About COVID-19 Vaccines

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The Vaccines

There are three vaccines currently approved for COVID-19 in the U.S.:

Side Effects

Each of the vaccines may cause some side effects including:

  • Pain, redness, or swelling in the arm where you got the shot
  • Tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, or nausea throughout the rest of the body

Side effects usually start within a day or two after getting the vaccine and usually go away in a few days. Having symptoms like these after you get the vaccine is normal and a sign your immune system is learning to fight the virus. Find more tips from the CDC on what to expect after getting vaccinated and rare severe allergic reactions. 

Thanks to Colorado’s Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA), you are entitled to paid sick leave for going to a COVID-19 vaccination and recovering from side effects.

Protection

It takes about two weeks after your final dose for your body to be fully protected against COVID-19 illness. It is not yet known how long the vaccination will offer protection against the virus.

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment provides recommendations after COVID-19 vaccination in private settings.

Revaccination Questions 

Read the CDPHE Revaccination FAQs if you are concerned you may need to get vaccinated again due to problems at your vaccine provider.

Breakthrough Infections

A very small percentage of people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will still develop the illness. Learn what the CDC says you should know about this possibility.

Fact Sheets

CDC fact sheets about the importance of getting the COVID-19 vaccine and how vaccines workCOVID-19 Vaccine Information Image Opens in new window

Pfizer-BioNTech

Moderna

Johnson & Johnson's Janssen

V-safe Information Sheet explaining how to sign up for the v-safe program Opens in new windowV-safe After Vaccination Health Checker

A smartphone-based tool that lets you report any side effects after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine to the CDC.




  1. Should I worry about myocarditis as a side effect of the vaccine?
  2. Can I get the vaccine right now?
  3. How do we know if vaccines are safe?
  4. What are the side effects of the vaccines?
  5. Can I get COVID-19 from a vaccine?
  1. How was the vaccine able to get developed so quickly?
  2. If I have recovered from COVID-19 and completed my isolation period, do I still need to get vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine?
  3. How are the vaccines being allocated?
  4. Do I need to be a U.S. citizen to get the vaccine?
  5. Will the vaccines have any effect on fertility?
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