COVID-19 Vaccine Planning

The FDA regulates vaccines. Vaccines undergo a rigorous review of laboratory and clinical data to ensure the safety and effectiveness of these products. Approved vaccines may also be required to undergo additional studies to further evaluate the vaccine and often to address specific questions about the vaccine's safety, effectiveness, or possible side effects. The FDA is expediting clinical trials for vaccines by providing timely advice to and interactions with vaccine developers. The FDA is also supporting product development and scaling up of manufacturing capacity for high priority vaccines for COVID-19.

If you are interested in stocking and administering the COVID-19 vaccine and meet the requirements below, please fill out this survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9VLNBGB

• You are enrolled in NV WEBIZ.
• You have a stand-alone freezer and a stand-alone refrigerator with digital temperature monitoring devices for vaccine storage.

If a facility needs a data logger, they should include their request in the REDCap enrollment survey.  Requests for new data loggers may be submitted to sdehghani@health.nv.gov

All but one of the COVID-19 vaccines currently in phase 3 clinical trials in the United States use two doses. The other COVID-19 vaccine uses one dose. When giving two doses, they are usually given one or two months apart. We will need to wait for the results of the clinical trials to have more information about how many doses will be needed. 

Independent advisory committees to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) review vaccine safety and effectiveness data before any vaccine is approved or allowed for distribution under Emergency Use Authorization. Vaccines will not be released for use until deemed safe and effective by these committees. In order to speed up the distribution process, Operation Warp Speed is manufacturing vaccines while they are in clinical trials with the intention of throwing them away if the vaccine is not deemed safe and effective at the conclusion of the clinical trial. 

COVID-19 vaccines will not contain microchips. This idea is based on a false narrative and misinformation campaign being waged online. 

No. There is no evidence the vaccines would alter any part of your genomic DNA. These vaccines are “mRNA” vaccines, which use a fragment of genetic material from the virus rather than a weakened or killed version of the virus, to produce an immune response

No. A COVID-19 vaccine administration will NEVER yield a positive COVID PCR test result, regardless if a patient has a low-grade fever or not. The vaccine makes the muscle cells produce the spike protein and antibodies are formed to the spike protein. For a test to be positive, there must be viral RNA in the nose. The vaccine does not cause that.

Once vaccine vials have been pulled out of their Ultra-Cold Storage Units, they are viable for up to 5 days in refrigerators. The ultra-cold vaccine, Pfizer product, vials cannot be refrozen. They must only be thawed out with the intention of using them within 5 days of removal from the ultra-cold freezer. Once a vial has been diluted it must be used within 6 hours

Vaccination data should ideally be reported within 24 hours, but no later than 72 hours.