COVID-19 Vaccine Information

As of May 6, 2021, Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) received a supply of Pfizer vaccine and is holding vaccination clinics. Please check the HUHS Patient Portal for clinic availability and to make an appointment for your first or second dose.

If you are unable to attend an HUHS clinic, appointments remain available in many community locations through state-run vaccination clinics and pharmacies.  

As previously announced, Harvard will require COVID vaccination for all students who will be on campus this fall. As we work to reach the high levels of vaccination needed to protect our community, we are now extending that vaccination requirement to all Harvard community members, including faculty, staff, and researchers, who will have any on-campus presence. Read the full message (5/28/21) on the updated vaccine requirement and find more information in the COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement Frequently Asked Questions.

There is no cost to you to receive the vaccine, but HUHS may bill your insurance company.

The CDC recommended a temporary pause for use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to a report that out of 6.8 million doses administered, there have been six cases of a rare type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thromboses with low platelets reported in six women under 50 years who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.  It is important for the FDA and the CDC to be responsive to any reports of adverse side effects and there are many systems in place to find, report, and investigate these concerns. Further analysis of these cases was completed to determine any potential significance as vaccine safety is taken very seriously.  Effective April 23, 2021, the CDC and FDA recommend that use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine resume in the United States. However, women younger than 50 years old should be made aware of a rare risk of blood clots with low platelets following vaccination and the availability of other COVID-19 vaccines where this risk has not been observed. Read the CDC/FDA statement.

Out of 6.8 million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine that have been given, six cases of blood clots have been reported. All six cases were women age 18-48 years, and the problem was a very rare blood clot disorder. Symptoms occurred 6-13 days after receiving the vaccine. These six cases represent less than one per million of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses administered. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is safe for most people and the CDC and FDA have recommended that the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine resume in the United States. However, women younger than 50 years old should be made aware of rare risk of blood clots with low platelets following vaccination and the availability of other COVID-19 vaccines where this risk has not been observed. All vaccines are continually monitored for safety by the CDC and FDA, and they investigate adverse events, even if these events are unrelated to the vaccines themselves.

If you received your vaccine in the past few days, you could expect flu-like symptoms from the vaccine. If you received the vaccine more than a week ago and now have severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath, you should contact your doctor for further evaluation and testing. HUHS clinicians are aware of this issue and are familiar with the CDC guidance regarding the evaluation and treatment of this specific blood clot. 

To date, HUHS has not used the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Out of over 180 million doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines given in the US, there have been no reports of this rare blood clot disorder.

There is no evidence that oral contraceptives played a role in causing blood clots in the six women identified as having serious side effects from the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. 

The CDC recommends a booster shot for certain people who meet specific criteria. Read more on booster guidance.

There are three COVID vaccines approved for use in the United States: Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson. There has been robust reporting on vaccine side-effects, and the CDC is strongly recommending that all Americans receive the vaccine. Large trials have shown that the vaccines prevent serious illness, hospitalizations, and deaths from COVID-19. Out of over 180 million doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine given in the US, there have been no reports of blood clots after the administration of these vaccines. 

COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you from getting COVID-19. You may have some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection. These side effects may affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. As with most vaccines, the common side effects are pain and swelling on the arm where you got the shot. You may also have fever, chills, tiredness, and headache. These side effects usually go away in a few days.

The vaccine is given in two doses, either 3 or 4 weeks apart, depending upon the vaccine we receive. It is expected that you will receive both doses and we are assured that we will have the second dose available when you are ready. Further information can be found on the CDC website about what to expect after getting a COVID-19 vaccine and on this CDC handout.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their recommendations on the timing of COVID-19 vaccine doses on February 10, 2021. They note that the second dose should be administered as close to the recommended interval as possible. However, since this is not always feasible and delays are inevitable, they report that the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines may be administered up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose. If the second dose is administered beyond these intervals, there is still no need to restart the series. You have some protection against COVID-19 after the first vaccine.

If you are currently eligible and would like to have your caregiver who is escorting you to also be vaccinated, we recommend you visit https://www.maimmunizations.org/ to arrange for an appointment at a state-run vaccination clinic. Only the state-run clinics have the authority to vaccinate companions who are not in the eligible population.

No. All community members with a regular on-campus presence are expected to continue with their COVID-19 testing cadence at this time.

While there are many different types of vaccines, most vaccines work by imitating an infection. This helps the body understand how it would fight off the virus if you were ever exposed. When you receive a vaccination, your body will produce different types of cells and antibodies that fight off the imitation. They will leave behind what is sometimes referred to as “memory cells." These cells will remember how to fight off the infection. Oftentimes it can take a few weeks for your body to go through this process, so make sure to get your vaccinations when recommended. Currently, there are three main types of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States.

It will be important that as many people as possible receive a COVID-19 vaccine. It will be necessary that everyone, even vaccinated people, continue to wear masks properly, socially distance, and limit person-to-person interactions until we are told otherwise by public health professionals. Getting vaccinated will not give people a free pass to socialize, as they may have still been exposed and could potentially pass the virus on to others around them. Please continue to stay vigilant in your preventative behaviors and we can get through this together.

There is a lot of information on the internet about vaccines. It can be hard to untangle sometimes, especially if you’re unsure what to look for. Here are some tips:

• Look for information that stems from peer-reviewed scientific articles.
• Check the credentials of those writing for the website. Make sure it is written by content experts, including physicians, epidemiologists, and other public health professionals. 
• Don’t rely on google. Check these websites first:
  • CDC Vaccinations Webpage
  • National Institute of Health (NIH)
  • American Academy of Pediatrics
  • World Health Organization (WHO)

There is extensive information on the CDC website about the vaccine.