COVID-19 Vaccine

Any Maryland resident over the age of 16 is now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.

We understand the high interest in COVID-19 vaccination. We are unable to schedule appointments by phone, email or text. When appointments become available, please register online. Appointments go quickly and there may be none available when you are booking. Here are other issues that may arise during your booking experience:

• Due to high traffic, the scheduling system may experience periods of slow load times and downtime.
• If you are able to select an appointment time, it may not be available when you try to register. The system may offer another time, or you may have to select another time if available.
• If you do not receive a confirmation email of your appointment, you do not have an appointment.

Please bring the following information:

• Driver’s license
• Current proof of employment (current pay statement, current employee badge,  letter from employer etc.)
• If your appointment is for your second dose, please bring your vaccination card

The vaccine we offer at our clinics changes daily depending on our supply from the state. We offer only one vaccine type per clinic. When possible, we will advise you of the vaccine being planned for a clinic on its registration form. Vaccine type is subject to change and cannot be guaranteed. All approved COVID-19 vaccines are shown to minimize your chances of getting infected, becoming very sick and spreading the disease to others.

We are not able to accommodate requests to transfer appointments to someone else.

Due to our scheduling process, we avoid this situation. We do not maintain a wait list and please do not come to the clinic at the end of the day to check to see if there are extra doses.

We are not able to accommodate requests to reschedule any appointments. If you are not able to come to your appointment time, you will have to schedule another appointment when other appointments become available.

We are unable to confirm appointment time and dates due to the high volume of requests. If you registered for an appointment, you will receive an appointment confirmation. If you did not receive this confirmation, you do not have an appointment.

Here are few tips to help you prepare for your appointment:

• Bring proper documentation (driver’s license or government issued id and current proof of employment).
• Do not arrive more than 30 minutes early for the appointment. This is to allow for social distancing and to limit your wait time outside the clinic.
• If possible, do not bring children to your appointment. Space is limited inside the clinic.
• Space is limited inside the clinic and to promote social distancing, only you will be allowed inside the clinic for your appointment. Accommodations will be made for those that need a support person.

Second dose appointments are automatically scheduled at the time of your first dose appointment. Second doses take place at the same location and same time as your first dose appointment, 21 days after a Pfizer shot and 28 days after a Moderna shot. The scheduling team will send a reminder by phone or text before your second dose. Please bring your white CDC vaccination card to the second dose appointment. We do not reschedule second dose appointments. Please make every effort to attend. We ask that you not schedule or accept a first dose of vaccine if you know you are unable to receive the second dose on schedule.

We are not able to accommodate requests to reschedule your second dose appointment. We strongly recommend you do everything you can to make your appointment. We do not know when second dose clinics will be held in the future. Keeping your appointment time also ensures you receive maximum protection.

The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) can allow the use of unapproved medication, vaccines or equipment to help diagnose, treat or prevent different types of health threats to protect the public health. There are still rigorous clinical processes, important health measures and scientific data that support an Emergency Use Authorization. For more information about a EUA, visit FDA.gov.

Adventist HealthCare continues to follow the state’s rollout plans for COVID-19 vaccinations. At this time, our clinics are open only to those who meet the state's Phase 1A, 1B and those 65 years and older in 1C ONLY. We are moving quickly and safely to vaccinate any eligible medical personnel and community members, as we coordinate with local government on plans for future phases.

For more information about the state of Maryland’s plan for distribution, visit their vaccine page. We recognize the importance of this vaccine and are working with the counties we serve to help with broader vaccination efforts in coming months.

The three vaccines that have been approved for emergency use have been shown to be safe and effective based on clinical trial data with tens of thousands of people of all races, ages and gender. For more information about the safety of the vaccines, visit the CDC website.

There is large amounts of data on the safety of vaccines and clinical data supporting the use of vaccines. As with any medication there is rigorous safety and clinical processes designed to ensure safety and effectiveness. Once a vaccine is approved there are continued clinical studies and other measures in place to monitor the safety and efficacy.

