The vaccine provides hope for this unprecedented pandemic and is an important next step in helping to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. This page will be updated frequently with new information.
Olathe Health has expanded vaccine appointments to children ages 12 – 15 years old. See below for how to schedule.
We currently have vaccination appointments available for ANYONE in Phases 1-5, including children ages 12 – 15 years old.
We’ve created a flowchart with our scheduling information to aid in this process. Click Here to View Vaccine Scheduling Flowchart.
By Phone:
Vaccines for children ages 12 – 15: Please make your vaccine appointment at an Olathe Health family medicine or pediatric clinic.
Where to direct Patient Portal questions:
Additional FAQs for Adolescent Vaccine:
You can read the full Pfizer vaccine fact sheet for recipients and caregivers using this link. In addition, below are a few FAQs from the CDC:
How many adolescents get COVID-19?
From March 1, 2020, through April 30, 2021, approximately 1.5 million COVID-19 cases in individuals 11 to 17 years of age have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Children and adolescents generally have a milder COVID-19 disease course as compared to adults.
Is the administration of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine the same for adolescents as it is for adults?
Yes. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is administered as a series of two doses, three weeks apart, the same dosage and dosing regimen for 16 years of age and older.
How do we know the vaccine works in kids?
In the vaccine clinical trial, there were no cases of COVID-19 in the 1,100 children who received the Pfizer vaccine and 16 cases in the 1,100 children in the placebo group, according to the FDA. The trial also found that vaccinated adolescents had high levels of antibodies in their blood — a signal they had developed strong protective immunity.
“The vaccine was 100% effective in preventing COVID-19,” the FDA announced Monday. “At this time, data are not available to determine how long the vaccine will provide protection.”
Why should kids this age get vaccinated?
Children and adolescents can get sick from infection with the coronavirus, and they can infect others. And while, in general, their cases tend to be less severe, some children have developed serious complications. In the United States alone, tens of thousands of kids have been hospitalized with COVID-19 — including more than 3,000 who have developed a rare but dangerous inflammatory syndrome nicknamed MIS-C. During the pandemic, COVID-19 has been one of the leading causes of death among children, Sean O’Leary, MD, of the American Academy of Pediatrics tells NPR — some 300 to 600 children have died. There are also increasing concerns about persistent, long-term effects of the viral infection — such as fatigue, respiratory issues and stomach problems — for some children who get COVID-19.
And while most children who catch the coronavirus develop few or no symptoms, they can still, inadvertently, transmit the virus to others. “Vaccinating young teens could be a big game changer,” O’Leary notes, “because we’ve known all along that adolescents tend to be both more likely to get infected and to spread the infection, relative to the younger kids. So getting that population vaccinated is also going to make a difference in these dynamics.”
Are there side effects for adolescents from the vaccine?
According to the CDC, the most commonly reported side effects in the adolescent clinical trial participants, which typically lasted 1-3 days, were pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, chills, muscle pain, fever and joint pain. It is important for vaccination providers and recipients to expect that there may be some side effects after either dose, but even more so after the second dose. The side effects in adolescents were consistent with those reported in clinical trial participants 16 years of age and older.
Who should not get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine?
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine should not be given to anyone with a known history of a severe allergic reaction, including anaphylaxis—to any component of the vaccine. See the vaccine ingredients here.
In Kansas, the COVID-19 vaccine is being distributed in phases, based on supply, as outlined by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE).
Please see the FAQs below for answers about how to schedule, vaccine safety information and more. As a reminder, even once you get the vaccine, it is crucial to continue to observe the current safety measures in place. While experts learn more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide under real-life conditions, it will be important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to help stop this pandemic, like covering your mouth and nose with a mask, washing hands often, and staying at least 6 feet away from others.
Anyone ages 12 and older can now receive a COVID-19 vaccine at an Olathe Health clinic.
We currently have vaccination appointments available for ANYONE in Phases 1-5, including adolescents ages 12 – 15.
See the top of this page for information about how to schedule at one of our clinics.
Please note: The COVID-19 vaccine is a series of two injections that must be given within a specific time frame. (21- 23 days for the Pfizer Vaccine and 28-30 days for Moderna) Your appointment for the second injection will be made during the check-in process for your first injection. You must receive both injections for the vaccine to be most effective. The vaccine is free, however, there is a fee to administer the injection that will be billed to your insurance.
The chart above outlines the KDHE phasing by population. Olathe Health is following this phasing plan. If you are unsure what Phase group you fit in based on the information below, please consult your employer and/or primary care physician. You can also view the KDHE Vaccine Prioritization Plan for more details about each Phase group here: kansasvaccine.gov/157/Availability.
Click the following link for the screen readers version: (Version of KDHE table accessible to screen readers)
This state plan is subject to change. Questions about the plan can be directed to KDHE:
Phone: 1-866-534-3463 (1-866-KDHEINF)
Email: [email protected]
Website at kdheks.gov
A safe vaccine is determined through administration to a large number of people of different ages, sexes and underlying conditions. Both the Pfizer/BioN Tech and Moderna vaccines have undergone rigorous studies. For example, the Pfizer/BioN Tech study included more than 43,000 patients across demographics representative of our population. These COVID-19 vaccine studies have achieved 95 percent effectiveness.
