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COVID-19 Vaccine & Treatment

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COVID-19 Vaccine & Treatment

What You Need to Know about the COVID-19 Vaccine and Treatment

Are you ready to get the COVID-19 vaccine?

Access to the COVID-19 Vaccine

Intermountain currently carries the Moderna vaccine. Patients can call 702-852-9003 to get scheduled for a COVID vaccine or booster.

The COVID-19 vaccine may also be offered by other community partners based on state guidelines and appointment including:

The COVID-19 vaccines and related supplies will be procured and distributed by the federal government at no cost to Intermountain, payers, or patients.

Depending on the type of vaccine you’re receiving, the wait time between the first and second dose will be scheduled anywhere from 21 to 28 days apart. Patients must get their second COVID-19 vaccine at the same place they received their first vaccination. Both appointments must be scheduled at the same facility unless directed otherwise by an Intermountain Health caregiver.

Although COVID-19 vaccines remain effective in preventing severe disease,  recent data suggest their effectiveness at preventing infection or severe illness wanes over time, especially in people ages 65 years and older. Data from small clinical trials show that a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna booster shot increased the immune response in trial participants who finished their initial series 6 months earlier. A similar clinical trial showed that a J&J/Janssen booster shot also increased the immune response in participants who completed their single-dose vaccine at least 2 months earlier. With an increased immune response, people should have improved protection against COVID-19. The recent emergence of the Omicron variant further emphasizes the importance of vaccination, boosters, and prevention efforts needed to protect against COVID-19.

Which vaccines are available at Intermountain?

Intermountain only carries the Moderna vaccine at this time. Please call 702-852-9003 to schedule your booster vaccine.

Who is eligible for a booster?

If you received the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, you are eligible for a booster 6 months after your 2nd dose if you are 18 years or older.

If you received the Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine, you are eligible if you are 18 years or older and have waited at least 2 months after your first vaccine.

Which booster should you get?
Any of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States are safe and effective options. You can find more information on the CDC’s frequently asked questions page.

The CDC now recommends booster shots at 5 months after the completion of the primary series of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for those aged 12 and older. Click here for specific guidelines.

No. We only offer the Moderna vaccine at this time. The Moderna vaccine was not part of the clinical trial evaluating effectiveness for children ages 12 and older. So, we’re only vaccinating patients age 18 and older at this time.

Yes. The Pfizer vaccine is safe and effective and fully endorsed by the providers of Intermountain Health. If parents have specific questions regarding their child’s risks and benefits of vaccination, they should discuss them with their pediatric provider. Please note that we only carry the Moderna vaccine in our clinics at this time.

The Pfizer vaccine has received Emergency Use Authorization for ages 5 and older. The Moderna and Johnson& Johnson vaccines are approved for ages 18 and older.

Yes. The Pfizer vaccine is two doses given at least 21 days apart to be fully effective for all ages.

The vaccine is given at no cost to the patient.

Yes. The COVID-19 vaccine can be given before, at the same visit, or after other vaccines.

Yes. Once your child has recovered from their COVID infection and released from isolation, they should receive the Pfizer vaccine. In most cases, the vaccine is more protective than the infection.

Safety and Effectiveness

Safety is Intermountain’s top priority.  We will only implement vaccines that are FDA authorized or approved.

General vaccine side effects include mild symptoms (slight pain, swelling, or redness at the site of injection; mild fever; chills; feeling tired; headache; and muscle and joint aches). Listed on the CDC website are vaccines licensed in the United States and side effects that have been associated with each of them.

Immunity is established two weeks after the second dose. Further studies are being conducted to better understand how long the vaccination offers immunity from COVID-19.

If an individual tests positive for COVID-19 after receiving the first dose, they must be cleared from isolation. For an extra level of precaution at Intermountain, they must wait 90 days before receiving the second dose.

The CDC has concluded “people who are pregnant and part of a group recommend to receive the coronavirus vaccine, such as health care personnel, may choose to be vaccinated. The CDC also states that “mRNA (Moderna) vaccines are not thought to be a risk to the breastfeeding infant.”

The CDC, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other national organizations have partnered to form an Operation Warp Speed (OWS) initiative to accelerate the COVID-19 vaccine program safely. OWS is taking processes for vaccine development, evaluation, and approval that normally take years and compressing them into months, by running these processes at the same time rather than in sequential steps. OWS began manufacturing the vaccine while running the phase 3 trials, before knowing vaccine effectiveness. If the vaccine turns out to be effective and the FDA approves, vaccines will be ready to use immediately upon approval by the FDA. Vaccines not proven effective won’t be approved or allowed to use.

Vaccines will need to be at least 50% effective (reduces the risk of infection by one half) for it to be granted an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Another way to say this is: you are half as likely to become infected compared to those who are not vaccinated. Any level of effectiveness can help slow the spread. Because we don’t yet know how effective the vaccines are and for how long, individuals will need to continue all other prevention methods including masking, social distancing, and hand hygiene. The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines that have been granted EUAs are both around 95% effective.

Vaccines help the body develop immunity by training the immune system to recognize and remember how to respond to the disease-causing part of a virus. Vaccines traditionally contain either weakened or inactivated (killed) viruses or purified, signature proteins of viruses. In the COVID-19 response, some manufacturers are making vaccines in new ways, using messenger RNA (mRNA).

mRNA is genetic material that encodes the signature proteins of the viruses. These genetic instructions are injected into the person rather than the viral protein itself. mRNA vaccines use only what is needed to guide immune system response and development of antibodies, so if and when the body is exposed to the actual virus, the immune system knows how to respond and protect the individual from getting sick or from getting very sick.

Individuals should not be vaccinated while they have any active illness. They should hold on vaccinating until they are recovered and feeling well. At Intermountain, we recommend 90 days post COVID-19 illness. We don’t know how long immunity or antibodies to the COVID-19 virus will last, and recommend individuals vaccinate for COVID-19 even if they were previously infected.

Existing Intermountain patients can call 702-852-9000 to request COVID-19 testing from their provider. We provide saliva testing at our Wynn and West Lake Mead Instacare locations. If patients are unable to provide a sufficient saliva sample, testing by nasal swab can be done at our Wynn Instacare location.

Patients not currently under care of an Intermountain provider can click here for more information on testing options.

In order to protect our employees and other patients in our clinics, we require that patients be 10 days from positive home test result, no fever, and improved symptoms  in order to come to in-person appointments at Intermountain clinics. Patients with continuing symptoms may be asked to do a virtual visit.

If you tested positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms, regardless of vaccination status:

  • Stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in your home.
  • Wear a well-fitted mask if you must be around others in your home.
  • End isolation after 5 full days if you are fever-free for 24 hours (without using fever-reducing medication) and your symptoms are improving. Wear a mask around others for 5 days after isolation.
  • End isolation after 5 full days if you did not have symptoms and continue to wear a mask around others for 5 days after isolation.
  • If you were severely ill with COVID-19 or are immunocompromised you should isolate for at least 10 days.
  • Do not travel.
  • Avoid being around people who are at high risk.

Day 1 is defined as the first full day after your symptoms developed or your test was taken.

Click here for more information on quarantine and isolation.

Your Safety is Our Priority

During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our commitment to providing safe, reliable ways to access care is more important than ever. We have implemented best practices from around the world and have developed a plan for how we will provide care to you during this time including telemedicine for routine and urgent needs.

Learn More

Now Offering Virtual Urgent Care for Established Patients

Established Intermountain Health patients in Nevada can now see an InstaCare provider via smartphone, tablet, or computer for same-day virtual symptom evaluation and treatment instead of going into a clinic.

Get Started

Part of being well is being heard.