All people in Oregon age 12 and older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

COVID vaccines are safe and effective

The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) requires rigorous safety testing before it will authorize any vaccine for emergency use. The COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson were tested in tens of thousands of study participants and generated enough data to convince the FDA that the vaccines were safe and effective.

Mass vaccination will help slow the spread of COVID-19

Safe and effective vaccines are the key to achieving community immunity from COVID-19 and returning to normal life as soon as possible.

The COVID-19 vaccine will be free

The vaccines will be provided at no cost to you. You do not need health insurance. If you have health insurance, vaccine providers may charge your insurance company an administration fee for giving you the vaccine. This means that you might be asked for your insurance information when you get your vaccine.

Different vaccines require different doses.

If you receive either a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, you should receive a vaccination card that tells you when to get your second dose. If you receive a Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you will only need to get one dose.

Proof of eligibility or identification is not required

There is no need to bring identification, social security number or health insurance to your vaccine appointment. Vaccine providers may ask if you live in Oregon.

Hold onto your vaccination card

Your original COVID-19 vaccination card is the best proof of vaccination. If you don’t have that card, you may be able to print a record of your vaccinations from your personal electronic healthcare record on your provider’s website such as My Chart. Alternatively, you can request a copy of your immunization record from Oregon’s ALERT IIS registry (Call 211 for help; be prepared to wait at last five days before receiving record) or ask your health care provider to print out your immunization record and arrange to pick it up.

You may have some side effects

Mild to moderate reactions to vaccines are not uncommon and are a sign your immune system is responding as it should. Common side effects after vaccination include:

• Pain or swelling where you got the shot
• Fever
• Chills
• Fatigue
• Headache

In most cases, the side effects should go away within a few days. If you think you are having a severe reaction, seek immediate care by calling 911.

Immunity is not immediate

Full immunity from vaccination will not take place until 14 days after the final dose of whichever vaccine you’ve received. You will be considered “fully vaccinated” at this point in time.

You will still need to abide by current safety measures.

Fully vaccinated individuals will no longer need to wear a mask indoors in public places where the vaccination status of individuals are checked. However, fully vaccinated individuals will still need to continue to wear a mask and physically distance in establishments that aren’t checking the vaccination status of their guests. You can read more about the changes here.

Quarantining after exposure may be optional.

If it’s been more than 14 days and less than three months since your final vaccine dose, you do not have to quarantine if you have had close contact with someone with COVID-19. 

You can register for v-safe

V-safe, a smartphone tool from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provides health check-ins for folks who have received a COVID-19 vaccine. Through v-safe, you can quickly notify the CDC about any side effects you experience and receive reminders to get your second COVID-19 vaccine dose if you need one.