COVID-19 Vaccine

What COVID-19 vaccine is Bartell offering?
We are currently administering the Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccines at select locations.

The pediatric versions of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 3-4 and 5-11 are available at select locations.

All vaccines we carry are subject to change depending on our allotments and vaccine availability.

What will it cost to get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Individuals will not be charged for the vaccine or its administration. The federal government will pay for the cost of the vaccine. Vaccine providers will be reimbursed for administering the vaccine by the patient’s insurance or by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) program for uninsured patients.

Where can I schedule an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine?
Please use the scheduler tool linked above to find appointment availability near you.

Appointments can be scheduled for children ages 3-11 at select Bartell locations.
Please note that minors receiving a COVID-19 vaccine are eligible for a specific type of vaccine. A parent or guardian must book their appointment, sign a consent form on their behalf, and accompany them to their appointment.

Does Bartell Drugs accept walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations?
Yes, walk-ins are welcome, though availability varies.

If I’ve scheduled an appointment through Bartell Drugs scheduler, what should I bring with me? If you have insurance or Medicare, the following items are required and will help make your appointment go faster:

• All insurance cards, including Medical and Pharmacy
• If you have multiple insurers, please bring all cards
• The latest version of your red, white and blue Medicare card

Regardless of insurance or Medicare status, please bring the following to your appointment:

• Photo ID*

The COVID-19 vaccine is free of cost and available to all, whether you have insurance or are uninsured.

*You will not be turned away if you do not have a photo ID.

I scheduled an appointment through the Bartell Drug scheduler, but never received an email confirmation or I have forgotten my appointment date/time. How do I find out when my appointment is?
Please call the Bartell Drug pharmacy where you scheduled your appointment. The pharmacy staff will be able to use your name to search and locate your appointment date/time.

Do I get to pick which vaccine I receive?
When scheduling your appointment, you can select which vaccine type you prefer. mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) are preferred. All vaccines currently available in the United States are effective at preventing serious illness from COVID-19. Check the CDC’s website for for more information.

Can children get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Both Pfizer and Moderna have COVID-19 vaccines approved for children. Visit the CDC website for more details.

Can I schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment if I’m under 18?

For children under 18, a parent or guardian must book the appointment and sign a consent form on their behalf, and they must be accompanied by an adult at their vaccination appointment.

Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe for my child?
Yes, the pediatric versions of the COVID-19 vaccines that have been authorized for children have been proven safe and effective.

How should I prepare for my child’s vaccine appointment?
Talk with your child prior to the appointment to help set expectations and walk them through the process. The steps are the same as an adult COVID-19 vaccine, so prepare to have some discomfort during the injection, with possible side effects after.

I received my first dose of COVID vaccine at another facility, can I get my second or third dose with Bartell Drugs?
Yes, you can get your second or third dose at Bartell’s if you received your first dose at another facility.

Can I get the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as another vaccine?
The CDC has updated its guidance to allow the co-administration of vaccines with the COVID-19 vaccine. Experience with other vaccines has shown that the way our bodies develop an immune response after getting vaccinated and the possible side effects of vaccines are generally the same when given alone or with other vaccines. If you’d like to get another vaccine along with your COVID-19 vaccine or if you are unsure if you need any other immunizations talk to your pharmacist at your appointment.

Why is there more than one type of COVID-19 vaccine?
In order to develop effective vaccines as quickly as possible, the United States federal government launched a program with the goal of enabling research and development for several different vaccine approaches simultaneously for two key reasons:

• It was unlikely that all vaccine approaches would be proven effective.
• Some vaccine technologies require longer developmental timelines.

How do the FDA-authorized vaccines work?
The Moderna and Pfizer FDA-authorized vaccines use mRNA technology to boost your body’s immune response. While COVID-19 may seem new to many of us, researchers have been studying coronaviruses for over 50 years. During this time, they’ve also been learning how mRNA technology can help develop effective vaccines. mRNA can be thought of as a set of instructions that tell your body’s cells how to make proteins.

• The mRNA vaccine tells your body to make a small, non-infective portion of the outer part of the COVID-19 virus particle called a “spike protein”.
• This trains your immune system to recognize the virus and your body responds by building antibodies.
• Later, if you are exposed to the real virus, these antibodies are then able to attack it and prevent you from getting sick. The antibodies’ ability to prevent sickness is what is meant when people say a vaccine provides immunity.

A key benefit of mRNA vaccines is that the process to develop them can be standardized and scaled up more efficiently than other methods, which has been especially important in our response to COVID-19.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a viral vector vaccine. Viral vector vaccines use a modified version of a different virus (the vector) to deliver important instructions to our cells. For COVID-19 viral vector vaccines, the vector (not the virus that causes COVID-19, but a different, harmless virus) will enter a cell in our body and then use the cell’s machinery to produce a harmless piece of the virus that causes COVID-19. This piece is known as a spike protein and it is only found on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19.

