COVID-19 Vaccine

How to Get Your Vaccine

Caring for the community is our top priority. Continue to check here for availability, updates and details on the vaccine distribution plan. In the meantime, visit the vaccine waiting list to reserve your virtual spots in line at Memorial Hospital of Gardena.

If you are a Los Angeles County resident, we also encourage you to sign up on the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services website, so that your name is registered in both locations. Please know we’re doing everything we can to support your good health and continued wellness!

COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs

Get answers to frequently asked questions.

At Memorial Hospital of Gardena, we’re dedicated to keeping our community informed as we receive new information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. We know you and your family might have many questions when it comes to the vaccines. Read on for answers to frequently asked questions.

Together, we can win the battle with the COVID-19 pandemic and get back to enjoying the things we love.

Are the COVID-19 vaccines safe?

All the COVID-19 vaccines being used have gone through rigorous studies to ensure they are as safe as possible, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to monitor systems that watch for safety issues across the country.

Clinical trials for all vaccines must first show they meet rigorous criteria for safety and effectiveness before any vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccines, can be authorized, or approved for use. The known and potential benefits of a COVID-19 vaccine must outweigh the known and potential risks of the vaccine. Learn more about how federal partners are ensuring the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States here.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Emergency Use Authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines that meet rigorous safety criteria and are effective as determined by data from the manufacturers and findings from large clinical trials. Watch a video describing the emergency use authorization here.¹

What are side effects of the vaccines?

After getting the vaccine, people can feel normal side effects, like fever. These side effects are signs that the body is building protection. During clinical trials, most people did not experience a reaction to the vaccine, and no one experienced a serious reaction. However, we want you to know that mild, flu-like side effects are a possibility. During clinical trials for the vaccine:*
Mild fevers were seen in less than 5% of recipients with the first injection, but have been seen up to around 15% with the second shot.

Although almost 1/2 of patients reported subjective fatigue or headache with the first shot, most complaining of mild, so did 1/3rdof patients receiving a placebo. Fatigue and headache were around 10% above placebo.
There were mild increases in subjective fatigue and headaches with the second shot. ²

Are the vaccines effective in protecting me from COVID-19?

Trusted information shows that the mRNA vaccines work and are up to 95% effective at preventing you from getting sick from the disease, 7-10 days after you get the second dose or shot. It is very important that you get the two shots of the vaccine to get the full protection. Please know that this is early information and we do not know how long the protection will last. We also don’t know if a person is still able to carry and spread the COVID-19 infection after getting the vaccine. ²

Is it safe to get the vaccine if I am pregnant or breastfeeding?

People who are pregnant and are part of a group recommended to receive the COVID-19 vaccine may choose to be vaccinated. If you have questions about getting vaccinated, talking with a healthcare provider can help you make an informed decision. While breastfeeding is an important consideration, it is rarely a safety concern with vaccines.

No data are available yet on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in people who are lactating or on the effects of mRNA vaccines on breastfed infants or on milk production/excretion. mRNA vaccines are not thought to be a risk to breastfeeding infants. People who are breastfeeding and are part of a group recommended to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, such as healthcare personnel, may choose to be vaccinated.

To make sure that more information is gathered regarding the safety of these vaccines when administered during pregnancy, pregnant people are encouraged to enroll in v-safe, CDC’s new smartphone-based tool used to check-in on people’s health after they receive a COVID-19 vaccine. If pregnant people report health events through v-safe after vaccination, someone from CDC may call to check on them and get more information. Additionally, pregnant people enrolled in v-safe will be contacted by CDC and asked to participate in a pregnancy registry that will monitor them through pregnancy and the first 3 months of infancy. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccination considerations for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding here.¹

What can I do to help protect myself until I get vaccinated?

To protect yourself, follow these recommendations:

• Wear a tightly fitting mask over your nose and mouth.
• Stay at least 6 feet away from others.
• Avoid crowds.
• Avoid poorly ventilated spaces.
• Wash your hands often.

Get more information about these and other steps you can take to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 here. ¹

If I have already been infected with COVID and recovered, do I still need to get vaccinated?

Yes. Due to the severe health risks associated with COVID-19 and the fact that reinfection with COVID-19 is possible, you should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19 infection.

Experts do not yet know how long someone is protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. The immunity someone gains from having an infection, called “natural immunity,” varies from person to person. It is rare for someone who has had COVID-19 to get infected again. It also is uncommon for people who do get COVID-19 again to get it within 90 days of when they recovered from their first infection. We won’t know how long immunity produced by vaccination lasts until we have more data on how well the vaccines work.

Both natural immunity and vaccine-induced immunity are important aspects of COVID-19 that experts are working to learn more about, and CDC will keep the public informed as new evidence becomes available. ¹

Do I need to wear a mask and avoid close contact with others if I have had two doses of the vaccine?

Yes. Not enough information is currently available to say if or when CDC will stop recommending that people wear masks and avoid close contact with others to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Experts need to understand more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide in real-world conditions before making that decision.

Other factors, including how many people get vaccinated and how the virus is spreading in communities, will also affect this decision. We also don’t yet know whether getting a COVID-19 vaccine will prevent you from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to other people, even if you don’t get sick yourself. CDC will continue to share information as we learn more. In the meantime, it’s important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to help stop this pandemic.

To protect yourself and others, follow these recommendations:

• Wear a tightly fitting mask over your nose and mouth.
• Stay at least 6 feet away from others.
• Avoid crowds.
• Avoid poorly ventilated spaces.
• Wash your hands often.

Together, COVID-19 vaccination and following CDC’s recommendations for how to protect yourself and others will offer the best protection from getting and spreading COVID-19. ¹

Sources:

¹ CDC
² LA Department of Health Services

*Source: Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 Vaccine EUA Fact Sheet www.fda.gov/media/144413/download