COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions

A COVID-19 vaccine protects you from COVID-19. Vaccines work with your body’s natural defenses so your body will be ready to fight the virus, if you are exposed (also called immunity).

Yes. Special Olympics encourages everyone who has access to the COVID-19 vaccine, to get vaccinated. The vaccine will help protect you from getting COVID-19. If you still get infected after you get vaccinated, the vaccine works to prevent serious illness. By getting vaccinated, you also help protect people around you.

Yes. We don’t know yet if people are protected from getting COVID-19 after they have had it. We do not know yet how long people are protected from COVID-19 after they have had it. More studies are needed to better understand this.

People with ID are at higher risk of getting and dying of COVID-19 than the general population. The vaccine helps to reduce the risk of serious disease and death.

• You currently have COVID-19. You will need to wait until it has been 4 weeks since you noticed first symptoms or tested positive.
• You have a fever (temperature of 100.4 F/38 C degrees or higher).  Wait until you feel better.
• You have a serious allergic reaction to any of the ingredients in the vaccine.  Or you have had a serious allergic reaction to a previous dose of the vaccine.
  

At this time, we are not requiring you to get the COVID-19 vaccine. However, we are strongly encouraging everyone to get vaccinated to keep safe and save lives. People with ID are a high-risk group for COVID-19 illness, complications and death. We are working hard to help get access to the vaccine around the world.

All the COVID-19 vaccines have gone through the same safety tests as any other vaccines. Like all vaccines, COVID-19 vaccines have been tested for safety before being authorized for use.

All of the vaccines are effective at preventing severe disease and death from COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccines recommended are those approved for use by the World Health Organization (WHO) https://www.who.int/, the Centers for Disease Control and Surveillance https://www.cdc.gov/ and or the European Medicine Agency (EMA) https://www.ema.europa.eu/en

Call your local health authorities to find out when you can get it. You can also call your doctor to find out if you can get the COVID-19 vaccine. Don’t forget to mention if you are in a high risk group! As more vaccine becomes available, more people will be able to get the vaccine.

Call your local health authorities or your doctor to find out the best place for you to get the vaccine. The vaccine is being given at many types of places. These include community sites, doctor’s offices, clinics, hospitals, and pharmacies. As more vaccine becomes available, more locations will be offering the vaccine.

When going to get the COVID-19 vaccine, practice everyday preventive actions. Any vaccination location following your health authority’s guidance should be a safe place for you to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

You will get the vaccine as an injection in your upper arm. It will only take a few minutes.

Depending on the type of vaccine you get, you will get either two doses, spread across multiple weeks, or you will get one shot, or dose.

The person who will give you the vaccine will be a nurse, doctor or someone who is trained.

Make sure you bring any important paperwork with you. Some places will require you to show a form of identification, like a driver’s license or an identification card with a photo. Do not forget to wear your mask when you go get your vaccine!

There are a lot more people who want the vaccine than the number of vaccines we have now. As more vaccine becomes available, more people will have the opportunity to have access to the vaccine.

The vaccine will not make you sick. You might feel a slight pinch. There may be side effects, but they should go away within a few days. Possible side effects include a sore arm, headache, fever, or body aches. This does not mean you have COVID-19. These side effects are signs that the vaccine is working. If they don’t go away in a week, or you have more serious symptoms, call your doctor or healthcare professional.

• Yes! You should wear a face covering whenever you are out in public.  Face coverings can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 to others.
• If you show symptoms of COVID-19, wear a face covering.  Wearing this will help prevent the spread of the disease to others.

We know from recent research and studies that people with ID are dying from COVID at much higher rates than people without ID. Special Olympics has created advocacy and education materials to help athletes understand information about the COVID-19 vaccines and practice prevention. All materials are based on guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. These materials include template advocacy letters, literature reviews, printable posters, key messages, athlete videos sharing their personal experiences getting the COVID-19 vaccine as well as social media graphics to promote understanding of the COVID-19 vaccine and bring awareness to the latest data reporting that people with intellectual disabilities are dying at much higher rates than those without intellectual disabilities. All education materials can be found here and all advocacy materials can be found on the Special Olympics Resources page.