How to schedule your COVID-19 vaccine | Coronavirus | UC Davis Health

UC Davis Health has vaccines available for patients at many of our primary care clinics in:

• Auburn
• Carmichael
• Davis
• Elk Grove
• Folsom
• Rancho Cordova
• Rocklin
• Roseville
• Sacramento: Campus Commons, Glassrock Building (Pediatrics), Midtown Ambulatory Care Center, Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center (Family Medicine and Internal Medicine)

Some vaccines are not available for all age groups and at all locations. Please check before you schedule your vaccine appointment.

See all of UC Davis Health's primary care clinic locations

You can schedule any COVID-19 vaccine dose (for those who are eligible, as specified by the CDC) at UC Davis Health. Appointments can be made on your MyUCDavisHealth account or by calling 916-703-5555 Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

If you need to reschedule or cancel your vaccine appointment, please call our Patient Contact Center at 916-703-5555. The office is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Yes. UC Davis Health patients can schedule their next COVID-19 vaccine with us even if the last dose was administered somewhere else in the U.S. or in another country. Please bring record of your previous COVID-19 vaccine(s) or CDC vaccine card to your appointment.

To schedule a COVID-19 vaccine with UC Davis Health, go to MyUCDavisHealth or call 916-703-5555 Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Yes. COVID-19 vaccines are free to all Americans. However, vaccine providers can charge administration fees for giving the vaccine to people. Providers can get this fee reimbursed by a patient's private or public insurance company. For those who are uninsured, the Health Resources and Services Administration's Provider Relief Fund can reimburse the provider.

Yes. The state of California has a Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record portal. You just need to enter a few details on their website to get a link to a QR code and digital copy of your COVID-19 vaccination record. If you want to share your proof of vaccination, you can use either the electronic version from the portal or the card you were given at time of vaccination.

Patients with MyUCDavisHealth accounts can also download a digital QR code containing certifiable COVID-19 vaccine or test result data. This is available on the MyUCDavisHealth app (be sure you have the most recent version of the app: version 9.7 or higher) and through MyUCDavisHealth online. Here are steps to find your QR code:

• Once you’re logged into MyUCDavisHealth, click on “Menu” and scroll down to select “COVID-19” (located under the “My Record” section).
• On this page, it will show vaccination and recent COVID-19 testing status. You will also see a button that says “QR codes” and a button to download a document (PDF) of your proof of vaccination.
• If you are not seeing these buttons, please make sure your version of the app is up-to-date.
• UC Davis Health clinical staff can print out a QR code for patients without a MyUCDavisHealth account.

Learn more about how to access your virtual COVID-19 vaccine record and how to update your records on MyUCDavisHealth

Uninsured: Yes, you can schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment without insurance. You will leave that field empty (or enter N/A) when scheduling your appointment. We may ask you some questions about your insurance coverage when you arrive, but this will not prevent you from being vaccinated.

Non-UC Davis Health insurance: Yes, you can schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment if your insurance does not cover UC Davis Health. You will leave that field empty (or enter N/A) when scheduling your appointment. Please bring your insurance card with you to your vaccination appointment.

According to the CDC and FDA, anyone ages 6 months and older can get a COVID-19 vaccine. There are different recommendations based on your age and other factors. The CDC has a breakdown of what you should know to stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccine.

Check out this COVID-19 vaccine schedule from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH)

The most common side effects are a sore arm and sometimes fever, chills, tiredness and headaches for a day or two, according to the CDC. Those are all signs your body is building an immune response.

The CDC says the risk of anaphylaxis – a severe allergic reaction – after a COVID-19 vaccine is extremely low. The people most at risk of an adverse reaction are those who have had severe allergic reactions to other medications or food.

There have been cases of inflammation of the heart — called myocarditis and pericarditis — happening after COVID-19 vaccination in the United States. These cases are rare, given the number of vaccine doses administered, and have occurred more often in adolescents and young adults, ages 12-39.

The rare risk of myocarditis and pericarditis can be reduced for some people by extending the interval to 8 weeks between first and second doses. CDC continues to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for everyone 6 months of age and older, given the greater risk of COVID-19 illness and related, possibly severe complications. The known and potential benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks, including the possible risk of myocarditis or pericarditis.

For children age 12 to 18, there is an increased risk of fainting after a COVID-19 vaccine, which is fairly common for adolescents after any vaccine, according to the CDC. For this reason, children age 12 and older are advised to have someone drive them to and from their vaccine appointment.

Learn more about what to expect after getting a COVID-19 vaccine

Learn about COVID-19 vaccine safety monitoring and why the vaccine is safe

There is no way you can get COVID-19 from the vaccine. The novel coronavirus vaccine includes a small fragment of messenger RNA (mRNA) that encodes for a small portion of the protein. The mRNA can’t replicate, and it's very unstable so it doesn't last long. It can't cause COVID-19. None of the COVID-19 vaccines currently in development in the U.S. use the live virus that causes COVID-19.

We do not have long-term safety data of these COVID-19 vaccines since they have only been studied in humans for a couple years. However, unexpected long-term safety issues have not been found in any licensed vaccines, even after decades of study. There are several vaccine safety monitoring systems in the U.S., and there will be expanded COVID-19 vaccine safety monitoring.

The CDC advises that your child can get a flu vaccine and COVID-19 vaccine at the same time. You should talk to your child’s pediatrician if they are scheduled to get another vaccine around the time of their COVID-19 shot.

Learn how to get your flu shot from UC Davis Health

The CDC says side effects in adolescents, including possible risk of myocarditis or pericarditis “are rare, and the known and potential benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks.”

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is currently funding research studies to find out if COVID-19 vaccination can affect a woman’s menstrual cycle.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and women's health

There's no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines have any effect on fertility. Furthermore, there is no scientific theory for how COVID-19 vaccines could cause fertility problems. The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) briefing for both Pfizer and Moderna detail the findings from the clinical trials about effectiveness, safety and side effects. There are no reports of any impact on fertility. You can read the 50-plus page briefings from VRBPAC to the FDA on both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.

Learn more about COVID-19 myths and facts

Many pregnant women have received COVID-19 vaccinations without any problems. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has started a study on COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy and postpartum. Pregnant women are at an increased risk for COVID-19 complications. Health experts believe the risks of  infection far outweigh the risks of getting vaccinated. The CDC, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) agree that the COVID-19 vaccines should be offered to pregnant women who are eligible.

Yes, the COVID vaccines are safe for breastfeeding women. Research so far suggests that there may be some immunity provided to babies through breast milk, but this is not yet proven.

The CDC recommends that if you're due for a mammogram and have been recently vaccinated for COVID-19, ask your doctor how long you should wait to get your mammogram. People who have received a COVID-19 vaccine can have swelling in the lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy) in the underarm near where they got the shot. This swelling is a normal sign that your body is building protection against COVID-19. However, it is possible that this swelling could cause a false reading on a mammogram. Some experts recommend getting your mammogram before being vaccinated or waiting four to six weeks after getting your vaccine.