COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions

There are many strict protections in place and steps taken during vaccine development to ensure that any vaccine authorized for use is proven to be safe and effective. Vaccine developers are required to go through a rigorous, multi-stage process including large (phase III) trials that involve tens of thousands of participants.

More than 70,000 people from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities participated in the COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials. Clinical trials for the three vaccines included White, Hispanic/Latino, Black, Asian, and other races/ethnicities.

After the clinical trials show that the vaccines are safe and effective, a series of independent reviews and evidence is required to demonstrate efficacy and safety. The FDA is responsible for making sure that FDA-authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. Duke experts in vaccine science reviewed all available safety and efficacy data for any authorized vaccine to ensure the evidence supports its broad use.

The Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine use mRNA to instruct the cells in your body to make a harmless piece of the “spike protein” found on the surface of COVID-19. Your immune system is tricked into thinking this is a virus and makes antibodies.  A live virus is not included in the vaccine. Your body destroys the mRNA and gets rid of it. It doesn’t stay in your body or alter any DNA. The other ingredients in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are salt, sugar, and fat.

None of the vaccines contain eggs, preservatives, fetal tissue, stem cells, mercury, or latex.

Duke Health offers the Pfizer vaccine, which received FDA emergency use authorization and is recommended by the CDC for children ages 6 months to 17 years of age. Pfizer vaccine boosters are available to children 5 years old and older. The vaccine and booster have undergone extensive study and review. We are confident that it is safe and that it will decrease your child’s risk of getting sick from COVID-19, which can cause them to miss out on school, sports, and other activities and spread the virus to family and friends.

The approved COVID-19 vaccines have not been studied in pregnancy. However, we know that pregnant people are at an increased risk for complications from COVID-19. That's why we encourage all pregnant people to ask questions and discuss their concerns with their care providers.

So far, there have been no significant adverse events seen in pregnant women receiving the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.  Learn more.

The approved COVID-19 vaccines were not studied in people who are breastfeeding. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control, there is no data indicating that the vaccines would be a risk to infants who are breastfeeding. If you are breastfeeding, discuss your concerns with your care providers. Duke Health will offer breastfeeding people the option to get vaccinated in accordance with North Carolina guidelines for vaccine distribution. Learn more.

No. There is no evidence to suggest the vaccines cause infertility or affects your ability to become pregnant. A rumor on the Internet claims a protein created by the body after vaccination is similar to a protein that is needed for placental formation. This is not true. The proteins are not similar nor do they impact fertility or affect a pregnancy. The vaccine manufacturers are monitoring people in the clinical trials who became pregnant. Learn more.

There is a potential for injection site reactions (redness, swelling, and pain) as well as fever, fatigue, headache, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and/or joint pain. These adverse reactions are commonly seen with other vaccines. There may be other reactions that are not currently known. If you are receiving a two-dose vaccine, it is important that you receive the second dose to ensure the vaccine is effective, even if you experience side effects after the first dose.

If you have a severe allergic reaction following the first dose of a two-dose vaccine course, such as anaphylaxis, you should not receive the second dose. The incidence of this occurring is low, about one in six per million doses.

You can receive the vaccine if you have allergies to injectable medicines, antibiotics, pets, environmental substances, or foods. The three approved COVID-19 vaccines do not contain egg protein, and are safe for people who have egg allergies. If you have questions about allergies, your doctor can help you determine if the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks.

The COVID-19 vaccine is free and available to everyone regardless of citizenship or immigration status.

Receiving the vaccine will not negatively affect your immigration status or be used in “public charge” determinations. Data gathered during the vaccination is kept confidential and will not be used for immigration enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that it will not be present at vaccination sites for immigration enforcement.

Yes. Early findings suggest natural immunity from COVID-19 may not last long. More studies are needed.  We generally recommend getting vaccinated three months after recovering from COVID-19 infection. Your natural immunity should protect you during this and it may allow non-immune people to get the vaccine sooner. There is no harm in getting vaccinated before 90 days as long as you are beyond your isolation period.

No, you can get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines at the same visit. Your body should develop protection the same as it would whether you get the COVID-19 vaccine alone or with other vaccines.

