In clinical trials for vaccines produced by pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna, participants did not experience any life-threatening events that were attributed to the vaccine. Keck Medicine will continue to monitor data as it becomes available.

Viruses constantly change through mutation, and multiple COVID-19 mutations are circulating around the world. New variants, such as those recently identified in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and South Africa, appear to spread more easily. There is no evidence at this time that these mutations are changing the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine, however scientists are working to learn more about them.

Keck Medicine is following the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health for phased distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. The first group of people to receive the vaccine includes health care workers, first responders and residents and staff of long-term care facilities. Distribution is currently underway and is prioritized for people with the greatest need.

• Those allergic to specific ingredients in the vaccines (most notably polyethylene glycol)
• Those who have had acute COVID-19 infection in the last 90 days
• Those who received monoclonal antibody for COVID-19 in the last 90 days
• Those who have received any other vaccination in the last 14 days

People who have had past anaphylactic reactions to vaccines or injection medications should talk with their primary care physician before receiving the vaccination. If they choose to receive it, they will be monitored for 30 minutes after receipt.

If you have ever had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient in a COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC recommends that you should not get that vaccine. You can find the ingredients and more information on the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website.

If you have had a severe allergic reaction to other vaccines or injectable therapies, ask your doctor if you should get a COVID-19 vaccine. Your doctor will help you decide if it is safe for you to get vaccinated.

People with a history of severe allergic reactions not related to vaccines or injectable medications — such as allergies to food, pets, venom, environments or latex — may still get vaccinated.

People with a history of allergies to oral medications or a family history of severe allergic reactions, or who might have a milder allergy to vaccines (without anaphylaxis) — may also still get vaccinated.

At this time, we do not have data about children and this vaccine. Some of the vaccines are currently running trials for children, but we do not have the results of that data yet.

Keck Medicine is following recommendations from both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on how to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccines are being rolled out in phases, beginning with groups of people who are at higher risk for COVID-19.

Currently, Keck Medicine is vaccinating health care workers. Keck Medicine will begin vaccinating patients in early February 2021 in its patient vaccination clinic. Essential workers — such as teachers, grocery store workers, corrections officers and select others — and older adults will be prioritized in the first phase of patient vaccination, with other groups of people included in subsequent phases. If you are a Keck Medicine patient, you will receive a communication informing you when you are eligible for vaccination.

It’s important in some diseases, like COVID-19, to prime the body to get an optimal immune response. The first dose primes the immune system — prepares the body to respond appropriately to the next dose and form antibodies. That first dose helps ensure a robust immune response that will get coded into the memory cells in the body. These are the cells we will rely on when we see COVID-19 the next time around.