Health Plan of San Joaquin | Focus Your Health | Spring 2021

You may be hearing more about the new COVID-19 vac- cines. Here are answers to a few questions you may have. Q How many vaccines are available? A. Two vaccines are being used, and others are being worked on. Both vaccines in use completed phase 3 trials. That is typically the final stage of the vaccine trial process before a vaccine may be submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for review. Q Why are so many vaccines being developed at once? A. The vaccines work in differ- ent ways. Some use the dead viruses to stimulate immunity. This is how the flu shot and many other vaccines work. Some use the virus’s genetic material. Having more options gives us a better chance of find - ing a safe and effective vaccine. Q How well do the vaccines work? A. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 95% effective at prevent- ing COVID-19 in clinical trials. Moderna’s vaccine was 94.5% effective. That’s very good. Both vaccines require two doses, given several weeks apart, to provide full protection. Q How do we know the vaccines are safe? A. FDA only authorizes a vaccine for use if it determines that the benefits outweigh the risks. Both the vaccines currently in use had excellent safety records in clinical trials. The most common side effects are mild, like a fever or soreness at the injection site. While some people have experienced allergic reac - tions to the vaccines, the overall number is small. And vaccine providers are taking steps to monitor and treat any problems. FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also continue to moni- tor vaccines for safety after they are in use. You can help by signing up for CDC’s v-safe program at vsafe.cdc.gov after you get your first shot. Q How much does a vaccine cost? A. As a Health Plan of San Joaquin member, the vaccine will be available at no cost to you. When the vaccine does become available to the public, talk to your doctor to find out how to get your vaccine. Q After I get a vaccine, can I stop social distancing and wearing a mask? A. No. A vaccine is just one safety measure we can use to help stop the pandemic. No vaccine is 100% effective. People will still need to wear masks and stay 6 feet away from others. That will need to continue until health experts are sure the vaccine provides long-term protection and until the virus stops spreading so widely. Focus Your Health 5 6 common questions about COVID-19 vaccines