Previously, the CDC recommended waiting at least 14 days between getting the COVID-19 vaccine and any other vaccine out of an abundance of caution in monitoring the effects of the COVID-19 vaccine. It was not due to any safety concerns. We now know that it is safe for COVID-19 vaccines and other vaccines to be given at the same visit.

Vaccine Location Questions

For safety and accuracy reasons, Duke Health asks that you please bring a utility bill, statement, driver’s license, or other document which includes your name and current address. However, Duke Health will not withhold vaccinations or appointments for vaccinations if you cannot supply a form of identification. No patient without ID will be turned away.

Duke Health collects name, address, date of birth, location at which the vaccine was given, when the vaccine was given, the person who administered the vaccine, information about the specific vaccine vial, and how the vaccine was given (ex. in the right arm muscle). This information is required by the state and by Duke Health in order to contact the patient after the visit to schedule additional visits. Information about race and ethnicity is also collected, which helps support North Carolina’s efforts for the equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

North Carolina is required to submit vaccination data to the CDC to meet federal requirements. Data submitted to the CDC will not be used to market commercial services to individual patients or nonpatients, assist in bill collecting services, or civil or criminal prosecution or enforcement, including but not limited to immigration enforcement.

Yes, there are interpreting services at all of our vaccine sites.

Other Vaccine Questions

If you have a My Duke Health account, you can use it to pull up your vaccination record for proof of vaccination. To find your vaccination record, go to the menu on the top left, scroll to “My Record,” and click on COVID-19. There you will find your vaccination record and COVID-19 test results. Alternatively, you can visit the NC Department of Health and Human Services website or the health department in the state where you received your vaccine. It will walk you through the steps to view your COVID-19 vaccination status.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses. Pfizer’s vaccine requires two doses of the vaccine 21 days apart. Moderna's second dose is administered one month after the first. 

The COVID-19 vaccine is available to you regardless of if you have health insurance. If you do have insurance, your insurance will be billed for an administration fee only. No patient without insurance will be turned away.

Clinical trial data show the FDA-approved Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are equally effective after vaccination -- 95% for Pfizer and 94.1% for Moderna -- and are safe for most adults and across different ethnic and racial groups. The vaccines were studied extensively and tested successfully in 30,000 people before receiving FDA approval. Since approval, they have been safely administered to tens of millions of people.

Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines Use mRNA Technology
Neither vaccine uses a live virus to help the body develop immunity, as some traditional vaccines do. Instead, both vaccines are messenger RNA vaccines (mRNA). This new vaccine technology teaches the body how to make a harmless piece of protein, called a spike protein, that triggers an immune response that protects you from COVID-19. Although this is a newer type of vaccine, researchers have been studying and working with mRNA vaccines for decades. Both COVID-19 vaccines were thoroughly tested before approval. The mRNA vaccines do not manipulate your DNA as they never enter the cell. More information is available on the CDC website.

Differences between the Vaccines

• Population Approved for Use 
  The Moderna vaccine vaccine is approved for use in people 18 and older. The Pfizer vaccine is approved for use in people age 5 and older.
• Dosage Timing
  Both vaccines require two doses, however, the timing for the second dose differs. The second Moderna dose is given 28 days after the initial dose; the second Pfizer dose is given 21 days after the initial dose. 
• Side Effects
  The vaccines may cause similar side effects including redness, swelling, and pain at the injection site, fever, fatigue, headache, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and/or joint pain. These are signs that your immune system is building protection against the virus. There have been rare cases of a severe allergic reaction after the Pfizer vaccine, but not after the Moderna vaccine. This was not seen in the clinical trials.
• Vaccine Storage
  Both vaccines require cold storage, however, not to the same degree. Moderna’s can be stored in a refrigerator freezer while Pfizer’s requires ultracold freezers. This makes the Moderna vaccine easier to distribute. 

Please follow the CDC guidance to protect yourself and others if you are vaccinated. 

If you need a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine but did not receive your first dose at Duke, you can receive it at one of our walk-in clinics or you can schedule an appointment. Duke does not offer the Moderna vaccine.