Vaccines

Yes. Vaccine providers must obtain consent from a parent, legal guardian, or other adult having legal custody before vaccinating a minor. But there are some exceptions:  

• Emancipated minors do not need the consent of a parent or guardian to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
• Providers may accept written consent from a parent or legal guardian of an unaccompanied minor. The written consent must verify the parent/guardian has been provided the Pfizer EUA Fact Sheet.
• Phone or video consent is possible if the parent/guardian confirms that they have been provided the Pfizer EUA Fact Sheet or the Fact Sheet is read to the parent/guardian.

Families should check with their vaccine provider on acceptable forms of consent. See CDPH’s Pfizer Vaccine Minor Consent Guidance for more details.

Cases in children are increasing. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that youth now account for 22% of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. This time last year it was only around 3%. It is important to get young people vaccinated to prevent new cases from increasing further.

The more vaccinations, the more we stop the spread of highly contagious coronavirus variants and shrink the pool of people vulnerable to COVID-19. By getting our 12- to 15-year-olds vaccinated, families can be safer as we get back to doing the things we love.

Yes, unless they have had anaphylactic type reactions to components of the Pfizer vaccine. Allergic reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine are rare and very few people have had severe adverse reactions. If your child has allergic reactions to the flu vaccine or other severe allergies, you should report that to their health providers in advance of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and important to receive in order to overcome this pandemic.   

Youth aged 12 to 15 can still receive the COVID-19 vaccine even if they have underlying health conditions. If you have specific questions about a condition, please talk to your healthcare provider, local community clinic, or public health office.

While vaccination isn’t currently required to return to in-person learning, the state’s objective is to get as many of our 2.1 million 12 to 15-year-olds vaccinated prior to the new fall term. By getting our young people vaccinated soon, we can take comfort in knowing those over age 12 are protected against highly contagious coronavirus variants and COVID-19, both inside and outside of the classroom.

While vaccination isn’t currently required to play sports, this is the time for our youth to join their teammates and friends in getting vaccinated so they can protect themselves and each other against COVID-19.

The resumption of other group activities such as band, theater, and clubs will be coordinated by schools in concert with future state guidelines. Meanwhile, getting our young people vaccinated when they are eligible can help them return to the things they love sooner.

Vaccine trials and approvals commonly begin with older, more vulnerable populations then extend to younger ages. Adolescents were the next group to be prioritized because they are most similar to adults and are more likely than younger kids to spread the virus and become seriously ill. This approach balances the need for safety and speed, while protecting our children throughout vaccine development.

Both Pfizer and Moderna have ongoing clinical trials in people younger than 12. Depending on the outcome of those trials, authorization for this next age group could happen later this year. Johnson & Johnson is currently in clinical trials for the 12-17 age group.

The Employer Vaccination Toolkit provides all the information you need to:

• Partner with local providers for offsite vaccination events
• Request a worksite mobile clinic
• Help employees find and book vaccination appointments
• Share and promote resources that support employees in getting vaccinated

Ideally, you’d get:

• Two doses for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, 21 days apart
• Two doses for the Moderna vaccine, 28 days apart 

The Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine only requires one dose.

If two shots are required, get your second shot as close to the recommended interval as possible, but not sooner. However, if you can’t get it at the recommended interval, second doses may be given up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose. There is limited data on how well these vaccines work beyond this window. But if the second dose is given after 42 days, there is no need to start over.

You can’t mix and match different vaccines. Be sure to get the same vaccine the second time that you got the first time. COVID-19 vaccines are not interchangeable with each other. The safety and efficacy of mixing vaccines has not been tested.

Nothing. COVID-19 vaccines, including their administration, are free to the public.

Read more at the Department of Managed Health Care’s Know Your Health Care Rights.

No. Vaccine distribution is based on eligibility irrespective of residency or immigration status.

If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, you can do so on your phone or computer, using the SMS or email appointment confirmation notification you received after booking.

On your phone, click the “QR Code link” in your SMS appointment confirmation. This will take you to a web page that contains your QR code and a link to the “Manage your appointments” page.

On your computer, click the “Manage your appointment(s) here” link in the email appointment confirmation you received from My Turn. The “Manage your appointments” page will open and you will be asked to confirm your appointment with your appointment confirmation number and either your cell phone number or your email address.

After confirming, you will have the choice to cancel or reschedule your appointment(s). If you choose to reschedule both your first and second dose Moderna or Pfizer appointment(s), or your single-dose Johnson & Johnson appointment, you will have the choice to change the clinic, appointment time, and/or appointment date. If you want to reschedule your second dose only without changing your first dose, you will only be able to change the second dose appointment time.

Once you have made your changes and click “Continue,” you will receive a new confirmation email and or text message. Your original appointment will not be changed unless you click “Continue.”

Yes. We do not know how long someone is protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19.

No. People with COVID-19 who have symptoms should wait to be vaccinated until they have recovered from their illness and have met the criteria for ending isolation. Those without symptoms should also wait until they meet the criteria before getting vaccinated. This guidance also applies to people who get COVID-19 before getting their second dose of vaccine.

Yes. All vaccine clinics in California are required to ensure sites and services are accessible in accordance with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements.

Check with your healthcare provider, local health department, or local pharmacy.

If you cannot leave your home to get vaccinated, you can indicate this on myturn.ca.gov or when calling the state’s COVID-19 hotline at (833) 422‑4255. If eligible, you will be connected with your local health jurisdiction to arrange for in-home vaccination services.

If you do not have a way to get to a vaccination site, you can receive free transportation through myturn.ca.gov or by calling the state’s COVID-19 hotline at (833) 422-4255.

