Updated June 6, 2023
COVID-19 vaccine requirements have changed over the last couple of years. UC Davis Health experts bring you the latest on scheduling your vaccine dose, how COVID-19 vaccines work, and how they affect children and women.
COVID-19 vaccines are available to anyone ages 6 months and older.
You can schedule any COVID-19 vaccine dose at UC Davis Health. Scheduling is available through MyUCDavisHealth or California's centralized scheduling system MyTurn.ca.gov. UC Davis Health patients can also schedule an appointment by calling 916-703-5555 Monday-Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
If you've had a recent COVID-19 infection, the CDC recommends that you consider delaying your COVID-19 vaccine dose by 3 months after symptoms first appear or a positive test.
For those who are under 18 years old, they will need to have a parent or legal guardian provide consent for treatment at their appointment. UC Davis Health accepts written or verbal consent. It's also advised that anyone under age 18 have someone drive them to and from their appointment. With any vaccine, there's an increased risk of fainting for children under the age of 18, according to the CDC.
UC Davis Health is vaccinating patients and non-patients at our primary care clinics in:
See all of UC Davis Health's primary care clinic locations
You can schedule your any COVID-19 vaccine dose (for those who are eligible, as specified by the CDC) at UC Davis Health. Scheduling is available through MyUCDavisHealth or California's centralized scheduling system MyTurn.ca.gov. UC Davis Health patients can also schedule an appointment by calling 916-703-5555 Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
In keeping with our outpatient clinic policy, only one essential caregiver or loved one may accompany patients.
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 and non-patients can schedule their subsequent 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) to your appointment.
To schedule your second COVID-19 vaccine, you can use the state of California's centralized scheduling system MyTurn.ca.gov or MyUCDavisHealth. UC Davis Health patients can also schedule an appointment by calling 916-703-5555 Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Please remember to bring your CDC vaccination record card to your appointment.
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:
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.
There are three main COVID-19 vaccines: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Novavax. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are approved for ages 6 months and older.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines include a fragment of the mRNA that encodes for a certain portion of the coronavirus' spike protein. When the vaccine is given to us, our cells make that protein – a fragment of it – and then our bodies build an immune response to the protein.
The Novavax vaccine is available for ages 12 and older. The initial series of this vaccine is given in two doses. This vaccine contains pieces of the virus that causes COVID-19, but is a non-mRNA vaccine. It also contains a second ingredient called an adjuvant, which helps your immune system respond to the spike protein. This combination allows your immune system to learn and quickly respond to the actual spike protein if you were to become infected.
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 about 6 months. 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.
Children have a lower risk of severe illness, but that doesn't mean that they have no risk. The 5- to 11-year-old age group is also the highest risk for the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), which can be quite severe.
Read more: Child with MIS-C receives life-saving care at UC Davis Children’s Hospital
Kids Considered podcast: Benefits and risks of COVID-19 vaccine for teens
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you have serious symptoms of illness, contact your primary care provider. UC Davis Health patients can use the MyUCDavisHealth symptom tracker to evaluate whether to seek help. Telehealth video visits and Express Care are also available.
If you have a medical emergency, call 911 and notify them of your COVID-19 symptoms.
If you test positive for COVID-19 at home, you can contact your primary care provider about a prescription for Paxlovid.
Patients who receive primary care or specialty care from UC Davis Health can schedule a telehealth video visit with Express Care.
To help limit spread of COVID-19, we have policies for visits to our hospital and outpatient clinics.