Updated 4/26/2022
NOTE: Due to high demand our vaccination sites are experiencing extended wait times. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
From the start, Alivio has been helping our patients and community fight the pandemic with testing, resources and education, and we are just as committed to providing the vaccine!
We are currently offering Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Pfizer, and 3rd dose vaccines for eligible patients. In line with our mission, Alivio will provide the vaccine to all, regardless of insurance, ability to pay, or immigration status. Alivio will follow state and local public health guidance to determine eligibility.
The Pfizer vaccine has been authorized for use for people aged 5 and older. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine is authorized for use for those 18 and older.
The safe and effective Pfizer Bio-N-Tech vaccine to prevent COVID-19 is now available for everyone 5-11 years and older. The 2nd dose is administered 21 days after the first.
As recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are several groups of high-risk populations recommended to receive a 3rd dose or a booster. Talk to your healthcare provider about your medical condition and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for you.
3rd Dose
An additional dose is for people who may not have had a strong enough immune response from the first two doses. It is recommended for those who are immunocompromised (12 and older for Pfizer and 18 and over for Moderna) 28 days after the second dose. This includes people who have:
Booster
The CDC expanded recommendations for booster shots to include all adults ages 12 years and older who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine at least five months after their second dose and two months after J&J. Although mixing and matching of booster vaccines is acceptable, it is encouraged to receive the same vaccine as your original dose unless it is unavailable.
2nd Booster
The CDC has approved a 2nd booster shot for individuals 50+ years old and older who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine at least four months after their first booster shot.
There are currently 3 scheduling options:
Please be patient as our call center is working very hard to accommodate many individuals.
Alivio representatives will schedule you at one of our 2 vaccination sites:
Appointments are encouraged!
We cannot guarantee which vaccine you will be receiving as our shipment varies. Please see below for info on vaccine safety and efficacy.
*Please note that you should not arrive more than 5 minutes earlier than your scheduled slot.
The vaccine itself is free, at no cost to you. If you are insured, Alivio will bill the insurance for an administering fee. But you will never receive a bill.
*Please note that you should not arrive more than 5 minutes earlier than your scheduled slot.
*We highly recommend that you keep your 2nd dose appointment as the 1st does provides 50% protection. Your protection can be as high as 94% a couple of weeks after your 2nd dose.
Moderna and Pfizer:
The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines use mRNA to train the body to respond to the COVID virus without using any live virus. The mRNA used in these vaccines is code for a protein that is specific to the COVID-19 virus but does not cause any harm to you. The vaccine is about 95% effective at preventing illness from COVID-19 2 weeks following the shot.
Johnson & Johnson:
The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is a viral vector vaccine that delivers instructions to our cells. A spike protein will be created but will not cause any harm to you. This vaccine is about 66.3% effective at preventing illness from COVID-19 2 weeks following the shot.
Johnson & Johnson EUA Fact Sheet
The Vaccine is Safe
The safety of you and your family members are a priority for Alivio Medical Center and we recommend taking the vaccine as soon as it becomes available to you. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has worked closely with the pharmaceutical companies to ensure the vaccine is safe and effective for protecting adults. Safety is a top priority and no steps are skipped during the clinical trial process for COVID-19 vaccine. If a link is found between a side effect and a COVID-19 vaccine, public health officials will take appropriate action by weighing the benefits of the vaccine against its risks to determine if recommendations for using the vaccine should change and continuously monitor and evaluate safety thereafter. As a participating vaccine provider, Alivio will be notified of any safety issues immediately.
CDC has recommended that women who are pregnant can get vaccinated for COVID-19. Though there are not completed studies on COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy, there are no known risks from the vaccines to pregnant people. However, pregnant people who get infected with COVID-19 are at risk for more severe illness, such as ICU admission, being on life support, or death. Alivio recommends that pregnant people talk to their doctor about getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
There are side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine. This is normal, and a sign your body is building immunity. To increase your protection, it is important to get both doses of the vaccine. The most common side effects are fever, chills, tiredness, or headache. At the injection site, you may experience pain, redness or swelling. Although these side effects may be unpleasant for 1-3 days, they are not dangerous. People with history of significant allergic reactions to vaccines, food, or medicine should consult with their doctor before receiving the vaccine.
None of the COVID-19 vaccines currently in development in the United States use the live virus that causes COVID-19. There are several different types of vaccines in development. However, the goal for each of them is to teach our immune systems how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. Sometimes this process can cause symptoms, such as fever. These symptoms are normal and are a sign that the body is building immunity and learning how to fight the vaccine. It typically takes a few weeks for the body to build immunity after vaccination. That means it is possible a person could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination and get sick. This is because the vaccine has not had enough time to provide protection.
Even after someone has been vaccinated the individual should continue to wear a mask, maintain social distancing and practice good hand hygiene. While we know the vaccines protect the individual from contracting COVID, we do not know if it prevents spreading COVID.
Many of Alivio’s communities have not had the luxury of staying home throughout the pandemic. Working from home is near to impossible for employees of the agricultural and service sectors, manufacturing, food and hospitality industries. The people working in essential roles are often those at highest risk for the worst negative outcomes of this disease. We are strongly advocating for vaccination of our communities and are here to provide education, science based information, support and resources so that you can receive the vaccine. In fact, the majority of Alivio’s staff has vaccinated with confidence and strongly recommends you do too!
Please see the following fact sheet to learn more about the benefits, safety and importance of the Covid-19 vaccine: