COVID-19 Vaccination Information
COVID-19 vaccines are highly protective against severe illness and death and provide a lesser degree of protection against asymptomatic and mild infection.
The COVID-19 vaccine is widely available at no cost, including at Bengal Pharmacy. The vaccine is also available at local clinics and pharmacies.
Bengal Pharmacy
Moderna and Pfizer vaccines
Booster shots and pediatric doses are available.
Other Options
COVID-19 Vaccines and Boosters are widely available through primary care providers, pharmacies, and through public health departments.
Staying Up to Date on Your COVID-19 Vaccines
Like many other vaccinations, it is important to stay up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines. Staying up to date reduces the likelihood of getting really sick or dying from COVID-19.
COVID-19 vaccination will help keep you from getting COVID-19
- All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States have been shown to be highly effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death.. Learn more about the different COVID-19 vaccines.
- All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States have been shown to be safe.
- All COVID-19 vaccines in development are being carefully evaluated in clinical trials and will be authorized or approved only if they make it substantially less likely you’ll get COVID-19. Learn more about how federal partners are ensuring COVID-19 vaccines work.
- Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, particularly people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
- Experts continue to conduct more studies about the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on severity of illness from COVID-19, as well as the vaccine’s ability to keep people from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19.
COVID-19 vaccination is an important tool to help stop the pandemic
- Vaccines will work with your immune system so it will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed. Wearing masks and social distancing only help reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others. The combination of getting vaccinated and following CDC’s recommendations to protect yourself and others will offer the best protection from COVID-19.
- Stopping a pandemic and increasing the safety of our campus community requires using all the tools we have available. As experts learn more about how COVID-19 vaccination may help reduce spread of the disease in communities, CDC will continue to update recommendations
COVID-19 Vaccine Myths Busted by Idaho State Experts
Myth: COVID-19 vaccines were developed too fast to be safe.
Fact: The technology used to develop the new mRNA COVID-19 vaccines isn’t new. It was developed in the early 1990s and has been studied and used for other diseases like rabies, Ebola, and Zika. It’s also used in cancer research.
Myth: There weren’t enough clinical trial participants to declare the vaccines safe.
Fact: Clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines included tens of thousands of participants who were followed for several months to check for side effects. Now, hundreds of millions of people around the world have safely received these vaccines.
Myth: I already had COVID-19, so I don’t need the vaccine.
Fact: While it’s true that natural infection with COVID-19 provides some immunity, it’s not clear how long that immunity will last (especially with emergence of new variants) and getting the vaccine will further reduce your risk of getting a serious case of COVID-19.
Myth: The COVID-19 vaccines don’t work because you can still get COVID after vaccination.
Fact: While no vaccine is 100% effective at preventing infection, the COVID-19 vaccination has been shown to be VERY effective at preventing serious disease. Getting the vaccine greatly lowers the risk of getting seriously ill or having to go to the hospital because of COVID-19
Myth: I won’t need to wear a mask after I’m vaccinated.
Fact: COVID-19 vaccines are very effective at protecting you from getting seriously ill or going to the hospital. Being vaccinated decreases your risk of transmitting the virus to others, but it is still possible. Being vaccinated and wearing a mask indoors is the best way to keep COVID-19 from spreading.
Myth: A COVID-19 vaccine will make me sick with COVID-19.
Fact: None of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines in the United States contain the live virus that causes COVID-19. This means that a COVID-19 vaccine cannot make you sick with COVID-19.
Myth: The COVID-19 vaccines have severe side effects.
Fact: While all medications and vaccines may have some side effects, reports of serious side effects with COVID vaccination are very rare. Vaccines have no effect on fertility and are even recommended for pregnant women.
Myth: The current COVID-19 vaccines don’t protect against the COVID-19 variants.
Fact: The current COVID-19 vaccines are very effective at protecting against severe illness from the current COVID-19 variants circulating, especially the new bivalent COVID-19 booster that provides better protection from the Omicron variants.