NJ's Top 10 COVID Vaccine Questions: What You Need To Know

TRENTON, NJ — New Jersey Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli used her time during the governor's most recent news briefing to answer the most commonly asked questions she and her health department have been getting about the coronavirus vaccine.

"We know the public has questions and concerns about the vaccine, so today, I want to share with you some of the frequently asked questions the department has been receiving, along with the answers," Persichilli said.

There is no cost to get vaccinated. But you do have to live, work or study in New Jersey to be eligible. Undocumented immigrants can also get the vaccine.

1. Can the COVID vaccine give you COVID-19? No. "The vaccines cannot cause infection. In fact, the two vaccines New Jersey is currently administering [Pfizer and Moderna] cannot infect you at all. They do not contain live or attenuated [weakened] virus."

2. Will the vaccines work against the variants we are hearing about? "In all or most cases, yes," she said. "However, early data from a small study suggested that the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is not authorized in the U.S. yet, offers only minimal protection against mild disease caused by the South African variant." AstraZeneca said it hopes to have another vaccine version by the fall that can work better against that variant.

3. Should pregnant women get vaccinated? "The CDC recommends that women talk to their health care provider about whether they should be vaccinated. When making a decision, pregnant women and their health care providers should consider the level of COVID-19 community transmission," she said. "They should also consider the patient's personal risk of contracting COVID, and the risks of COVID-19 not only to the woman, but potential risk to the fetus."

"Based on current knowledge, experts believe that the mRNA vaccines, which are the Pfizer and the Moderna, are unlikely to pose a risk to pregnant women or their fetus," Persichilli said. "However, the potential risks of mRNA vaccines to the pregnant person and the fetus are unknown, because these vaccines really have not been studied in pregnant women."

4. Are the two different vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) interchangeable? No. "The COVID vaccines are not interchangeable with each other or other products," said Persichilli. "The safety and efficacy of a mixed product series has not been evaluated. Both doses should be completed with the same product."

5. Why isn't there more vaccine? "Well, it takes time to produce vaccines, and the production capacity of Pfizer and Moderna is increasing slowly. It's great news we are closer to having an additional vaccine now that [Johnson & Johnson] submitted its application to the FDA on Thursday night. The FDA is scheduled to review (it) on Feb. 26. Johnson & Johnson said it hopes to provide the federal government with 100 million doses by April."

6. What are the advantages of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine? "Well, there is an advantage of only having to need one shot. It will be more mobile. The vaccine will travel better. It will be easier to deploy the vaccine closer to where individuals live."

7. If I get vaccinated, do I still need to wear a mask or face covering? "Yes," said Persichilli, laughing. "Until enough individuals are vaccinated to produce community protection. We know the vaccine keeps you from getting sick. But we don't know yet if the vaccine prevents a person from contracting the virus and then spreading the virus."

8. When will there be more visitation at long-term care facilities? "We are still concerned that our long-term care facilities are still experiencing outbreaks. In fact, there are 417 outbreaks as we sit here today," Persichilli said Monday. "Visitation is tied to the level of spread in the community ... It is vital that health care workers in long-term care facilities be vaccinated, as we know this is one way the virus spreads to these facilities."

9. How often do I need to get vaccinated? Is it annual, once in 10 years, once in a lifetime? "That's a question I get asked. Are we going to have to go through this whole thing again next year? The answer is no one knows," said Gov. Phil Murphy. "Tony Fauci would say the same thing. No one on earth knows at this point."

10. Can teachers get the vaccine? Murphy was asked by a reporter Monday if teachers will be made a priority for the vaccine.

Not yet, said Murphy.

"Nothing new on educators, although as I've been saying the past week or so, I view them as in the 'on deck' circle," said Murphy. He reminded people that any teacher who is 65 and older, or younger than 65 but with a chronic condition, is already eligible.

"We clearly want to get there, but we also don't want to over-promise and under-deliver," said Murphy. "It's not the only reason that we can more broadly open our schools, but it's a big step in the right direction. Bear with us. We want to get there. We will get there."

Read: Johnson & Johnson Seeks Emergency Use Approval For COVID Vaccine (Feb. 5)

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