COVID-19 Q&A

In Olmsted County, 82% of residents have completed their COVID-19 vaccine series. Of those eligible, 67% have received an additional dose or a booster (also known as a “booster”). This past week, we interviewed Olmsted Medical Center Dr. Randy Hemann and Olmsted County Public Health Services Associate Directors Denise Daniels and Mike Melius to ask questions about boosters and when this pandemic may move to be endemic.  

Boosters 

Q: What do I need for my booster appointment?
A: Denise Daniels: Bring your COVID-19 vaccination record card to your booster shot appointment so your provider can fill in the information about your booster dose. If you don’t have a card or have lost yours, contact your medical provider to request your immunization records. 

You may also download the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Docket app to securely view and share your immunization records.

If you received your vaccine at any provider in Minnesota, you may request a copy of your vaccine record from the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC). Obtaining your records may take 28 business days to process.

Q: What, if any, side effects can I expect after receiving the booster?
A: Mike Melius: You may experience mild side effects after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine or booster. Side effects may include pain, redness, and swelling where you got the shot, as well as tiredness, headaches, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea. These are normal signs that your body is building protection against COVID-19. Symptoms should subside within 24 hours.

Q: How long does it take a booster shot to start working?
A: Dr. Randy Hemann: Our bodies produce a useful antibody response about two weeks after vaccination. This response continues to strengthen and is very robust in one to two months.

Q: I’ve already had COVID. Why do I need to get a booster shot? 
A: Denise Daniels: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends all people ages five and older get vaccinated against COVID-19, and those ages 12 and older receive a booster. People previously infected with the virus should also get their vaccine and booster. Data show that immunity in people who have been infected with COVID-19 wanes over time, and scientists continue to study this. Data shows that COVID-19 vaccination and booster can provide a higher, more robust, and more consistent level of immunity to protect people from COVID-19 than antibodies from infection alone. 

Q: If I get the booster shot, can I stop following the other CDC guidelines?
A: Mike Melius: COVID-19 vaccines are remarkably effective in reducing the risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, including against the delta and omicron variants. If you are fully vaccinated, you have a very low risk of contracting COVID-19 or spreading it to others. However, much of the nation continues to see substantial and high transmission of COVID-19. Olmsted County is currently classified as a community of high transmission. In these areas, the CDC recommends that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a mask in public, indoor settings to help prevent the spread of the virus.

Q: What is the likelihood that a fourth booster shot will be necessary?
A: Dr. Randy Hemann: Once one shot or a primary series of shots of any vaccine has been determined to provide an adequate immune response, any shots given later to re-energize the immune system are called boosters. Most experts feel that it is likely another COVID-19 vaccine booster shot will be beneficial this year and then annually to keep our immunity strong to prevent serious outcomes.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like people to know about the COVID booster? 
A: Dr. Randy Hemann: It is encouraging that studies continue to show serious or persisting side effects of the current vaccines have been exceedingly rare. Using new and existing technologies, future boosters may be even more safe and effective.

Pandemic vs. endemic

Q: Will there be another variant of COVID? Do we know if any future variants will be more or less severe of what we’ve already seen?
A: Dr. Randy Hemann: Yes, as long as the SARS-COV-2 virus cannot be eradicated, it will continue to produce new variants of itself. The behavior of most of these variants have been benign with the notable exceptions of the delta and omicron variants last year. Higher vaccination rates directly decrease the opportunities for the virus to produce variants.

Q: Are we in the pandemic phase or are we entering an endemic phase?
A: Dr. Randy Hemann: It may be good to first step back and understand these terms. Because pandemics are not all created equal, the end of the COVID-19 pandemic will eventually be defined by experts using scientific criteria to evaluate its current global impact. Yet, due to various political and economic pressures, declaring an end to the pandemic may be different between wealthy and poor nations, regions with high versus low vaccination rates, or those with or without effective medicines. Both terms define a state of alertness, rather than a specific direction or plan. The term endemic doesn’t mean our troubles are over. It refers to this disease as one that is here to stay. We accept the fact that certain populations may succumb to it, and we minimize that outcome with our best prevention and treatments strategies. The two terms are probably not as important as the simple question most people have asked, “What do we do next?”

Q: For how long will we need to continue following COVID mitigation strategies like masking and physical distancing? 
A: Dr. Randy Hemann: If we choose to follow current COVID-19 vaccination recommendations, and have a little luck, we could relax many of the mitigation strategies this spring. Many may choose to continue masking and distancing practices seasonally or in certain crowded situations, as we have learned these strategies are quite effective in decreasing the incidence of all respiratory illnesses, not just COVID-19.

Denise Daniels: CDC guidance advises using county community transmission levels to help determine who should mask and under what circumstances. The CDC recommends everyone should wear a mask in public, indoor settings in counties with substantial or high transmission. In counties with moderate or low transmission, the recommendation changes to mask use in public indoor settings for unvaccinated people.

