WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Millions of Americans have received the COVID-19 vaccine, but that is still only a small part of the population. One of the top questions being asked is, "When is it my turn?"
"It can depend upon what your job is. It can depend upon how old you are, what medical conditions you have that put you into different types of phases," said Dr. Alison Brodginski, Geisinger's northeast director of infectious diseases.
Dr. Brodginski says there aren't a lot of answers about when you will get your vaccine. It depends on supply. What we do know is you cannot get coronavirus from the vaccine.
"The experts are still trying to figure out, can those individuals who are vaccinated perhaps not feel ill, but they still have the potential to pass it on to someone else?" Dr. Brodginski said.
Currently, two vaccines are approved for use in the United States: Pfizer and Moderna. Both are given in two doses, between three and four weeks apart.
"After the first dose, seven to 10 days later, you're going to have about a 50 to 52 percent effectiveness of the vaccine. After the second dose about a week later is where you're going to bump up to that 95 percent effective range," Dr. Brodginski said.
Dr. Brodginski says as of right now, not many serious allergic reactions have been reported.
"We typically monitor anyone who receives the vaccine for a period of 15 to 30 minutes afterwards to again evaluate them to ensure that there are no serious adverse events," Dr. Brodginski said.