Convention Center.
En español | Who is eligible to get vaccinated?
- Everyone age 12 and up
- Third doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are recommended for certain immunocompromised people
- The state's COVID-19 data dashboard is tracking how many people have been vaccinated
Where can I get vaccinated?
- Local and state vaccination sites, including hospitals, health departments, community health centers, pharmacies, mass vaccination clinics, mobile clinics and local events can be found using the state’s Vaccine Finder Search Tool. Enter your ZIP code to explore providers near you. Not all providers use the same scheduling system. Once in the search tool, you will either click "Schedule in Provider Site" or "Schedule in VAMS," meaning the state's Vaccine Administration Management System, to be redirected to that provider’s scheduling platform. Some sites are taking walk-ins, no appointment necessary.
- Certain retail pharmacies, including Big Y, CVS (and some of its Target-based pharmacies), Rite Aid, Shop Rite, Walgreens and Walmart, have created online COVID-19 vaccine pages where you can search for appointments across their locations. Some locations are taking walk-ins, no appointment necessary.
- The federal government’s vaccines website, Vaccines.gov, lets you search for vaccination sites by zip code, with links to appointments. Get the same information by texting your zip code to 438829 or by calling 800-232-0233 (TTY: 888-720-7489).
- At home, but only if you are physically or medically unable to leave your home to get a COVID-19 vaccination. If this includes you, fill out this form for the Department of Public Health (DPH) and a person in your town will contact you. The DPH only shares home-bound vaccination requests with towns once a week on Mondays, so it could take a week or so for you to be contacted.
- Through your veterans Affairs (VA) health facility. Veterans who receive care from VA health facilities are eligible for vaccinations through the VA Connecticut Healthcare System. Caregivers enrolled in the Caregiver Support Program may be eligible, too. Call 203-932-5711, ext. 7784, 5627 or 7754, to schedule an appointment. More information available here.
- Through your employer or living facility. Some residents who work or live in healthcare settings, such hospitals or nursing homes, may be able to get vaccinated through their workplaces or residences. Check before scheduling an appointment.
- Call the state’s COVID vaccine appointment line at 877-918-2224 for help scheduling an appointment. The line is taking calls from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET every day and offers a callback option when all specialists are busy.
Will I need a booster shot?
People who’ve received both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines should plan to get a booster eight months after their second shot, pending federal approval, the Biden administration says. Boosters may be available for certain groups as early as Sept. 20. A Johnson & Johnson booster could be approved later this year.
If you are immunocompromised and think you may be eligible for a third shot, the CDC recommends talking with your health care provider about your medical condition and whether getting an additional dose makes sense. You can make a third-dose appointment at the locations above or get a walk-in appointment at some pharmacies. You’ll need the dates of your previous COVID-19 vaccinations (available on your vaccination card) when making an appointment for a third dose. You may also need to present proof of your medical condition.
What should I bring to my vaccination appointment?
Some vaccination sites ask for proof of identity or eligibility. Officials recommend that you bring a driver’s license or other state-issued ID that shows your name, age and state residency, and your health insurance card, if you have one. You will not be charged, but the vaccine provider may bill your insurer a fee for administering the vaccine.
How are residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities getting vaccinated?
Most residents and staff of long-term care facilities in Connecticut were offered COVID-19 vaccinations through a federal program that contracted with CVS and Walgreens to administer COVID-19 vaccines via free on-site clinics. The program has ended, but to ensure long-term care facilities still have access to vaccines for new residents or staff, the federal government is continuing to allocate doses to pharmacies partnered with long-term care facilities.
As of Sept. 7, Connecticut requires all employees of long-term care facilities to either be fully vaccinated; be in the process of getting fully vaccinated (so, have received a first dose and have an appointment for the second dose); or have an exemption.
AARP is calling for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for nursing home residents and staff.
Which vaccines require a second shot?
The COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna require two doses. If you get one of these, you’ll need a follow-up dose to be effectively immunized. The recommended second-shot date is three weeks after a first dose of the Pfizer vaccine and four weeks for Moderna’s, but the CDC says an interval of up to six weeks is acceptable. You should get a card from your provider saying when and where to return for the second dose.
Johnson & Johnson's vaccine requires just one shot. A Food and Drug Administration warning says the vaccine has been connected with rare, severe blood clots in a small number of recipients, especially in women age 50 years and younger, and an increased risk of developing Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological disorder.
Do I have to pay for the vaccination?
You should not have any out-of-pocket cost for getting the vaccine. AARP fought to make sure the federal government is covering the cost of the vaccine itself.
Scammers are purporting to offer COVID vaccines and treatments and trying to charge for them. AARP's Fraud Watch Network is tracking the latest scams.
What should I do with my vaccine card?
You should get a small white card at your vaccination appointment with your name, birth date, name of the vaccine you received and the date it was administered. If you receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, bring your card when you get your second shot.
You may need your vaccine card to schedule a third vaccine dose, for certain immunocompromised people, or a booster shot. You may also need it for certain kinds of travel or other activities and may want to take a photo of it with your smartphone for your own records. But experts warn that posting a photo of your card to social media could make you vulnerable to identity theft.
If you’ve lost your vaccine card, call the site where you were vaccinated to request a new one or a copy of your vaccination record. You can also contact your state health department to request a replacement card or a copy of your record.
When will kids be able to get vaccinated?
Pfizer’s vaccine is authorized for those age 12 and older; the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are authorized for those 18 and older. Both Pfizer and Moderna are researching how their vaccines work in children as young as 6 months.
How protected am I post-vaccination? I’ve heard about breakthrough infections.
All three vaccines reduce the risk of COVID-19 infections and are highly effective at preventing severe illness and death from the disease. But no vaccine is 100 percent effective and breakthrough infections, while rare, have been reported.
According to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, breakthrough infections affect only 0.01 to 0.29 percent of fully vaccinated people in states that have reported data. The CDC is tracking the tiny percentage of fully vaccinated people in the United States who have been hospitalized with or died from COVID-19.
Should I still wear a mask after getting vaccinated?
It takes two weeks to build immunity after the single-dose shot and after the second dose of the two-dose shots.
Due to the continuing circulation of the Delta variant, the CDC is recommending fully vaccinated people in areas with high and substantial COVID-19 transmission wear a mask in indoor settings, including schools.
The CDC also recommends continuing to wear a mask on planes, buses and trains and other shared transport while traveling into, within or out of the United States.
Helpful Resources
- Vaccine Administration Management System User Manual. The state has created an in-depth user manual for vaccine recipients trying to navigate the VAMS. Learn how to create and activate an account, schedule a vaccination appointment, cancel or reschedule an appointment, or get extra help.
- Transportation Resources to Help You Get to Your COVID-19 Vaccination Appointments. The Southwestern, North Central and Eastern Agencies on Aging have created lists of public and private transportation options in their regions. The state government has also created a Transportation Resources page with information on 2-1-1 and CT Rides, which can connect you with transportation help.
- Q&A with Dr. Lisa Cuchara: AARP CT State Director Nora Duncan and Quinnipiac University's Lisa Cuchara, a biomedical sciences professor, help you cut through the confusion in with a video-based Q&A.
- Get the Facts: COVID-19 Vaccine in Connecticut. AARP Connecticut has created a one-page flyer that answers common questions about COVID-19 vaccinations. En español | 用中文。| Em português | An kreyòl ayisyen | Po polsku
- How to Detect COVID-19 Scams. AARP Connecticut has created a one-page flyer that outlines how common COVID-19 scams work and how you can detect them.
- COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution in Connecticut. The Connecticut Department of Public Health has launched a website featuring the state's COVID-19 vaccine-related data. Explore vaccination rates by age group, race/ethnicity, sex, county, Social Vulnerability Index and more.
This guide, originally published Jan. 21, was updated on Sept. 10 with new information about booster shots.
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