Last Updated August 25, 2021
COVID-19 FAQ’s for Local School Administrators
This document is intended to help local school administrators inform their communication to parents,
staff and the community. FAQ’s may be shared independently or in conjunction with other
communication.
When can I get a COVID-19 vaccine booster?
Not immediately. The goal is for people to start receiving a COVID-19 booster shot beginning in
the fall, with individuals being eligible starting 8 months after they received their second dose of
an mRNA vaccine (either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna ). This is subject to authorization by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration and recommendation by CDC’s Advisory Committee on
Immunization Practices (ACIP). FDA is conducting an independent evaluation to determine the
safety and effectiveness of a booster dose of the mRNA vaccines. ACIP will decide whether to
issue a booster dose recommendation based on a thorough review of the evidence.
Source: CDC
Who will be the first people to get a booster dose?
If FDA authorizes and ACIP recommends a booster dose, the goal is for the first people eligible
for a booster dose to be those who were the first to receive a COVID-19 vaccination (those who
are most at risk). This includes healthcare providers, residents of long-term care facilities, and
other older adults.
Source: CDC
Will people who received Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (J&J/Janssen) COVID-19
Vaccine need a booster shot?
It is likely that people who received a J&J COVID-19 vaccine will need a booster dose. Because
the J&J/Janssen vaccine wasn’t given in the United States until 70 days after the first mRNA
vaccine doses (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna ), the data needed to make this decision aren’t
available yet. These data are expected in the coming weeks. With those data in hand, CDC will
keep the public informed with a timely plan for J&J/Janssen booster shots.
Source: CDC
Last Updated August 25, 2021
If we need a booster dose, does that mean that the vaccines aren’t working?
No. COVID-19 vaccines are working very well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and
death, even against the widely circulating Delta variant. However, with the Delta variant, public
health experts are starting to see reduced protection against mild and moderate disease. For
that reason, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is planning for a booster
shot so vaccinated people maintain protection over the coming months.
Source: CDC
If I have already had COVID-19 and recovered, do I still need to get vaccinated
with a COVID-19 vaccine?
Yes, you should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19 because:
Research has not yet shown how long you are protected from getting COVID-19 again
after you recover from COVID-19.
Vaccination helps protect you even if you’ve already had COVID-19.
Evidence is emerging that people get better protection by being fully vaccinated compared with
having had COVID-19. One study showed that unvaccinated people who already had COVID-19
are more than 2 times as likely than fully vaccinated people to get COVID-19 again.
If you were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you
should wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure
what treatments you received or if you have more questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
If you or your child has a history of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults or children
(MIS-A or MIS-C), consider delaying vaccination until you or your child have recovered from
being sick and for 90 days after the date of diagnosis of MIS-A or MIS-C. Learn more about
the clinical considerations for people with a history of multisystem MIS-C or MIS-A.
Experts are still learning more about how long vaccines protect against COVID-19.
Source: CDC
Is it safe for my child to get a COVID-19 vaccine?
Yes. Studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. Like adults, children may have
some side effects after COVID-19 vaccination. These side effects may affect their ability to do
daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. Children 12 years and older are now
eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccines have been used under the most
intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history, including studies in children 12 years and older. Your
child cannot get COVID-19 from any COVID-19 vaccine.
Last Updated August 25, 2021
Source: CDC
Why should my child get vaccinated against COVID-19?
COVID-19 vaccination can help protect your child from getting COVID-19. Although fewer
children have been sick with COVID-19 compared to adults, children can be infected with the
virus that causes COVID-19, can get sick from COVID-19, and can spread the virus that causes
COVID-19 to others. Getting your child vaccinated helps to protect your child and your family.
Vaccination is now recommended for everyone 12 years and older. Currently, the Pfizer-
BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is the only one available to children 12 years and older.
Source: CDC
Is it safe for me to get a COVID-19 vaccine if I would like to have a baby one
day?
Yes. If you are trying to become pregnant now or want to get pregnant in the future, you may
get a COVID-19 vaccine when one is available to you.
There is currently no evidence that COVID-19 vaccination causes any problems with pregnancy,
including the development of the placenta. In addition, there is no evidence that female or male
fertility problems are a side effect of any vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccines.
Source: CDC
Will a COVID-19 vaccine alter my DNA?
No. COVID-19 vaccines do not change or interact with your DNA in any way. Both mRNA and
viral vector COVID-19 vaccines deliver instructions (genetic material) to our cells to start building
protection against the virus that causes COVID-19. However, the material never enters the
nucleus of the cell, which is where our DNA is kept.
Learn more about mRNA and viral vector COVID-19 vaccines.
Source: CDC
Last Updated August 25, 2021
Will getting a COVID-19 vaccine cause me to test positive for COVID-19 on a viral
test?
No. None of the authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines cause you to test positive
on viral tests, which are used to see if you have a current infection.
If your body develops an immune response to vaccination, which is the goal, you may test
positive on some antibody tests. Antibody tests indicate you had a previous infection and that
you may have some level of protection against the virus.
Learn more about the possibility of COVID-19 illness after vaccination
Source: CDC