Transportation options include automobile transportation for ambulatory patients and non-emergency medical transportation for non-ambulatory patients, including wheelchair vans, gurney transportation, and other options. Medi-Cal managed care and fee-for-service beneficiaries will be connected with their health plan or service provider to get transportation through existing health benefits.

You can also check with your healthcare provider, local health department, or local pharmacy. 

If you receive Medi-Cal through a managed care plan, contact your plan’s member service department to request assistance for transportation to receive covered benefits. If you receive Medi-Cal through Fee-for-Service (FFS), you can access a list of Non-Medical Transportation (NMT) providers in your county and you can contact them directly to arrange transportation to your appointments. 

If there is not a provider in your area, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) can assist if you email them at DHCSNMT@dhcs.ca.gov. Please do NOT include personal information in your first email. DHCS staff will reply with a secure email asking for your information about the appointment. 

If you have a need for Non-Emergency Medical Transportation, please inform your medical provider who can prescribe this service and put you in touch with a transportation provider to coordinate your ride to and from your appointment(s).

The following are accepted: 

• Vaccination card, which includes name of person vaccinated, type of vaccine provided, and date last dose administered 
• A photo of a vaccination card as a separate document
• A photo of the attendee’s vaccination card stored on their phone
• Documentation of vaccination from a healthcare provider

People are considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 two weeks after they receive the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or two weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson/Janssen).

See CDPH’s COVID-19 Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People for complete details.

No. A vaccine will not cause you to test positive on viral tests.

If your body develops an immune response (the goal of vaccination), there is a possibility that you may test positive on antibody tests. Antibody tests indicate that you may have protection against the virus.

California law strictly limits how personal information about those who are vaccinated can be shared. California negotiated with the federal government to limit the required data sharing to only information that will not allow an individual to be identified.

Read more at CDPH’s California Data Use Agreement and Frequently Asked Questions.

Yes. We urge Californians to keep their vaccination record cards for themselves and their families in a safe place to prevent loss or damage. Individuals who need replacement cards should contact their vaccination provider for replacement. You can request your COVID-19 vaccination record from the California Immunization Registry (CAIR). However, CAIR does not provide replacement cards.

Yes. COVID-19 vaccine does not provide protection against flu.

The CDC recommends that:

• If you have had a severe allergic reaction or an immediate allergic reaction—even if it was not severe—to any ingredient in an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, you should not get either of the currently available mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna).
• If you have had a severe allergic reaction or an immediate allergic reaction to any ingredient in Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, you should not get the J&J/Janssen vaccine.
• If you had an immediate allergic reaction after getting the first dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, you should not get the second dose.  
• If you are allergic to PEG, you should not get an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Ask your doctor if you can get the Janssen vaccine.
• If you are allergic to polysorbate, you should not get the Janssen vaccine. Ask your doctor if you can get an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
• If you aren’t able to get one type of COVID-19 vaccine because you are allergic to an ingredient, ask your doctor if you should get a different vaccine. 
• If you aren’t able to get the second shot of an mRNA vaccine because you had an allergic reaction, ask your doctor if you should get a different vaccine.

People with underlying medical conditions can receive the FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines provided they have not had an immediate or severe allergic reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine or to any of the ingredients in the vaccine. Learn more about vaccination considerations for people with underlying medical conditions. Vaccination is an important consideration for adults of any age with certain underlying medical conditions because they are at increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19.

To learn about the ingredients in authorized COVID-19 vaccines, see

• Information about the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
• Information about the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
• Information About Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine

Yes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that pregnant and lactating individuals can receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Experts have not identified any safety concerns for pregnant or lactating people who were vaccinated or their breastfeeding babies. The COVID-19 vaccines do not contain the live virus, so they cannot cause COVID-19.

Pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant people. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy can protect you from severe illness if you get COVID-19. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine. 

For more information, read:

• CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccines While Pregnant or Breastfeeding
• CDPH’s COVID-19 Vaccine and Pregnancy

The CDC recommends:

• If you tested positive, had only mild symptoms, and were not treated for the coronavirus, you should wait at least 10 days after the start of COVID-19 symptoms and satisfy criteria to discontinue isolation before getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
• Wait 90 days to get the vaccine if you recovered from a COVID-19 infection and were treated with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma.

Yes, you can get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines at the same visit. You no longer need to wait 14 days between different vaccinations. Experience has shown that the way our bodies develop protection after getting vaccinated (immune response) and the level of side effects are generally the same when given alone or with other vaccines. Learn more about getting more than one kind of vaccine.

Yes. VaccineFinder allows you the option to search for vaccines by manufacturer.

No, there is no mandatory vaccination requirement from either the state or federal government. Once more and more Californians see how safe and effective the COVID-19 vaccines are, we hope they will voluntarily opt to receive them.

Yes, if certain requirements are met. Under the ADA, an employer may require all employees to meet a qualification standard that is job-related and consistent with business necessity, such as a safety-related standard requiring COVID-19 vaccination. However, if a particular employee cannot meet such a safety-related qualification standard because of a disability, the employer may not require compliance for that employee unless the employer can demonstrate that the individual would pose a “direct threat” to the health or safety of the employee or others in the workplace.  

Read What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws for complete details.

Talking with family and friends about the benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine can be hard. You can help by listening without judgement and identifying the root of their concerns. Things to remember to help open the discussion include:

• Listen to questions with empathy
• Ask open-ended questions to explore concerns
• Ask permission to share information
• Help them find their own reason to get vaccinated
• Help make their vaccination happen

The CDC has recommendations on how to talk about COVID-19 vaccines with friends and family.