FAQ: What you should know about getting the COVID-19 vaccine in Arizona – AZFamily

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- The first doses of the Pfizer vaccine are expected to arrive in Arizona between Monday, Dec. 14 and Wednesday, Dec. 16. The first doses of the Moderna vaccine, once approved, should arrive the week of Dec. 21.

Arizona is expected to get 384,350 doses of the vaccine, but not all at once, and only the first dose. The second doses will arrive later.

Dr. Cara Christ, Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS), said the planned turnaround times from the doses arriving in Arizona to patients given the vaccine would be 24-48 hours.

A: While there have been a couple of cases in Britain in which patients had an allergic reaction to the vaccine, Pfizer, the manufacturer, says it appears to be safe.

Dr. Christ said when people get the vaccine, they will need to stay put with their provider for about 15 minutes to make sure they do not have an adverse reaction.

Neither Pfizer nor Moderna reported any serious side effects during their clinical trials. The most common side effects, according to the manufactures, are not unusual with vaccines.

"We need to let everybody know that the vaccine is safe, effective, and it's for everyone's benefit," Dr. Christ said.

There are several things, however, that cannot be known yet, including what, if any, long-term effects the vaccine might have.

It's also not clear if the vaccine can prevent transmission of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 or if it only prevents people from getting sick.

An expert committee endorsed the Pfizer vaccine on Thursday. Dec. 11. The Food and Drug Administration was expected to quickly green-light the vaccine for emergency use based on the panel's recommendations.

The FDA is scheduled to look at the Moderna vaccine on Dec. 17.

A: Two. The second dose comes 21 or 28 days after the first.

A: Not fully.

"While some protection will be obtained two weeks after the first dose, full protection will not be achieved until one to two weeks after the second dose," Dr. Christ said. "That second dose is very important."

A: There's no certain answer to that yet, but medical experts seem to be leaning toward an annual shot like the flu vaccine. Viruses mutate over time and vaccines have be adjusted to be as effective as possible against current strains. It's probably not a one-vaccine-fixes-everything-forever approach. Medical researchers are still learning about the body's responses to the coronavirus and how the antibodies to it work. There's still quite a bit that's unknown.

A: The short answer is possibly.

If you have an underlying medical condition, you might be exempt under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act provides similar protection for people with "sincerely held" religious believes against vaccines.

If you are exempt, you and your employer would need to work together to come up with "reasonable accommodations." What that looks like varies. It could be remote work or it could be using personal protective equipment (PPE) at the workplace.

Absent those two exceptions, you will be taking a risk against your employer's mandate. Employers have the right to enforce their requirements.

"If your employer requires it, and you don't do it, then it is likely you'll lose your job," said attorney Logan Elia with Rose Law Group.

A: The vaccine is being rolled out in phases before it becomes available to the general population.

A: It depends. The first doses will go to frontline workers, essential workers, and people at high risk for developing complications from COVID-19. The vaccine will likely not be available to the general public until spring of 2021.

The Maricopa County Health Department created a COVID-19 Vaccine Prescreen for health care workers and others in Phase1A to register. To learn more, click here.

The New York Times created a tool to help people determine their "place in line" to get the vaccine. It looks at at four specific factors -- your age, where you live, your profession, and underlying conditions. This is not a reservation or registration for the vaccine. It's merely meant to give you and idea where you might fall in what's going to be a massive vaccination effort.

A: Nothing is certain except death and taxes, but Pfizer says its vaccine is 95% percent effective at preventing COVID-19. Moderna puts its vaccine's efficacy at 94.5%.

If you do develop the disease, you probably will not get as sick as you might have otherwise.

A: "There are no clinical trials yet conducted in children or pregnant women," Dr. Christ said. "As we get more information, will be adding more information about kids and pregnant women."

A: Medical experts say yes. While Pfizer says its vaccine is effective at preventing people from getting COVID-19, it's not clear yet if it has any effect on transmitting the virus. So, even if you do not get sick, you could still be contagious.

"It will be important for everyone to continue taking precautions, even after being vaccinated, to ensure that we are protecting our loved ones and those around us," according to Dr. Christ.

Medical experts worldwide have made it clear that masks are not just to protect the wearer but also to protect everyone around them.

A: It's free.

A: No

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FAQ: What you should know about getting the COVID-19 vaccine in Arizona - AZFamily