The CDC measure the county level of community transmission by reviewing the tow of new cases and percent positivity from Nucleic Acid Amplification COVID-19 Tests (NAAT).

• High transmission = more than 100 new cases per 100,000 persons in the past seven days and more than 10 percent of NAATs that are positive during the past 7 days.
• Substantial transmission = 50-99 new cases per 100,000 persons in the past seven days and 8-9.99 percent of NAATs that are positive during the past 7 days.
• Moderate transmission = 10-49 new cases per 100,000 persons in the past seven days and 5-7.99 percent of NAATs that are positive during the past 7 days.
• Low transmission = 1-9 new cases per 100,000 persons in the past seven days and 0-4.99 percent of NAATs that are positive during the past 7 days.

Encouraging the vaccination of children in our community

Olmsted County’s youth are essential to our community. Olmsted County Public Health Services (OCPHS), Mayo Clinic, Olmsted Medical Center, City of Rochester, and Rochester Public Schools have teamed up to encourage more and more children to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations. 

Join us in preparing our youth for a strong and safe future. Here are some steps you can take today:

• Encourage your friends, family, and neighbors to sign up to receive the COVID-19 vaccine newsletter. Click “subscribe” on the front page of the Olmsted County website.
• Share OCPHS social media updates and information.
• Schedule appointments for your children to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
• Encourage and help your friends, family, neighbors, and other loved ones to get their children vaccinated.

Learn more on the Olmsted County COVID-19 webpage and on the Olmsted County Public Health Facebook page.  

FDA delays COVID-19 vaccine for children six months to four years old

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) delayed a meeting scheduled this week regarding the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children six months to four years old. The FDA said it wants to see more data on third doses from Pfizer before proceeding.

The FDA stated that the delay gives the agency time to consider additional data, allowing for a transparent public discussion as part of the usual scientific and regulatory process for COVID-19 vaccines.

Updates from OCPHS, Mayo Clinic, and OMC

Olmsted County Public Health Services (OCPHS)
COVID-19 cases are continuing to decline, about 590 cases in the previous week. While cases decline, Olmsted County remains a community of high transmission, so masking and other mitigation efforts are still recommended. Visit the Olmsted County COVID webpage for the latest updates.

Mayo Clinic
Patients ages five and older are eligible to be vaccinated and patients 12 and older are eligible to receive the booster five months out from their second vaccination. 

Individuals or parents and guardians can self-schedule a vaccination appointment now:

• Use your Patient Online Services account to schedule an appointment online or through the Mayo Clinic app.
• Call the Rochester campus Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or weekends from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.: 507-538-4040.
• If you don’t have a Patient online Services account, call Mayo Clinic Customer Assistance at 877-858-0398.

If you are eligible to receive a booster dose COVID-19 vaccine, check COVID-19 vaccine options by Mayo Clinic campus.

For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters, visit the Mayo Clinic COVID-19 vaccine information site.

Olmsted Medical Center (OMC)

Hours at OMC’s COVID-19 Testing Site at FastCare North
OMC’s COVID-19 Testing Site is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. The location is closed for lunch from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

There are two ways to make an appointment to be tested:

1. Call the COVID triage line at 507-292-7266 during the hours of 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. 
2. Schedule an appointment online using the patient portal, OMC MyChart. After you sign into your OMC MyChart account, select “Symptom Checker” from the Menu.

COVID-19 Vaccinations 
OMC is scheduling COVID-19 vaccination appointments for children ages 5-11. In addition, OMC is offering pediatric vaccination clinics every Saturday. To schedule an appointment, call 507-292-7300.

OMC is offering the Pfizer vaccine booster for patients 12+ who completed their primary series with Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson (Janssen). OMC also continues to offer appointments for first and second doses for the Pfizer vaccine. Appointments are available on Thursdays.

Employees, vendors, patients, and visitors are reminded to wear a surgical mask when in OMC buildings. If needed, patients and visitors will be provided a surgical mask to wear when going through the screening process. Patients who have their own surgical mask are invited to wear them when visiting an OMC building. 

Available in OMC MyChart: Online scheduling for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
OMC patients are able to schedule an appointment for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine through the patient portal, OMC MyChart. Appointments can be scheduled for a first dose, second dose, or booster. 

When you arrive at the vaccination location, you will be asked a series of questions to be sure you are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Please bring your vaccine card with you to the vaccination appointment. 

Need to schedule a COVID-19 booster? Visit the OMC website to see if you qualify. The U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) has created a chart that helps explains the qualifications for a COVID-19 booster. 

Please note: If you are sick, in isolation/quarantine, or you have had monoclonal antibody therapy in the last 90 days, you should not schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at this time.