How to Get Your COVID Vaccine, and Why Now

The delta variant, a highly contagious strain of the coronavirus, is now responsible for over 80% of infections nationwide. It spreads more than twice as fast as earlier strains. In many states, hospitalizations are at their highest rate since the beginning of the pandemic. Many ICUs are at full capacity.

Almost all of the people sick enough to need a hospital are unvaccinated.

It is more important than ever to get your vaccine. While some vaccinated people are getting sick, their symptoms have typically been more mild. Vaccines prevent serious illness and death, slow the spread of the virus throughout the community, and help protect children too young to receive the shot.

Keep yourself and your family safe and healthy by getting vaccinated as soon as possible. It is free, regardless of whether you have insurance.

Where to Get Your Vaccine Shot (It’s Free!)

It’s easier than ever to get the COVID vaccine. There are plenty of doses available, and a large network of pharmacies now offers shots in every state.

Visit vaccines.gov to find a pharmacy location near you with doses in stock (vacunas.gov en Español). Your local pharmacy chain, like Walgreens, Walmart or CVS, will also offer easy access.

Health insurance companies are required to cover the cost of the vaccine—you may be asked for your insurance information when you book your appointment. If you don’t have insurance, you will not have to pay at all. The federal government will cover the cost. Congress allotted more than $8 billion for this purpose.

While many pharmacies have walk-up vaccine appointments, the easiest way to be sure you can get your shot is to schedule ahead of time.

Many state and local health departments now have mass vaccination or pop-up sites that don’t require appointments or registration. To find the locations and hours of these sites, check out the Babylon vaccine page to see how your state is providing the vaccine and where.

You do not need a driver’s license to receive a shot, but you are encouraged to bring some form of ID. This is so that vaccinators can be reimbursed for your dose of the vaccine.

If you are having trouble making an appointment online, you can always call the National Vaccine Hotline at 1-800-232-0233.

Vaccine Options

• Adults and children over the age of 12 can receive Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID vaccine, which requires 2 doses, 3 weeks apart.

• Adults over the age of 18 can receive Moderna’s COVID vaccine, which requires 2 doses, 4 weeks apart.

• Adults over the age of 18 can receive the Johnson & Johnson’s COVID vaccine, which requires only 1 dose.

What to Expect

When you arrive at the vaccination site, you will check in and give your name, date of birth, and you may be asked for any insurance cards you have. If you do not have insurance, you can still get the shot for free.

Some people experience side effects after their shot, generally lasting less than 72 hours. Your vaccination site will have an information sheet for you to take home with the details of these normal side effects.

After you receive your vaccine, you will be asked to wait for ten to fifteen minutes to make sure you feel well.

You will receive a paper card as proof of your vaccination. If you have to return for a second dose of the vaccine, be sure to bring this card with you. You may be asked to show your vaccine card to access certain public spaces and private businesses in the future, so keep it in a safe place and make a copy just in case.

Many apps make it possible to carry a secure digital copy of your vaccination record on your smartphone. Confirming vaccination status may continue to play a role in our lives, so it’s important to find an easy way to share your information and keep it up to date.