Even with the news of several vaccines, we must remain vigilant in the coming months. We’ve all done so much but more is needed. Now more than ever, continue to wear your face mask, maintain social distance and avoid large crowds and gatherings. This includes avoiding high risk activities such as eating indoors and house parties or gatherings.

The news of three vaccines is encouraging. It gives us another tool to fight COVID-19. The vaccines have been shown to be effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19. There are a few differences between each vaccine at this time:

• Age: The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has an emergency use authorization in individuals 16 years and older. The Moderna and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine have an emergency use authorization in individuals 18 years and older.
• Dosage: The dosing scheduling is different for each COVID-19 vaccine.
  • The second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is given 21 days after the first dose.
  • The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is given 28 days after the first dose.
  • The Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine is administered as a single dose.
• Effectiveness: The vaccines have been shown to be effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19. In clinical trials, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was shown to be 95% effective. The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine was shown to be 94.1% effective. The Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to be 66-85% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19, based on severity and the number of days after vaccination.

  At this time, the vaccine supply remains limited. It is recommended that you receive the vaccine that is available to you first. The best vaccine is the one you can get first. All of the approved COVID-19 vaccines are shown to minimize your chances of getting infected, becoming very sick and spreading the disease to others. For more information about the COVID-19 vaccines, visit the CDC website.

There are no head-to-head comparison studies between the three vaccines that have been given emergency use authorization. Clinical trials have proven each vaccine is very effective and safe at preventing severe disease, hospitalization and death related to COVID-19.

Each vaccine that have been approved for emergency use have been shown to be safe and effective. Any side effects usually end on their own within a few days. Common side effects that could be experienced are:

• Injection site redness, pain and swelling
• Chills, fatigue, headache, fever, muscle pain

These types of side effects are a sign that your immune system is doing exactly what it is supposed to do—working and building up protection to disease. If you have any questions after your first or second dose of the vaccine, please talk to your primary care doctor or visit the CDC website for information.

No, the vaccines will not give you COVID-19. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines use a new type of vaccine using mRNA, not a live or weakened virus. It does not use the SARS-CoV2 virus and will not give you COVID-19. These vaccines work by teaching our cells to make a specific protein or part of a protein that will start an immune response. That immune response, which produces antibodies, is what protects us from getting infected if the real virus enters our systems.

The Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine works differently. It is a vector vaccine that uses the adenovirus type 26 to help our bodies develop an immune response against COVID-19. The adenovirus type 26 is a common type of virus that has been modified so that it cannot cause illness.

More information can be found on the CDC website about how the COVID-19 vaccine works.

Once the vaccine become available to you, you should consider receiving it. Talk with your doctor and they can help determine if there are any concerns for you based on your medical history. A vaccine can help protect you from getting seriously ill with COVID-19 and also protects those around you, especially those at high risk of serious complications caused by COVID-19.

The vaccine is another tool in our fight against COVID-19. It will remain important that we continue to wear masks, social distance, wash our hands frequently and practice other public health recommendations until it becomes safe again.

Yes. It takes several weeks after your second COVID-19 vaccine dose for you to be fully protected. Taking precautions like wearing face masks, washing hands frequently and social distancing will help you stay protected. Even after you are fully protected, these steps will continue for some time after to ensure we continue to protect our families, friends and communities.

Most vaccinations available today use a weakened, inactivated or modified virus to initiate an immune response. mRNA vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna work differently. They work by teaching our cells to make a specific protein or part of a protein that will start an immune response. That immune response, which produces antibodies, is what protects us from getting infected if the real virus enters our systems. More information can be found on the CDC website about how the COVID-19 vaccine works.

We do not know if a previous COVID-19 infection provides immunity. More studies will be needed to determine how long immunity lasts from previous infections. For more information, visit the CDC website.

There are two COVID-19 vaccines that have received emergency use authorization that require two doses for maximum protection.

• The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine second dose is given 21 days after your first shot.
• The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine second dose is given 28 days after your first shot.

At this time, we are following the FDA authorized dosing schedule for the administration of the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccines.

The Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine is administered as a single shot and does not require a second shot.

You can get a copy of your record through the Adventist HealthCare patient portal or by visiting Maryland’s Immunization Information System.