your immune system will not be ‘strong’ with regard to the COVID-19 virus. It will take time for your immune system to recognize the intruder (the COVID virus) for the first time, develop an immune response to it and then ramp that response up to a level to fight. In the meantime, you could get very sick or not get symptoms at all but could spread the disease to others who could become very sick.
If you receive the COVID-19 vaccine, your immune system goes thru the same process, only this time you don’t get sick, and you can’t spread the disease. All you do is ramp up your immune system for a future time when your body meets the virus. When this occurs, your immune system is ready immediately, identifies the virus as a threat, and directly goes into action, fighting off the virus.
By getting the vaccine, your body’s immune system is prepared for the COVID-19 threat. Without the vaccine, your immune system is not prepared. That is how vaccines work.
I am concerned about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine because I am a foreign national and our immune systems do not respond well to vaccines.COVID vaccines have been studied in people of many races, ethnicities, and countries of origin. Unless a person has an underlying immune disorder, there is no evidence to suggest that the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines should work differently in someone due to their ethnic or racial background.
Studies show the vaccine can increase your heart rate; if I already have a heart condition, could this be dangerous for me to get the vaccine?The vaccine itself is not known to increase your heart rate. However, getting any injection could cause a person’s heart rate to go up due to anxiety or brief pain from the needle. If you have the side effects listed above, your heart rate could also go up a bit temporarily.
To be very clear, people with different heart conditions are at a much higher risk of a bad outcome if they become ill with the COVID-19 virus. This is why people with underlying heart conditions are prioritized to get the COVID vaccine earlier, regardless of their age, so that they are less likely to have a bad outcome if they get the COVID-19 illness.
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