COVID-19 Vaccines at UCSF Health

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were produced in record time and received expedited regulatory review, but are based on science that’s been studied for decades. In addition, both vaccines were found to be safe and effective in tens of thousands of adults who participated in double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials – widely considered the gold standard for testing the safety and efficacy of pharmaceuticals. Plus, before any vaccine can be administered in California, it must receive authorization from multiple levels of government, including the FDA and the California Department of Public Health.

Individuals should discuss the benefits and risks of getting the vaccine with their doctors. Experts believe that vaccination will play an important part in bringing the pandemic to an end. In addition to preventing severe illness and death by reducing your chances of contracting COVID-19, vaccination will also help prevent the chronic health effects that have been reported in some patients long after they have recovered from the acute stage of the illness.

If you have a history of allergies, please see the risk assessment below about whether you may need further evaluation by your physician.

Any of the following happening after receiving a vaccine or medication is concerning for an allergic reaction: hives or rash; swelling of a body part; wheezing or shortness of breath; repeated vomiting or diarrhea; low blood pressure; treatment with epinephrine; intubation or hospitalization.

Low Risk

• I have an allergy to food, animals, stinging insect venom (bee, wasp, hornet), pollens, latex, and/or oral medications.

• I had a reaction to a vaccine or injectable medication that was NOT an allergic reaction or anaphylaxis.

Receive the vaccine with 30 minutes observation.

Medium Risk

• I had a reaction to a vaccine or injectable medication that could be an allergic reaction or anaphylaxis.

• I had a reaction to the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine that was NOT anaphylaxis.

Please discuss with you health care provider whether it is safe for you to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Your health care provider can place an e-consult to Allergy to determine the need for allergy evaluation and/or testing.

High Risk

• I had a reaction to the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine that could be an allergic reaction or anaphylaxis.

Please ask your health care provider to refer you to Allergy for possible allergy testing.

If you have had a previous allergic reaction to a vaccine, you may need further evaluation by your physician.

If you have received any non-COVID vaccinations in the 14 days prior to receiving a vaccination, or plan to receive any in the 14 days subsequent to a vaccination, you should wait to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. After 14 days, it is fine to take the vaccine. Patients at higher risk, or who may experience significant delays by postponing the COVID vaccine (such as frontline workers or patients entering skilled nursing facilities), may receive the COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines within a shorter period. If COVID-19 vaccines are administered within 14 days of another vaccine, doses do not need to be repeated for either vaccine.

Yes. People who have had COVID-19 should still receive the vaccine after they have recovered from their illness, and their isolation period has ended (minimum of 14 days at UCSF). Current evidence suggests that reinfection is uncommon in the 90 days after initial infection. Thus, persons with documented COVID-19 infection in the previous 90 days are recommended to delay vaccination until near the end of this period, if possible.

UCSF is following guidance from the California Department of Public Health and the CDC to identify our patients who are eligible for vaccination during each phase of the vaccine rollout. As of Jan. 15, 2021, we have begun offering vaccines to our patients age 75 and over. Please note that vaccine supplies are limited, so it will likely take several weeks to vaccinate this group. We then will move on to the next category – those aged 65 to 74 – followed by individuals aged 50 to 64 and those aged 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk.

UCSF is centralizing its vaccine rollout to ensure that we distribute vaccines to people based on their risk. We are using information in patient health records to assign our patients to risk groups according to state guidelines. When a risk group is eligible for vaccination, we will reach out to our patients in that group to schedule vaccination appointments, as our vaccine supply allows.

Please do not ask your doctor about vaccine scheduling. Because we are following state guidelines, your doctor will not be able to schedule your vaccine or influence when you receive it.

You will be contacted through your MyChart account. If you are a UCSF patient and you do not have a MyChart account, please sign up for one as soon as possible. This will help us identify your appropriate group and contact you when you’re eligible for vaccination. For help with your MyChart account, please call MyChart customer support at (415) 514-6000.

At this time, public health departments are distributing COVID-19 vaccines for free because the government has purchased millions of doses. In the future, this may change. The government may purchase more doses, your insurance may cover the cost, or you may be able to pay out of pocket.

No. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will not provide full protection against COVID-19 until at least a week after the second dose. However, because the coronavirus will remain a threat to public health for many months, and because no vaccine is 100% effective, you should continue to follow all public health guidance related to COVID-19, including wearing a mask, physically distancing, frequent hand washing, and avoiding all non-essential travel and gatherings.

We have developed a patient-education FAQ that we provide to all of our employees and patients before they sign up for their vaccine. This has many answers to questions about the vaccines that are currently available and what to expect during and after your vaccination.

We are not currently offering vaccines on the basis of this criterion alone. UCSF will continue to follow state guidelines to determine when someone is eligible to receive the vaccine.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends a second dose of vaccine 28 to 42 days after your first dose. Approximately 10 to 14 days before the 28- to 42-day window opens, you should receive an Eventbrite email notification for your appointment. You will be able to choose a time of day, but the date will be assigned to you based on CDC guidelines for the time between doses. Because the invitations arrive by email, it’s important to check your spam folder to make sure the invitation has not landed there. If you don’t have an email address, someone will call you to schedule the appointment. Please keep in mind that if vaccines are in short supply, the date of your appointment might change.

If you have already received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine somewhere other than UCSF, you should return to the center that dispensed the first dose to ensure that you receive the correct second dose. If this is not possible (e.g., patients who received a first dose out-of-state), UCSF will try to accommodate the request.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its guidance on the timing of second doses of both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. The CDC continues to recommend administering the second dose as close as possible to 21 days (Pfizer) or 28 days (Moderna) after the first dose. If it’s not possible to meet these timelines, both vaccines can be administered up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose without restarting the vaccination series.

Though vaccine doses remain in short supply, UCSF will continue to provide second doses within this six-week window, and as close to the recommended 21 or 28 days as possible.