Three vaccines are currently authorized and recommended for use against COVID-19, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, Moderna vaccine and Janssen (a pharmaceutical company owned by Johnson & Johnson) vaccine.

There are two additional clinical trials in progress in the U.S.: 

• Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine
• Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine

Learn more from the CDC

In order to be declared safe and effective, all COVID-19 vaccines must pass certain tests and standards.

The National Academy of Sciences, the National Institutes for Health, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) use scientific data from extensive research to help decide if and when new drugs and vaccines can become available to the public. The vaccines have been approved by public health agencies and are safe for use in most adults.

Learn more from the CDC

Individuals who live, work or study in New York State over the age of 12 are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in New York State. Please check the Finger Lakes Vaccination Hub for vaccine availability and clinic times.  

Remember, the COVID vaccine is safe—it can help protect you from contracting the virus, and lessen the severity of symptoms should you become infected.

Because the supply of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States was initially limited, the CDC recommended that initial supplies of COVID-19 vaccines be offered to workers in high-risk professions for transmission, including healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents, followed by seniors and those with chronic conditions.

Vaccines in New York State are now available to all individuals who live, work or study in New York State, aged 12 and over.

No, you can not get COVID-19 from the COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccines do not contain the live virus. If you become infected after getting vaccinated, it is because you have been exposed to the virus before the body has built up enough immunity to help keep you protected. It typically takes a few weeks after vaccination for the body to build immunity.

Even after you get the COVID-19 vaccination, you should continue wearing your mask, stay physically distant from others, avoid gatherings, and practice hand hygiene.

Experts do not know what percentage of people need to get vaccinated to achieve herd immunity to COVID-19. Herd immunity is a term used to describe when enough people have protection—either from previous infection or vaccination—that it is unlikely a virus or bacteria can spread and cause disease. As a result, everyone within the community is protected even if some people don’t have any protection themselves.

The percentage of people who need to have protection to achieve herd immunity varies by disease. Usually, it's at least 70% of the population or more.

We recommend using reputable sources like your local health care organizations, as well as local and state government channels for the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccines. Here are a few helpful resources: 

• Rochester Regional Health COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs also available in Spanish
• Rochester Regional Health COVID-19 Blog Articles
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
• New York State Department of Health 
• Federal Drug Administration

The most commonly reported side effects, which typically last several days, are pain and/or swelling at the injection site, tiredness, headache, fever and chills. Side effects may feel like the flu and even affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days.

More people experienced these side effects after the second dose than after the first dose.

Learn more about side effects

Vaccine doses will be given to Americans at no cost. However, vaccination providers can charge a fee for administering the vaccine. This fee can be reimbursed by the patient’s public or private insurance company. Uninsured patients can get reimbursed by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provider Relief Fund.

In addition to getting vaccinated, we recommend following CDC guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. You can do this by continuing to:

• Wear a mask to cover your mouth and nose whenever in public, especially when unable to maintain six feet physical distance from others
• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer for 20 seconds
• Avoid crowds and maintain physical distancing of six feet from other people whenever possible

The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is currently available for children aged 12 years and older.

COVID-19 vaccine trials are underway in children under the age of 12 and there is hope that the age group will be expanded later this year.

New strains of a respiratory virus are not uncommon as a virus spreads. While early data are promising, we are still learning more about whether the COVID-19 vaccines are fully effective at protecting people against all strains, says Dr. Emil Lesho, an epidemiologist for Rochester Regional Health.

Learn more about the new strains of COVID-19

1. The vaccines will help keep you and others from getting COVID-19.

2. The vaccines will be a safer way than getting COVID-19 to build protection.

3. Getting our community vaccinated is important in stopping the pandemic and getting back to normal.

Learn more about why you should consider getting vaccinated

The CDC has revised its COVID-19 vaccination guidelines to suggest plans should be made by local jurisdictions to ensure equitable access to vaccinations and lists racial and ethnic groups as critical populations that may be at an increased risk of getting the virus. "For the first time, the African American and Latinx communities are at the front of the line to receive equitable treatment,” said Deborah Stamps, Executive Vice President, Chief Nursing Education and Diversity Officer. "Now is an opportunity for us to step up and participate, be engaged, and be leaders in really eradicating this virus moving forward.”

Learn more about how the vaccines impact people and communities of color

• Preguntas frecuentes
• Video de conversaciones comunitarias