COVID-19 Vaccine
To our Community,
Camarena Health is excited to announce that on December 31, 2020 we began administering a COVID-19 vaccine to our staff. The delivery of these vaccines came sooner than we were expecting, and we eagerly welcomed their arrival. The vaccination of our staff is paramount to ensure the safety of our patients and community and look forward to inviting you to join us in turning the COVID-19 Pandemic around.
Camarena Health is beginning to schedule COVID-19 vaccine clinics for Camarena Health patients and individuals that meet the current [Phase 1B Tier 1 criteria only.] Vaccine clinics will be scheduled during the week and an appointment is required. Only those in the current or previous tier identified by the Madera County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) will be served. Camarena Health will advance through tiers and expand eligible patients at the guidance of MCDPH.
For more information about phases and tiers, please visit www.maderacounty.com/government/public-health/covid-19/covid-vaccination or call MCDPH at (559) 675-7703.
Vaccination Information
When receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, please note:
- Vaccine supply may be limited, and appointment availability is based on supply
- Patients will need to wait 15 minutes after receiving the vaccine for an observation period in case any allergic reactions occur
- Patients with a history of a COVID-19 diagnosis must wait a minimum of 90 days from their diagnosis to receive the vaccine
- Patients under a current quarantine must wait for their quarantine period to end
- Two doses of the vaccine are required for protection against COVID-19
- General side effects include muscle soreness, fatigue, headache, nausea, and fever
- Patients with a history of a COVID-19 diagnosis are likely to demonstrate more pronounced side effects
- Patients should discuss with their primary care provider if they have concerns about the vaccine before making an appointment
Now Serving:
Phase 1B Tier 1
We are currently serving those identified Phase 1B Tier 1 per the guidance of the Madera County Department of Public Health. This tier includes:
- Individuals 65 and older
- Those at risk of exposure at work in the following sectors:
- Education
- Childcare
- Emergency Services
- Food & Ag
- Family members who care for children with:
- Cerebral Palsy
- Down Syndrome
- Epilepsy
- Specialized health care needs, including dependence on ventilators, oxygen, or other medical technology
If you meet the current tier requirements
Call Camarena Health
(559) 664-4000
To schedule an appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
About the COVID-19 Vaccine
Camarena Health is currently administering the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. This vaccine has been proven to be highly effective at preventing COVID-19 infection and the complications that could develop as a result of the COVID-19 virus. The vaccine is not a live virus. It is an inactivated form of the virus. The vaccine triggers the immune defense system to learn what COVID-19 genetically looks like so that if the body were to be exposed to the actual COVID-19 virus it would know what to do and how to fight it. Data from those who received the vaccine showed that it had an efficacy rate of 94.1% making it highly effective at protecting the human body. It was studied in people 18 years of age and older, and it requires two doses given 28 days apart.
Whenever something is put into the body there is risk, whether it be smoking, getting a tattoo, or even taking over-the-counter medicines like ibuprofen or aspirin. Thankfully, the side effects seen with the Moderna vaccine have been mild-to-moderate, and limited to muscle soreness, fatigue, headache, fevers, and chills. Medically speaking, these are signs the vaccine is working. It means the immune system is building up the necessary anti-viral response that it will need if it comes into contact with actual COVID-19 virus – things like organizing white blood cells and building antibodies. Most of these side effects will go away within a couple of days and over the counter medications may be taken to help relieve them.
There is no way to know how COVID-19 will affect someone if they become infected. A lot of people get through the illness with no difficulty, but many others have become severely ill and even died. As of January 15, 2021, more than 2 million people around the world have died from COVID-19, and in the United States that number is over 389,000. Apart from death, COVID-19 can also cause long-term complications such as permanent lung damage or other problems that are still being discovered. Even in recoveries without complications, COVID-19 can be transmitted to others who may not fare well.
Getting a COVID-19 vaccine could help prevent someone from those long-term complications and even save their life. Getting the vaccine could also help someone become less seriously ill if they were to actually get COVID-19. Getting vaccinated could also protect those nearby, including children and high-risk individuals, of serious illness from COVID-19. Children are unable to be vaccinated at this time, but by adults getting vaccinated, they can help avoid passing the infection on to children and others more vulnerable.
COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions
We don’t really know yet how long someone is protected against COVID-19 after they’ve had it, this is why it’s recommended to still get the COVID-19 vaccine, but you should wait at least 90 days from your COVID-19 diagnosis.
There can be short-term, mild or moderate side effects that get better on their own without complications, usually within 1-2 days. This means the vaccine is working to get your immunity against COVID-19 going!
While the vaccine may prevent you from getting sick, we don’t know if you can still carry and transmit the virus to other people, so it’s best to continue to wear a mask until we know for sure.
This is completely false. While some people may develop mild to moderate side effects, these are possible any time you get a vaccine and are not considered serious or life-threatening. And though it is true that many people who get the virus don’t die from it, we are seeing large numbers of long-term complications in those that got it. The vaccine can help prevent this.
You cannot get a COVID-19 infection from the COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is not a live virus. It triggers your immune system to be ready for if you actually get exposed to the COVID-19 virus.
There is no microchip, or tracking device, or any other type of device that will be implanted in your body.
Current mRNA COVID-19 vaccines do not require the use of fetal tissue in the production process.
COVID-19 vaccines have not been linked to infertility or miscarriage. Many pregnant women have become infected with COVID-19 and there is no evidence of increased miscarriage rates in them, and the same immune response in these women would be the same response seen with the vaccine.
Neither the Pfizer nor the Moderna vaccines contain egg.
Both Pfizer and Moderna have reported that their vaccines contain no preservatives.
The speed with which the vaccine was developed was due to pharmaceutical companies heavily investing resources into developing a vaccine that would have world-wide impact due to the pandemic. The safety had to be approved by the FDA and the Advisory Committee on Immunization. In the Pfizer study alone, over 43,000 people were tested.