The COVID-19 vaccine is a multi-dose vaccine administered through a shot. The second dose is given 21 to 28 days later, depending on which vaccine brand you get. (The second dose should be administered within about a two-day window of the specified timeframe.)
No. The COVID-19 vaccine does not contain a live virus.
No. You will not be contagious and do not need to quarantine. The vaccine does not contain a live virus. It is designed to trigger an immune response in your body to help prevent you from getting the virus.
After COVID-19 vaccination, you may have some side effects. This is a normal sign that your body is building protection. The side effects may include mild symptoms like soreness at injection site, muscle aches and fatigue. If you do experience symptoms, please report them on the V-Safe app created by the CDC. V-Safe is a smartphone-based tool that checks in on you after your vaccine, and sends reminders about your second dose. To register, go to https://vsafe.cdc.gov/
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines appear to be equally effective. Initially, vaccine availability will determine which vaccine people get. As more vaccines are introduced into the market, additional work will be done to optimize the right vaccine for each individual, depending on availability.
Yes, however, since re-infection is highly unlikely in the first 90 days, it is recommended by the CDC and KDHE to wait for the vaccine during this initial period of time. Since there are not enough vaccines for everyone, this will allow those with no immunity to receive vaccine quicker. Re-infection of COVID-19 is possible, and there are severe health risks for some people, so it is advised to get a COVID-19 vaccine, even if you have been sick with it before. At this time, experts do not know how long someone is protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. The immunity someone gains from having an infection, called natural immunity, varies from person to person.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are both messenger RNA (mRNA). COVID-19 vaccines that use mRNA work with the body’s natural defenses to safely develop protection to disease without us having to get the illness. The mRNA instructs our body to make a certain protein. That protein is identical to the spike protein on the coronavirus. It needs that spike protein to attach to our cells and be able to cause infection. When we make that spike protein, our body recognizes it is foreign, and we build up an immunity against it. When we then get exposed to the actual virus, our body recognizes it and can have a more rapid immune response to fight off that infection.Receiving an mRNA vaccine will not alter your DNA. The mRNA never enters the nucleus of the cell, which is where our DNA are kept. This means the mRNA does not affect or interact with our DNA in any way.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are both messenger RNA (mRNA). COVID-19 vaccines that use mRNA work with the body’s natural defenses to safely develop protection to disease without us having to get the illness. The mRNA instructs our body to make a certain protein. That protein is identical to the spike protein on the coronavirus. It needs that spike protein to attach to our cells and be able to cause infection. When we make that spike protein, our body recognizes it is foreign, and we build up an immunity against it. When we then get exposed to the actual virus, our body recognizes it and can have a more rapid immune response to fight off that infection.Receiving an mRNA vaccine will not alter your DNA. The mRNA never enters the nucleus of the cell, which is where our DNA are kept. This means the mRNA does not affect or interact with our DNA in any way.
If you have ever had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient in a COVID-19 vaccine, CDC recommends that you should not get that specific vaccine. View list of ingredients for the Pfizer vaccine here and view a list of ingredients for the Moderna vaccine here. If you have had a severe allergic reaction to other vaccines or injectable therapies, you should 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. CDC recommends that people with a history of severe allergic reactions not related to vaccines or injectable medications—such as allergies to food, pet, venom, environmental, 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 (no anaphylaxis)—may also still get vaccinated. For more information, please visit: cdc.gov/coronavirus.
Yes. It will be crucial to continue to observe the current safety measures. While experts learn more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide under real-life conditions, it will be important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to help stop this pandemic, like covering your mouth and nose with a mask, washing hands often, and staying at least 6 feet away from others. Full vaccine protection takes several weeks. While the vaccine will protect you from getting sick, you theoretically could still carry the virus infecting others who have not been immunized.
Please talk with your OB about getting the vaccine if you are pregnant or lactating. For information regarding receiving the vaccine while pregnant or lactating, please refer to the the CDC and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology links below.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/pregnancy.html
Partial protection is seen 7-10 days after the initial dose. However, full immunity isn’t achieved until 14 days after receiving the second dose, which is approximately 26-30 days after the first dose is given, depending on which vaccine brand you are given.
That means it takes several weeks for your body to develop immunity to COVID-19. It is recommended to continue practicing all other protective measures during this time, including social distancing, washing your hands and wearing your mask over your mouth and nose.
While the vaccine is nearly 95 percent effective in preventing illness from COVID-19, it is not yet known whether or not individuals could be asymptomatic spreaders of infection to non-vaccinated individuals. Until we have this data, continued mask wearing may still be optimal even after full immunity is achieved.
Because the vaccines are new, it’s not yet known how long the vaccine protection lasts. The duration will likely highly depend on the extent and timeline of mutations to the COVID-19 spike protein. Expert predictions generally range from one to three years.
In order to determine an answer to this question, more research will be needed in this area. The CDC predicts an annual booster may be necessary.
If you are a healthcare-associated worker and your employer has not provided a date for you to be vaccinated, please have someone from your office contact the local health department (links located to the right).
Healthcare providers who want to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to their patients or staff can email a request to KDHE at [email protected]. KDHE will send the healthcare provider an enrollment form and instructions on how to order, store and administer the vaccine.
