COVID-19 Vaccine

The CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19 illness.

FDA-approved or authorized COVID-19 vaccines are currently available to all U.S. citizens and residents. Visit the CDC website for more information.

Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine

 
COVID 19-vaccines are effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and dying. Vaccination remains the safest strategy for avoiding hospitalizations, long-term health outcomes, and death.

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is a safer, more reliable way to build protection than getting sick with COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccination helps protect people by creating an immune response without the potentially severe illness or post-COVID conditions that can be associated with COVID-19 infection.

Myocarditis is a condition where the heart becomes inflamed in response to an infection or some other trigger. One study shows that patients with a COVID-19 viral illness had nearly 16 times the risk for myocarditis compared with patients who did not have a COVID-19 viral illness. Myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination is rare.  

Find out more about the benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccination.
 
The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination continue to outweigh any potential risks.
 
Some people have no side effects. Many people have reported side effects - such as headache, fatigue, and soreness at the injection site - that are generally mild to moderate and go away within a few days.

Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring program in U.S. history.
 
The CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and other federal agencies continue to monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.
 
Severe allergic reaction after COVID-19 vaccination is rare. It has occurred at a rate of approximately five cases per 1 million vaccine doses administered. Severe allergic reactions can occur after any kind of vaccination. If a reaction occurs, health care providers can effectively and immediately treat it. 
 
Myocarditis and pericarditis after COVID-19 vaccination are rare. Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle; and pericarditis is inflammation of the outer lining of the heart. Most patients with myocarditis or pericarditis after COVID-19 vaccination have responded well to medicine and rest and felt better quickly, and most cases have been reported after receiving mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

To date, evidence indicates that the benefits of mRNA COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the risk of myocarditis. The CDC and FDA will continue to monitor for and evaluate reports of myocarditis and pericarditis after COVID-19 vaccination.

Find out more about COVID-19 vaccine safety
 
See more COVID-19 vaccine facts

How to get a COVID-19 vaccine at the 319th MDG

• Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination for ages 12 years and older is available at the 319th MDG Immunizations Clinic. No appointment required. 
  • Monday 7:30 a.m. – noon, 1 – 4:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday 7:30 a.m. – noon, 1 – 4:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday 7:30 a.m. – noon, 1 – 3:30 p.m.
  • Thursday 7:30 a.m. – noon, 1 – 4:30 p.m.
  • Friday 9 a.m. – noon, 1 – 4:30 p.m.

Concerns about the vaccine?

Speak with a Vaccine Expert. You may contact the DHA-Immunization Healthcare Support Center at 877-GET-VACC (877-438-8222) option 1, or Defense Switched Network (DSN) 761-4245, option 1, if you have questions about the vaccines or about an adverse event following vaccination.
 
Questions? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions.
Visit the CDC Website for up to date COVID-19 information.