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COVID-19 Vaccine

COVID-19 Vaccine:

The COVID-19 vaccine protects you from getting COVID-19. However, it is still important to follow current prevention guidelines. These include wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet apart, avoiding crowds, and washing your hands.

Delta Variant

Viruses are always changing. When a big change happens, scientists call it a new variant. Some variants disappear and never cause harm, while others can make a virus easier to spread, harder to treat, and/or more deadly.

The Delta variant is one of the COVID-19 variants that scientists are monitoring. This variant was first discovered in India in December 2020. Since then, it has spread to more than 90 countries. It was first found in the U.S. in March 2021 and is already the most common variant in the United States.

The best way to protect yourself, your family, and your community from the Delta variant is to be fully vaccinated.

If you are not fully vaccinated, you are much more likely to become infected with the Delta variant,
get seriously ill, and spread it to others.

FAQ: The COVID-19 Vaccine and Migrant, Immigrant, and Food & Farm Worker Patients

COVID-19 vaccines remain inaccessible for many people, for a variety of reasons, including fear over immigration status and misinformation. This FAQ from Migrant Clinicians Network addresses important questions about COVID-19 vaccines for migrant, immigrant, and farmworker communities.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. How do I know when it is my turn for the COVID-19 vaccination?

The CDC is providing recommendations to federal, state, and local governments about who should be vaccinated first but each state has its own plan for deciding vaccine distribution. A common plan being used is a phased approach, focusing on the most high risk populations first. Everyone’s opportunity to get vaccinated will come but it will just take some time.

Minnesota

Minnesota is distributing COVID-19 vaccines with a phased approach. To view the current progress and when you will be eligible to receive the vaccine, visit the Minnesota Department of Health’s official vaccine distribution page. To find vaccination opportunities in your area also visit their vaccine location map.

South Dakota

South Dakota is distributing COVID-19 vaccines with a phased approach. To view the current progress and when you will be eligible to receive the vaccine, visit the South Dakota Department of Health’s official vaccine information page. To find vaccination opportunities in your area also visit their vaccine location map.

North Dakota

North Dakota is distributing COVID-19 vaccines with a phased approach. To view the current progress and when you will be eligible to receive the vaccine, visit the North Dakota Department of Health’s official vaccine information page. To find vaccination opportunities in your area also visit their vaccine locator.

Iowa

Iowa is distributing COVID-19 vaccines with a phased approach. To view the current progress and when you will be eligible to receive the vaccine, visit the Iowa Department of Health’s official vaccine information page.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is distributing COVID-19 vaccines with a phased approach. To view the current progress and when you will be eligible to receive the vaccine, visit the Wisconsin Department of Health’s official vaccine information page.

2. Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe and effective?

The current vaccines are safe and highly effective. Millions of people in the United States have received the vaccines, and these vaccines have undergone the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S history.

The Pfizer vaccine showed efficacy of 95% and the Moderna vaccine was 94.1% effective at preventing Covid-19. The vaccines appeared to be equally effective across different ethnic and racial groups.

The side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine are no different or more extreme than those you get from any other vaccine such as your annual flu shot. Vaccine developers reported a few side effects of COVID-19 vaccines, including pain at the injection site, fever, muscle aches, fatigue, joint pain, and headaches, mostly lasting about a day or two. These reactions are normal and show the vaccine is working.

People with allergies to certain foods, insects, latex and other common allergens can have the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the CDC. A small number of people have had a severe allergic reaction after vaccination, but this is extremely rare about 2-6 cases per million doses, and is treatable. Those who experience an immediate severe allergic reaction to the first dose should not receive additional doses, and talk to their healthcare professional as soon as possible for treatment. If you have any history of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to injectables or other vaccines, you should discuss the vaccination with your healthcare provider to evaluate and assess the risk.

3. Do I still need to take precautions, like social distancing and wearing a mask, if I have had the vaccine?

Yes, everyone still needs to maintain all the safety precautions for the foreseeable future. If you are among the estimated 5% of people for whom the vaccine is not effective, you could still catch and spread the coronavirus.

