Many of you have been following the development and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines closely and have asked us some great questions about them. In December, we held a Facebook Live event with Public Health Director Rachael Banks, and Senior Health Advisor Dr. Paul Cieslak, to answer your questions. Here are the time stamps for the questions that were asked during the event. 

19:00: Can vaccinated people transmit COVID to or infect non-vaccinated people? I heard the vaccine stops symptoms but not transmission. 

20:40: Will the various groups be announced so people know when to go to their doctors or pharmacists to receive their shots? 

21:22: How long will the vaccine protect someone from COVID? How often does it need to be re-administered? 

22:00: What happens if we don’t get 70% of people to get the vaccine? 

22:54: Will the side effects from the vaccine be the same in a healthy person as they would in a person with underlying conditions? 

23:35: Is the vaccine live or dead? 

24:11: Should I get vaccinated even if I’ve already had COVID? 

25:15: Is it true the FDA has not approved the vaccine but merely authorized it for emergency use? What’s the difference? 

26:35: Will kids be required to get the vaccine to go back to school when schools open for in-person instruction? 

27:09: How will health care workers who don’t work at hospitals or clinics receive the vaccine? 

27:54: Do you have any estimates for vaccine deliveries for January and February? 

28:18: Will the vaccine be available at no cost? 

29:00: When someone is given the vaccine, do they need to remain isolated from the general public for a certain amount of time? 

29:20: Are both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines effective in the elderly? Is one more effective than the other? 

30:03: Will people have a choice which COVID vaccine they receive? 

30:53: If someone recently got the flu shot and then gets the COVID vaccine, will this cause a strong reaction or complications? Has this been seen in clinical trials? 

31:27: What’s your best guess for when we’ll get to group 1B? 

This article first appeared in the Dec. 22, 2020 issue of Oregon Coronavirus Update.