What to Expect from a COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment

• If you do not have symptoms of COVID-19, it is not recommended that you get COVID-19 testing before getting vaccinated. 

• If you have symptoms of COVID-19, yes. You should get a COVID-19 test. You should delay vaccination until you have a negative test and your provider has determined your symptoms are not due to COVID-19. 

• If you have had a confirmed exposure to COVID-19 in the past 14 days, you must delay vaccination until you are done quarantining. 

No. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is free for all Massachusetts residents. 

Health insurance companies (including Medicare and Medicaid) will cover the cost of administering the vaccine. All vaccination sites in Massachusetts must agree they will not charge patients any out-of-pocket fees or deny anyone vaccination services if they cannot pay. Learn more at mass.gov.

Yes, just like at any appointment at Mass General Brigham, you will be asked several questions about your health status. Questions will include whether you have had any COVID-19 symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19. For more information, see "Preparing for Your Office Visit."

Generally, procedures or surgeries are not delayed for other vaccinations like the flu vaccine. However, your clinician or care team may recommend not getting vaccinated for a period of time before or after a procedure or surgery. They may want you to delay COVID-19 vaccination so any potential side effects (like fever) do not complicate your procedure or surgery. For specific questions, please talk to your clinician or care team.  

Yes, eligible patients 5-15 years old who have a vaccine appointment at a Mass General Brigham location need a consent form signed by a parent to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Download the waiver form

Please bring the signed form with you to your appointment.

Yes. We require all employees and patients to wear a mask. When you arrive at our facilities, you will be given a procedural or surgical mask to wear. If you have a mask from home, you will be asked to replace it with the mask we provide. Please see our mask policy.

People getting vaccinated will not have the option to select which vaccine they receive (Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson). Patients aged 5 to 17 can only receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine because it is the only vaccine currently authorized for this age group.

Mass General Brigham vaccine supply is provided by the state and federal government, and we do not choose which vaccines we get in our distribution. The best vaccine is the one that is available to you on the day of your appointment. All vaccine options available to our patients are highly effective.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines each require two doses. After you receive your first dose, your second dose will be from the same manufacturer. That means if your first dose is the Pfizer vaccine, your second dose will also be Pfizer; if your first dose is the Moderna vaccine, your second dose will also be Moderna.

You will receive a vaccination card or printout that tells you which COVID-19 vaccine you received, the date you received it, and where you received it. You should also receive a paper or electronic version of a factsheet that tells you more about the specific COVID-19 vaccine you will receive. Learn more at mass.gov.

Have you lost your vaccine card? Learn more about how to find your immunization record here.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines each require two doses. It is very important that you get the second dose of the vaccine. The second dose makes the vaccine most effective. If you got the Pfizer vaccine, your second dose will be about 21 days after your first dose. For Moderna, your second dose will be about 28 days after your first dose. Please make every effort to receive your second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

The Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine only requires one dose. 

If you received your first and second vaccine doses outside of Mass General Brigham, you can get your third dose or booster at a Mass General Brigham vaccine site. Visit our scheduling website to schedule an appointment.

Please bring your vaccine card to your appointment.

Learn more about boosters and third doses

You can find more information on the CDC website, the Massachusetts state website, and the New Hampshire state website. Note that state and local guidelines may vary for masking and indoor/outdoor gathering. Your local town may have different guidelines so it is important for you to check your local guidelines.

Patients with solid organ transplants or who are immunocompromised should speak with their care team to discuss recommendations about masking and social distancing.

Even after you are fully vaccinated, breakthrough infections can still occur. Fortunately, they tend to be mild or even asymptomatic. However, if you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should talk to your health care provider, regardless of your vaccination status. You may need to be tested for COVID-19. See more information on the CDC website.

Some people do experience side effects after receiving the vaccine. For most people, mild side effects resolve within a day or so. The most commonly reported symptoms are:

• From the Pfizer vaccine: Pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, and chills.
• From the Moderna vaccine: Pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, swollen lymph nodes in the same arm as the injection, nausea and vomiting, and fever.
• From the Johnson & Johnson vaccine: Pain at the injection site, headache, fatigue, muscle aches, and nausea.

Read more about potential side effects

We do not know this yet. The clinical trials will continue to monitor participants to see how long protection lasts. We will provide updated information as it becomes available.

This is normal. It can start within 24 hours of getting the vaccine. It can last for 2 or 3 days.

You can take acetaminophen or ibuprofen, as needed to help with these symptoms.

If you have any of the symptoms below, please contact your provider for further advice, as you may need a COVID-19 test:

• A high fever
• Symptoms lasting more than a few days
• Symptoms that could be from COVID-19 (like a new sore throat, cough, nasal congestion, runny nose, loss of smell or taste, or shortness of breath) 
• A new exposure to someone who has COVID-19

If you have an upcoming visit, procedure, or surgery and are having symptoms, please let your care team know.

You can get another dose at the appropriate time with the standard 15 minutes of monitoring.

Not unless directed by your doctor. It is not recommended to take these before your additional required doses to prevent these symptoms from occurring again. Medications for fever or pain can be taken for these symptoms if needed. We do not know what happens to your immune response to the COVID-19 vaccine if you take these medications after getting it.

This is normal. It can be very large. This usually lasts for 2 or 3 days but can last as long as 7 days. It can also start 7–10 days after your vaccine. You may get swelling in the armpit of the arm you got the vaccine. This should get better on its own within 7 days.

If there is itching, you can take an antihistamine (like diphenhydramine). If there is pain, you can take acetaminophen. Ice can be helpful for swelling.

If the redness and swelling stay at the site you got vaccinated and you have no other symptoms of allergic reaction (see below), then you do not need to see or talk to anyone.

If you also have any allergy symptoms, see below for guidance.

If the swelling in your armpit lasts longer than 7 days, you should contact your provider.

As long as you have no allergic symptoms, you can receive another dose of vaccine at the appropriate time. You should get any additional required doses with the standard 15 minutes of monitoring.

Hives, itching, rash (except where you got the vaccine)

You can take an over-the-counter antihistamine.

• If this occurs within 4 hours of your vaccine, please contact your provider.
  
  You should be evaluated by a doctor to determine whether you can receive another dose at the appropriate time. You may need skin testing.
• If this occurs more than 4 hours after your vaccine and you develop other allergic symptoms (see below), seek emergency care. If you do not develop further symptoms but are concerned, please contact your provider.
  
  If you don’t develop any other allergic symptoms, you can get another dose of vaccine at the appropriate time but should be monitored for 30 minutes.

• Swelling of lips, face, eyes, tongue
• Nausea/throwing up or belly pain
• Tightness in throat or difficulty swallowing
• Persistent difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Cough or wheezing
• Dizziness or lightheadedness

For most people, this usually occurs immediately after the vaccination – within 15 minutes. You will be monitored at the vaccine clinic during that time.

If you have these symptoms after you go home, please call your provider or seek emergency care.

You should be evaluated by a doctor to determine whether you can receive another dose at the appropriate time. You may need skin testing.