4. What do the new variants mean?

Multiple new variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been documented in the United States and globally during this pandemic. Viruses constantly change through mutation (spontaneous changes), and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time. At this time there is no evidence that these variants are more severe or fatal, though studies show that they can spread up to 70% faster than earlier versions of the virus.

Preliminary findings suggest that the vaccines may be less effective against mild-moderate symptoms in emerging variants. Continuing to reduce the chances of exposure is the best defense against the variants. Accordingly, rigorous and increased compliance with public health mitigation strategies, such as vaccination, physical distancing, use of masks, hand hygiene, and isolation and quarantine, is essential to limit the spread of the virus.

5. Do I still need to get the vaccine if I have had COVID-19?

Yes. Experts do not yet know how long someone is protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19, so reinfection is possible. If you were treated for COVID-19 symptoms with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you should wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. This is because reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19 is uncommon in the 90 days after you are first infected.

6. Can I get COVID-19 from the vaccine?

No, the COVID-19 vaccines currently being developed in the United States do not use the live virus that causes COVID-19. The vaccines are designed to cause your body to make copies of a harmless piece of the coronavirus, so you will not get COVID-19 from the vaccine. Keep in mind that it will take a few weeks for your body to build immunity after getting a COVID-19 vaccination. Hence, it is possible that you could become infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before and after being vaccinated.

More FAQ Information

Four part series on how vaccines are developed:

World Health Organization (WHO)

Vaccine Resources:

National
Minnesota
South Dakota
North Dakota
Wisconsin
Iowa
Tribal Specific
Spanish

VIDEOS:

Practical Tips

  • Take a picture and also make a copy of your vaccination card.
    Avoid posting the card on social media as it contains identifiable information and can make users more susceptible to identity theft. Employers can ask for proof of vaccination. Keep the copy of your vaccine card in a secure location, separate from a personnel/HR file. Asking for a copy of the card also helps avoid the issue of finding out more medical info than needed and potential disclosure of a disability.
  • Bring a pen with when getting your vaccine to fill out any needed paperwork.
    Some vaccine sites can have minimal supplies of pens, and need to be sanitized before use. To save time, bring your own pen for forms!
  • Anticipate feeling briefly unwell after the second or both shots and plan a low-stress day after receiving the vaccine.
    It is common to experience side effects similar to those of your annual flu shot (ex: swollen lymph nodes, tiredness, muscle pain, headache, chills, fever, nausea). Side effects can last up to 1-2 days, so allow yourself some rest in the days following both your first and second vaccination shots.
  • Schedule your second vaccination appointment at your first vaccination appointment. 
  • For producers: communicate with workers to stagger vaccination appointments.
    Because it is common to experience side effects for up to 1-2 days after receiving your vaccine, some workers may need to rest in the days following. By staggering vaccination appointments in the workplace, you can ensure that all responsibilities on the farm are covered by other workers.

Vaccination Resources for Immigrant Workers

As essential workers, the risk of contracting COVID-19 is of significant concern for agricultural communities. Many of the workers in dairy and other agriculture are immigrants.  They are faced with even greater hurdles to accessing vaccines, including language barriers, isolation in rural areas, limited access to healthcare, lack of transportation, and immigration concerns.

UMASH, the National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants and Migrants (NRC-RIM), and Migrant Clinicians Network (MCN) are partnering to provide resources to address this issue.

Guide to Mobile Vaccine Campaigns for Immigrant Dairy Workers

UMASH partnered with the National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants and Migrants (NRC-RIM) to create a guide to Mobile Vaccine Campaigns.  

This step-by-step guide is intended for health professionals, public health departments and community organizations to help coordinate with farmers, plan vaccination events for immigrant dairy workers and to ensure these essential workers are safe and healthy. This campaign can be an effective way to reach these communities and help decrease vaccine hesitancy through educational and communication materials.

DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE

Vaccination Is Campaign

The Migrant Clinicians Network (MCN) and IDEO.org worked in partnership with immigrant communities to develop COVID-19 vaccine messaging that resonates with community members to increase vaccine confidence.

A complete vaccine campaign kit is available, including a series of editable pdf posters and social media resources in Haitian Creole and Spanish.  These materials can be customized for the specific needs of local communities.

LEARN MORE

COVID-19 Information from the CDC