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Patients who qualify for the COVID vaccination will be contacted directly by CHAS Health staff to schedule an appointment. An appointment will be required to receive the vaccine, there are no walk-ins and there is not a waitlist.
The timing for vaccinations for each phase of CHAS Health patients will follow state requirements, guidance from the CDC, and be determined by available vaccine quantities. CHAS Health patients can ensure our outreach system is most efficiently reaching them by signing up for our patient portal and double-checking your contact information on file in the portal.
The Food and Drug Administration approved emergency use of two COVID-19 vaccines , by Pfizer|BioNtech and Moderna, and doses began to arrive in each state in December. This is great news! Studies show the vaccine is safe and effective and having a vaccine is key to helping save lives and ending the pandemic.
Because the initial supply is very limited, the Centers for Disease Control is directing the first doses for high-risk health care workers and patients in long-term care facilities. We are currently working with local and state authorities on the process for vaccinations for CHAS Health employees and patients. We don’t know yet how many doses of vaccine we’ll receive, or when it will be widely available to members of the public. We promise to keep you informed on this webpage as we learn more and as vaccines become more widely available.
We encourage everyone to get vaccinated. We recognize this is a personal decision and that many people have questions about the vaccine. We encourage you to educate yourself about the vaccine and will provide more information as it comes out. You can also visit your state’s website for updates:
The timing for vaccinations for each phase of CHAS Health patients will follow state requirements, guidance from the CDC, and be determined by available vaccine quantities. Find out the latest information on Washington State Vaccine Prioritization or discover the Idaho State Vaccine Prioritization plan.
CHAS Health is not currently scheduling patients for the COVID-19 vaccine or taking names for a waiting list. When vaccine scheduling open, patients who qualify for vaccination will be contacted directly by CHAS Health staff to schedule an appointment. An appointment will be required to receive the vaccine; we will not be accepting walk-ins for the COVID-19 vaccine. CHAS Health patients can ensure our outreach system is most efficiently reaching them by signing up for our patient portal and double-checking your contact information on file in the portal.
The COVID-19 vaccine teaches your immune system to recognize the coronavirus. When you get the vaccine, your immune system makes antibodies that stay in your blood and protect you in case you are infected with the virus. You get protection against the disease without having to get sick. When enough people in the community can fight off the coronavirus — something called herd or population immunity — it has nowhere to go. This means we can stop the spread quicker and get closer to ending the pandemic.
Vaccination helps reduce the spread of a virus and protects the people around you, including people who are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. It is not possible to get COVID-19 from vaccines. The new COVID-19 vaccines use inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus, parts of the virus, or a gene from the virus. None of these can cause COVID-19.
COVID-19 vaccines are carefully evaluated in clinical trials and are only allowed for use if the FDA considers them safe and effective. Safety and efficacy (how well the vaccine works to protect you) are determined by clinical trials. After clinical trials, medical experts examine test results and any side effects. If the vaccine works and is safe, it will get approved for distribution to the public.
According to the Washington State Department of Health, since we 're in a pandemic, developing a new vaccine can go faster than normal. No steps are skipped, but some steps happen at the same time, like applications, trials and manufacturing. See the helpful video below to learn more about this process.
You may see some rumors about untrue side effects online or on social media. Make sure any time you see a claim about a side effect that you check the source of that claim. This video can teach you more about how to figure out if a claim online is true or not.
The most common side effects of the vaccine are similar to some routine vaccines, including a sore arm, tiredness, headache, and muscle pain. Data from clinical trials showed the following in people younger than 55:
Like some routine vaccines, the most common side effects are a sore arm, tiredness, headache, and muscle pain. These symptoms are a sign that the vaccine is prompting an immune response. Data from clinical trials showed the following: