Frequently Asked Questions
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General
What is a Bivalent Vaccine?
Bivalent vaccines are designed to protect against 2 strains of a virus providing greater protection against variants compared to the original Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.
Why should I get a Bivalent Vaccine?
A bivalent is recommended because it's the only type of vaccine that can protect against the most dominant Omicron strains of COVID-19 in the US.
With the rise of more contagious variants, people need more protection, even with prior vaccination or immunity from COVID-19 infection.
Who is Moderna?
Moderna is a biotechnology company founded in 2010 and headquartered in Cambridge, MA. We believe messenger RNA (mRNA) can be used to create a new category of medicines and vaccines. Every cell in the body uses mRNA to provide instructions to make the proteins that drive many aspects of biology, including human health and disease. That is why we are working to create a class of medicines and vaccines based on mRNA for a wide range of diseases.
If you would like to learn more about Moderna, you can visit https://www.modernatx.com/about-us.
What is an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), and how was it granted?
An Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) is a mechanism to facilitate the availability and use of medical countermeasures, including vaccines, during public health emergencies, such as the current COVID‑19 pandemic.
Under an EUA, FDA may allow the use of unapproved medical products, or unapproved uses of approved medical products, in an emergency to diagnose, treat, or prevent serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions when certain statutory criteria have been met, including when there are no adequate, approved, and available alternatives. Taking into consideration input from the FDA, manufacturers decide whether and when to submit an EUA request to FDA. Once submitted, FDA will evaluate an EUA request and determine whether the relevant statutory criteria are met, taking into account the totality of the scientific evidence about the vaccine that is available to FDA.
Cost & Availability
Who can get the vaccine?
The FDA has authorized the emergency use of the Moderna COVID‑19 Vaccine in individuals 6 months of age and older. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided recommendations on vaccine eligibility based on a number of factors, including risk of exposure, risk of severe illness, and/or age.
Find out more about who can get the vaccine from the CDC or by contacting your state, territorial, tribal, or local health department.
Who is eligible for a 3rd dose of the vaccine?
If immunocompromised, you or your child aged 6 months or older may receive a 3rd primary series dose of the vaccine. This would be given at least 1 month after the second dose. Please consult with your healthcare provider to determine whether or not you or your child are eligible as an immunocompromised patient. The third dose may still not provide full immunity to COVID-19 in people who are immunocompromised, and you should continue to maintain physical precautions to help prevent COVID-19. In addition, your close contacts should be vaccinated as appropriate.
Where can I get the vaccine?
You can get the most current information about the location of vaccine centers for primary series and booster dose vaccinations in your area from your state, territorial, tribal, or local health authorities or from the Vaccines.gov.
Is the vaccine free?
Yes! At this time, vaccination providers cannot charge you for a vaccine dose and you cannot be charged an out-of-pocket vaccine administration fee or any other fee if only receiving a COVID‑19 vaccination.
Dosing
Will the vaccine still work if I get one dose only?
The vaccine is administered as a two-dose primary series, one month apart. A third primary series dose may be administered at least one month after the second dose to individuals with certain kinds of immunocompromise.
The Moderna COVID‑19 Vaccine clinical trials used a two-dose primary series to measure how well it works. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends receiving all doses in the primary series for those aged 6 months and older, and booster doses for those who are eligible.
Vaccination
How is the Moderna COVID‑19 Vaccine given?
The Moderna COVID‑19 Vaccine will be given to you or your child as an injection into the muscle.
Primary Series: The vaccine is administered as a two-dose series, one month apart. A third primary series dose may be administered at least one month after the second dose to individuals with certain kinds of immunocompromise.
Booster Series: A first booster dose of the vaccine may be administered at least 5 months after completion of a primary series of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine or spikevax (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) in individuals 18 years of age and older.
A first booster dose of the vaccine may be administered to individuals 18 years of age and older who have completed primary vaccination with another authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. Please check with your healthcare provider regarding timing of the booster dose.
A second booster dose of the Moderna COVID‑19 Vaccine may be administered to individuals 50 years of age and older, at least 4 months after receipt of a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID‑19 vaccine.
A second booster dose of the Moderna COVID‑19 Vaccine may be administered at least 4 months after receipt of a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID‑19 vaccine to individuals 18 years of age and older with certain kinds of immunocompromise.
Learn more about what to expect when you get vaccinated.
What are the benefits of the Moderna COVID‑19 Vaccine?
The vaccine has been shown to prevent COVID-19. The duration of protection against COVID-19 is currently unknown.
Where is the vaccine made?
The vaccine that is available in the US is being produced by Moderna and by manufacturing partners at facilities located in the US.
Get more information on Moderna's technology, manufacturing capability, and partnerships at the Moderna website.
Does the vaccine contain preservatives, antibiotics or products from human or animal origin?
No. The vaccine does not contain any preservatives, antibiotics, or products of human or animal origin. Also, the vial stoppers are not made with natural rubber latex.
Will the vaccine give me COVID‑19?
No. The vaccine does not contain SARS‑CoV‑2, the virus that causes COVID‑19, and cannot give you COVID-19.
What should I tell my doctor before I get the vaccine?
Tell your doctor about all of your/your child's medical conditions, including if you or your child:
- Have any allergies
- Have had myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) or pericarditis (inflammation of the lining outside the heart)
- Have a fever
- Have a bleeding disorder or are on a blood thinner
- Are immunocompromised or are on a medicine that affects your immune system
- Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
- Are breastfeeding
- Have received another COVID‑19 vaccine
- Have ever fainted in association with an injection
Can I get the vaccine if my immune system is compromised?
If you are immunocompromised, you may receive a third primary series dose of the vaccine. The third dose may still not provide full immunity to COVID-19 in people who are immunocompromised, and you should continue to maintain physical precautions to help prevent COVID-19. In addition, your close contacts should be vaccinated as appropriate.
A second booster dose at least 4 months after receipt of a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID‑19 vaccine is also available for individuals 18 years of age and older with certain kinds of immunocompromise.
What if I’m pregnant or breastfeeding?
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, discuss your options with your healthcare provider.
What are the risks of the vaccine?
There is a remote chance that the vaccine could cause a severe allergic reaction. A severe allergic reaction would usually occur within a few minutes to one hour after getting a dose of the vaccine. For this reason, your vaccination provider may ask you to stay at the place where you or your child received your vaccine for monitoring after vaccination. Signs of a severe allergic reaction can include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Swelling of your face and throat
- A fast heartbeat
- A bad rash all over your body
- Dizziness and weakness
Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the lining outside the heart) have occurred in some people who have received the vaccine, more commonly in adult males under 40 years of age than among females and older males. In most of these people, symptoms began within a few days following receipt of the second dose of the vaccine. The chance of having this occur is very low. You should seek medical attention right away if you or your child has any of the following symptoms after receiving the vaccine:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Feelings of having a fast-beating, fluttering, or pounding heart
- Fainting
- Unusual and persistent irritability
- Unusual and persistent poor feeding
- Unusual and persistent fatigue or lack of energy
- Persistent vomiting
- Persistent pain in the abdomen
- Unusual and persistent cool, pale skin
Side effects that have been reported in clinical trials with the vaccine include:
- Injection site reactions: pain, tenderness and swelling of the lymph nodes in the same arm of the injection, or in the groin, swelling (hardness), and redness
- General side effects: fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, chills, nausea and vomiting, fever, rash, irritability/crying, sleepiness, and loss of appetite
These may not be all the possible side effects of the vaccine. Serious and unexpected side effects may occur. The possible side effects of the vaccine are still being studied in clinical trials.
What should I do if I experience side effects?
- If you experience a severe allergic reaction, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest hospital.
- Call the vaccination provider or your doctor if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.
- Report vaccine side effects to FDA/CDC Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). The VAERS toll-free number is 1-800-822-7967 or report online to https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html. Please include either “SPIKEVAX (COVID‑19 Vaccine, mRNA)” or “Moderna COVID‑19 Vaccine EUA,” as appropriate, in the first line of box #18 of the report form.
- In addition, you can report side effects to ModernaTX, Inc. at 1-866-MODERNA (1-866-663-3762).
Where can I learn more?
If you have more questions, be sure to talk to your vaccination provider or your doctor. You can also reach out to your state, territorial, tribal, or local health department, especially with any questions about vaccine availability. You can also find more information online at the following websites:
About Moderna
1‑866‑MODERNA (1‑866‑663‑3762)
8:00AM - 8:00PM EST, Monday-Friday (not including Holidays)
MedInfo@modernatx.com
Do I still have to wear a mask and socially distance after the primary series? After the booster?
Everyone, including people who have completed their primary series of the vaccine and people who have received a booster dose, should continue to follow the CDC's recommendations for wearing masks, washing hands, and social distancing to help stop the spread of the virus.