As COVID-19 vaccines begin to be distributed across the United States, there are different ways for people to receive their vaccines.
As of now anyone who is 16 or older is eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine for free in California.
You can create an appointment or verify your eligibility to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by visiting the My Turn website from the California Department of Public Health. The website will confirm your eligibility and also find nearby vaccinations sites where you can schedule an appointment online.
Many places are providing the COVID-19 vaccine such as CVS, Rite Aid Pharmacy and most clinics or medical centers. You can book an appointment online or call them directly. At Rite Aid you must qualify first to receive the vaccine. Which at this point is if you are 16 or older.
Yamin Soza, a CVS employee said, “CVS is now taking appointments for the covid vaccine and you can do that by going to www.CVS.com and book an appointment or call the 1-800 number to book an appointment which would be faster.”
“After scheduling an appointment, it takes about 48 hours for confirmation,” said Soza.
The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is eligible now to take again since being pulled for the risky side effect of blood clots some people experienced. The CDC website states that both the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommend use of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (J&J/Janssen) COVID-19 Vaccine to resume in the United States, after a temporary pause.
According to the CDC, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires two doses given 21 days apart. The Moderna vaccine requires two doses given 28 days apart. “Data from the clinical trials found the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to be 95% effective after two doses and the Moderna vaccine 94.1% effective, meaning they prevented people who got the vaccine from getting COVID-19,” states the website.
Geovanni Jede, a worker for the Long Beach Health Departmen, suggests that there are ways to make undocumented citizens feel comftorable to receive a vaccination.
“You can get the vaccine for free no matter what your immigration or citizenship status is. Vaccinations do not count under the public charge rule. You should not be asked about your immigration or citizenship status when you get a COVID-19 vaccine. The federal government has confirmed they will not do immigration operations at or near vaccination sites and clinics,” according to the covid19.ca.gov website.
Jede said, “It is helpful to have someone that can speak the same language as the person that is calling so they feel safe to get the vaccination and not feel like they’re in danger.”
Getting the COVID-19 vaccine is free. One might be asked to verify age and to confirm one is 16 years or older but a state-issued ID is not needed nor insurance to get the vaccine.