Public Health

Helpful Health and Safety Links

Flu: What to do when you get sick
Centers for Disease Control

Feature Articles
Centers for Disease Control

Build a Disaster Kit
Ready.gov

The Facts about Sexually-Transmitted Diseases
Centers for Disease Control

The Latest on COVID-19
Centers for Disease Control

Basic Tuberculosis (TB) Facts
Centers for Disease Control

Lung Cancer Awareness
Centers for Disease Control

Healthy Pets, Healthy People
Centers for Disease Control

It’s Open Season on Ticks
Centers for Disease Control

Preventing Meningococcal Disease
Centers for Disease Control

Wildfire Smoke
Centers for Disease Control

Breast Cancer Awareness
Centers for Disease Control

Prostate Cancer Awareness
Centers for Disease Control

Understanding How Vaccines Work
Centers for Disease Control

Tetanus Vaccination
Centers for Disease Control

Cancer and Women
Centers for Disease Control

Flu Symptoms and Complications
Centers for Disease Control

Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
Centers for Disease Control

Diabetes Information
Centers for Disease Control

Blood Clot Information
Centers for Disease Control

Developmental Milestones for Children
Centers for Disease Control

Tuberculosis Signs and Symptoms
Centers for Disease Control

Stay Safe and Healthy in Winter
Centers for Disease Control

Stay Safe During and After a Winter Storm
Centers for Disease Control

Creating and Storing an Emergency Water Supply
Centers for Disease Control

To check vaccine availability, or to schedule a vaccination, please call one of our clinics at:
(541) 672-8533

More Information

Coronavirus Variants

Are there any side-effects? The current Moderna studies show that the most common side effects included soreness, redness, or swelling around the injection site, fever, fatigue, body aches, or headache. There were no serious adverse events. These are similar side effect that you see in other vaccines.

Will I have to pay to get vaccinated? Vaccine doses are provided to the Tribe free of charge and will be given to people at no cost. However, the Tribe will charge insurance an administration fee for giving the shots to someone. But the patient will not pay any out-of-pocket cost to receive the vaccine.

Can I catch COVID-19 from the vaccine? No, this vaccine only uses a sub-part of the virus’s structure. The vaccine does not contain live virus.

Are the COVID-19 vaccines safe? COVID-19 vaccines have been evaluated extensively in large-scale clinical trials that involved more people than a typical vaccine trial. These trials involved adults from a diverse background and inclusive range of races, ethnicities and ages. COVID-19 vaccines are vetted for safety and efficacy by three independent scientific groups, including the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB), the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

How does the vaccine work? The vaccine is made from messenger RNA, or mRNA, which is only a sub-part of the COVID-19 virus. Inclusion of the mRNA material from the virus gives our cells instructions for how to fight the virus if we are infected in the future. The Moderna vaccine is reportedly about 95% effective after two doses.

Will I still need to wear a mask after I get the COVID-19 vaccination?  The vaccine will keep you from getting sick, but it still may be possible to get, carry, and transmit the virus. It will also take time for us to get everyone vaccinated. We don’t yet know when we’ll be able to stop wearing masks and maintaining physical distance, but experts will continue to watch the spread of the disease in Oregon. Only when the spread of disease is low enough, these additional protective measures can be stopped.

I’ve already had COVID-19 and recovered. Do I still need to get vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine when it’s available? Yes, CDC recommends that COVID-19 vaccination can be given regardless of whether you already had COVID-19 infection. However, anyone currently infected with COVID-19 should wait to get vaccinated until after their illness has resolved and after they have met the criteria to discontinue isolation. Additionally, people with a recent infection may delay vaccination until the end of that 90-day period, as immunity to the virus is still present from infection.

Does COVID-19 infection provide longer immunity than the COVID-19 vaccine? The protection someone gains from having an infection (called natural immunity) varies depending on the disease, and it varies from person to person. Current evidence suggests that reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19 is uncommon in the 90 days after the initial infection. Regarding vaccination, we won’t know how long immunity lasts until we have more data on how long it works. However, scientists are currently working on this information now, and CDC will keep the public informed as new evidence becomes available.

What are the side effects of the vaccine?  To date, more than 55 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The real-world experience with the vaccine seems to reflect what researchers expected. For starters, side effects tend to be more common after the second dose of the vaccine.

On the arm where you got the shot:

  • Pain
  • Swelling

Throughout the rest of your body:

  • Fever
  • Tiredness
  • Chills
  • Headache

Side effects are typically more pronounced among younger people than older people, likely because their immune systems are more robust.

To reduce pain and discomfort where you got the shot:

  • Apply a clean, cool, wet washcloth over the area.
  • Use or exercise your arm.

To reduce discomfort from fever:

  • Drink plenty of fluids.
  • Dress lightly.

For general questions about COVID-19 or the COVID-19 Vaccine, please use the form below to contact the Cow Creek Public Health Department