CHRISTUS COVID-19 Vaccine Hub

Yes. We relied on a team of clinical experts, pharmacists, physicians and others with experience reviewing drugs and other therapeutics to determine if the vaccines are safe and effective and should be offered at CHRISTUS. 

As of August 26th, 2021 the Pfizer vaccine is fully approved by the FDA for individuals 16 years of age and older. Individuals 12 to 15-years-old may receive the vaccine under emergency use authorization.

We encourage you to review the data on these vaccines, ask questions and speak to your personal health care professional about the benefits and risks as they relate to your personal situation.

Yes, the vaccine is recommended to all who have had COVID-19 infection, even if you have antibodies. But you should not receive a vaccination until you have recovered from your infection. If you have been exposed to COVID-19, you must wait until after your 14-day quarantine period to receive the vaccine.  No COVID testing is recommended prior to receiving the vaccine.

Yes, but not immediately. Vaccination should be delayed for at least 90 days to ensure the treatment settles before receiving the vaccine.  

Yes, it is possible to still get COVID-19 if you have been vaccinated. However, those who were vaccinated in the clinical trials were far less likely to get COVID-19 compared to who were not. In addition, those who received the vaccine in the clinical trials did not have any serious infections (like those that required hospitalizations, etc.).

Yes, and practice social distancing, good hand hygiene and avoid large crowds, etc. – all of this should remain in practice for you even after you receive both doses and the booster dose (Pfizer) of the vaccine. Until most of us in our community are vaccinated, which will likely take months, we must keep these safety precautions in place. Getting vaccinated protects you, but not necessarily others.

The vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, require two doses, 21 or 28 days apart. It is very important that you receive both doses. Before you begin your vaccinations, please verify that you will be available on the correct day to receive your second dose.

 A third booster shot is recommended due to early evidence that immunity may start to wane 6 months or more after the initial vaccine. However, at this time the FDA and CDC/ACIP recommend only a Pfizer booster dose to be given at least 6 months after completion of the primary series. 

Yes. Since you can become infected with COVID-19 even after you have been vaccinated, you could pass it to someone else. That is why it is so important to continue all the healthy behaviors you have adopted to avoid and stop the spread of COVID-19.

The CDC and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology strongly recommends pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers to receive the vaccine. If you have additional questions, please refer to your healthcare professional. 

 If you miss the second dose we do not recommend you start over. Instead, we ask that you make an appointment for your second dose as soon as possible. 

Since the FDA approved a 3rd booster dose for Pfizer, you can receive the booster shot 6 months after the completion of your primary series. 

Side effects are usually mild but include a sore arm at the site of your shot. They also include a headache, fever, chills and fatigue. These side effects will likely only last 24-36 hours and you should be able to continue your daily activities and work. These side effects mean that your body is responding and creating antibodies to COVID-19. However, contact your primary care provider if you experience symptoms such as fever or if the side effects get worse instead of better.

If you have questions about your personal health concerns or history and how that might be impacted by vaccination, we encourage you to talk with your primary care provider, who knows your conditions and your history and can advise you personally.

We are not sure yet if the vaccine will provide immunity that last months or years. At this time September 24th, 2021, the FDA and CDC/ACIP, recommends only a Pfizer booster dose to be given at least 6 months after the completion of the primary series.

There were 44,000 participants in phase 3 of Pfizer’s clinical trial and 30,000 in Moderna’s. 

Yes. The Catholic Health Association has issued a public statement that indicates they find nothing morally prohibitive with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. The position of the Catholic Church is that, in general, vaccines are a moral good preventing disease and saving the lives of millions of people.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were not developed using cell lines from aborted fetuses.  Therefore, both vaccines are morally appropriate to distribute by Catholic health care organizations, including all CHRISTUS Health ministries.

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and others developed using fetal cell lines are morally appropriate to use when there is no alternative available.  This is because a critical moral issue regarding vaccines in Catholic theology involves the use of cell lines from voluntary aborted fetuses in their development. The Moral Reflection on Vaccines published by the Pontifical Academy for Life suggests that vaccines using these fetal cell lines should be avoided and alternatives should be sought.  The document goes on to state, however, that in the case where no alternative vaccine is available, the use of existing vaccine is morally acceptable.

Yes, and practice social distancing, good hand hygiene and avoid large crowds, etc. –all of this should remain in practice for you even after you receive both doses of the vaccine. Until most of us in our community are vaccinated, which will likely take months, we must keep these safety precautions in place. Getting vaccinated protects you, but not necessarily others.

