COVID-19 Vaccines and Boosters
If you are 18 years or older you may choose which COVID-19 vaccine you receive as a booster shot. Some people may prefer the vaccine type that they originally received, and others may prefer to get a different booster. CDC’s recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots. For more information, please see CDC guidance here.
If you are looking for a COVID-19 vaccine or booster, visit vaccines.gov to find a location near you.
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COVID-19: What You Need to Know About the Vaccine
Throughout the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, no story has been more closely followed than the development of the COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccines are crucial in the effort to fight infectious diseases.
Please visit the TN.gov website to determine eligibility. Anyone 12 to 15 years old must have a legal guardian present.
At a glance:
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewed the COVID-19 vaccines for medication safety and efficacy before granting Emergency Use Authorization. For approval, each vaccine candidate completes Phase 3 trials. The Pfizer BioNtech and Moderna trials each had over 30,000 people participate in the trial (or participants).
What is the COVID-19 vaccine, and how does it work?
Vaccines save millions of lives each year from deadly diseases caused by viruses or bacteria. You encounter thousands of germs every day. While your immune system can fight most of them on its own, vaccines help to fight certain disease-causing ones (pathogens).
Vaccines stimulate the human body’s own protective immune responses so that, if a person is infected with a specific pathogen, the immune system can quickly respond to and stop the infection from causing disease. In this way, vaccines mimic natural infection and promote antibody development without actually causing the disease. Then, when your body sees the actual pathogen it already knows how to fight it off.
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The spike protein found on COVID-19’s surface is what attaches to human cells, allowing the virus to enter the cells. Developing antibodies to the spike protein from vaccination blocks this entrance and prevents infection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the COVID-19 vaccine? How effective is the vaccine? Is it safe? When will I be able to get a COVID-19 vaccination?
Click on the link below for Frequently Asked Questions and answers about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Learn More
Additional COVID-19 Vaccine Resources
See the latest COVID-19 vaccine information and resources below.
- Health Care Worker Vaccine Consent Form
- Tennessee COVID-19 Vaccine Information Page
- IDSA Real-Time Learning Network — An overview of publicly available information regarding current vaccine trials
- Open Letter From AHA, AMA, ANA — An open letter backing science-based COVID-19 vaccine development, urging the public to remain vigilant until widespread vaccination.
- v-safe: After Vaccine Health Checker
Recursos en Español