Visit the official sites of the CDC and FDA for more information about the vaccine.

As of August 26th, 2021 the Pfizer vaccine is fully approved by the FDA for individuals 16 years of age and older. Individuals 12 to 15-years-old may receive the vaccine under emergency use authorization.

If you have any other additional concerns, contact your child's pediatrician for guidance.

Severe reactions to the vaccine are rare, but some have been reported. If your child has a severe allergic reaction (also known as anaphylaxis) after getting the first shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC recommends not getting a second shot. You can register with the CDC's V-Safe After Vaccination Health Checker on your smartphone to report any side effects after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Mild side effects are normal signs the body is building protection. These generally go away after a few days. To be safe, your child will wait on-site for 15-30 minutes after the shot. There is no evidence the vaccine causes long-term health problems. 

The FDA approved Pfizer vaccine is authorized for people 12 and older. Clinical trials are currently underway for younger kids. Individuals 12 to 15-years-old may receive the vaccine under emergency use authorization.

It’s common for protection from vaccines to decrease over time or not be as strong against virus’ variants. A tetanus booster, for example, is recommended every 10 years and flu shots are given every year. Researchers and health officials have been monitoring the real-world performance of the COVID-19 vaccines to see how long protection lasts among vaccinated people. The vaccines authorized in the U.S. continue to offer very strong protection against severe disease and death. Tests suggest that antibodies—one of the immune system’s layers of protection—can wane over time. That does not mean the vaccine protection goes away, but it could mean that the protection is not as strong and it could take longer for the body to fight back against an infection. COVID-19 vaccine booster shots are used to provide a boost to your immune system so it can better defend against the virus.

Boosters are recommended for those who immune systems are suppressed. You can read more here from the CDC as to why this recommendation is being made for this group and other helpful details.

The CDC recommends COVID-19 Vaccine booster shots are available for the following Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine recipients who completed their initial series at least 6 months ago and are:

• 65 years and older
• Age 18+ who live in long-term care settings
• Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions
• Age 18+ who work in high-risk settings
• Age 18+ who live in high-risk settings

Yes, appointments will be required.

CHRISTUS Health is in agreeance with the CDC and the FDA about the booster dose. For additional information, please visit the CDC and the FDA sites. 

 

We are working to integrate booster shots into our care plan with eligible people with recommendations from HHS and CDC. Should we have vaccine supply available to us which would allow us to offer boosters to Associates and patients, we will offer appointments to the community via CHRISTUShealth.org and will ask Associates to look to Associate Health for more details. However, we don’t yet know if and when we will have a vaccine supply which will allow us to provide to others. 

 

Boosters for people with suppressed immune systems are available now at local pharmacies and our ministries are identifying opportunities to provide them to our Associates.  On Aug. 19, public health and medical experts from HHS released a statement on the plan for COVID-19 booster shots and explained they will begin the week of September 20 and starting eight months after a person’s second dose.  CHRISTUS is working to be ready to incorporate this into our vaccination programs for Associates and patient care plans when approval is given.

Boosters are recommended for those who immune systems are suppressed. You can read more here from the CDC as to why this recommendation is being made for this group and other helpful details.

The CDC recommends COVID-19 Vaccine booster shots are available for the following Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine recipients who completed their initial series at least 6 months ago and are:

• 65 years and older
• Age 18+ who live in long-term care settings
• Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions
• Age 18+ who work in high-risk settings
• Age 18+ who live in high-risk settings

Following CDC recommendations, CHRISTUS Health is scheduling the booster to be the same as their original vaccination course. In other words, should you schedule your booster at CHRISTUS, you will be asked if you originally received Pfizer or Moderna and scheduled appropriately.

Your initial vaccination is still protecting you, however the protection it is offering you is likely less than early after you were initially vaccinated.   A booster after eight months prevents waning effectiveness and is consistent with other vaccines like influenza, tetanus, etc.

Yes, the booster shot is the same as your original vaccine which has been one of the most effective and safest vaccines in history.

Vaccines are the most effective way to fight infection, prevent hospitalization and death from COVID-19 and also limit the spread of COVID-19. Boosters are common across all vaccine types.

 

Information on your booster and needed documentation will be provided as part of your appointment registration. Plan on bringing photo identification and proof of full vaccination (two doses) of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna).

Appointments may be available based on eligibility and supply. You can find information for your area by interacting with CHRISTY on the right hand of this page.