The cell displays the spike protein on its surface, and our immune system recognizes it doesn’t belong there. This triggers our immune system to begin producing antibodies and activating other immune cells to fight off what it thinks is an infection.

At the end of the process, our bodies have learned how to protect us against future infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. The benefit is that we get this protection from a vaccine, without ever having to risk the serious consequences of getting sick with COVID-19. Any temporary discomfort experienced after getting the vaccine is a natural part of the process and an indication that the vaccine is working.

There are also two other vaccines that are currently in their Phase 3 large-scale clinical trials.

As of December 16, 2021, the CDC recommends the Moderna and Pfizer mRNA vaccines over the Johnson and Johnson/Janssen viral vector vaccine, due to better effectiveness and safety of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Individuals who are unable or unwilling to receive an mRNA vaccine will continue to have access to the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine at select Bartell’s locations.

Is it safe to get the COVID-19 vaccine?

FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines have been developed using decades of research and studied in large-scale clinical trials. They are held to the same safety and effectiveness standards as all other vaccines. Individuals are monitored after receiving the vaccine to further ensure safety. The CDC recommends special considerations for some individuals with underlying conditions.

If I have already recovered from COVID-19, do I still need the vaccine?
Yes. There is not enough research yet to know whether your body’s natural immune response to having had COVID-19 will continue to protect you after you recover. In order to limit chances of reinfection, and to help ensure that we stop the spread of COVID-19, it’s important that everyone who is eligible gets the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.

Are there risks of side effects after getting the COVID-19 vaccine?
It is possible to experience side effects after receiving a vaccine. The most common side effects include pain or swelling in the arm where you get the vaccine, body chills, fever, tiredness or headache. Side effects may feel like flu and even affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. Here are tips to reduce pain or discomfort if you experience side effects. Please note: If you have received one of two doses of an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine, you will need your 2nd dose for full effectiveness.

Is it possible to be allergic to the vaccine?
Allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines are not common, but can happen. You will be monitored for 15 minutes after you get your COVID-19 vaccine dose by a registered health care professional. If you get a COVID-19 vaccine and you think you might be having a severe allergic reaction after leaving the vaccination site, seek immediate medical care by calling 911.

What ingredients are in the COVID-19 vaccine?
FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines do not contain eggs, preservatives or latex.For a full list of ingredients, please see the fact sheets below:

• Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
• Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
• Johnson & Johnson/Janssen

What should I expect on the day of my dose 1 vaccine visit?
When you get vaccinated, you will receive a fact sheet about the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as information about possible side effects or allergic reactions. Additionally you will receive proof of vaccination for your first dose. Immediately after, you will be monitored on-site for 15-minutes. If you do not experience any reactions that warrant further medical assistance, you will be allowed to leave. If you have access to a smartphone, we recommend that you sign up for V-safe, the CDC After Vaccination Health Checker tool.

What should I expect on the day of my dose 2 vaccine visit?
Your dose 2 visit will follow the same procedure as your dose 1 visit. Please bring your proof of vaccination card with you that you received at your first appointment so the pharmacist can complete your proof of vaccination.

What is V-safe?
V-safe is a smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after you receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Through V-safe, you can quickly tell CDC if you have any side effects after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Depending on your answers, someone from CDC may call to check on you and get more information. V-safe will also remind you to get your second COVID-19 vaccine dose if you need one, but it cannot schedule appointments.

Who is eligible for a booster or additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine?
Boosters have been authorized for the following:

Pfizer: Individuals 5+ can receive a booster at least 5 months after completion of an initial Pfizer series was administered. Ages 50+ (and certain immunocompromised individuals) may receive a second booster at least 4 months after their previous booster.

Moderna: Boosters can be administered at least 5 months after completion of an initial Moderna series or individuals 18 years or older. Moderna boosters will be administered at a half-dose volume compared to the initial series. Ages 50+ (and certain immunocompromised individuals) may receive a second booster at least 4 months after their previous booster.

Johnson & Johnson/Janssen: Boosters can be administered at least 2 months after the initial Johnson & Johnson/Janssen shot was administered for anyone age 18+. The CDC and FDA recommend getting an mRNA (Pfizer or Moderna) booster rather than an additional J&J shot. If a booster of J&J was administered at least 4 months ago, these individuals may now receive a second booster, of an mRNA vaccine. For more information on second boosters, visit the CDC website.

Can I choose a different vaccine for a booster (mix & match)?
The CDC recommends an mRNA (Pfizer or Moderna) vaccine for your booster. You can schedule a booster for a different vaccine from the one you received for your initial series, except individuals 5-17, who may get only a Pfizer booster.

Additional doses have been authorized for:
Moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals who received their 2nd dose of the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least 28 ago. Specifically, authorized individuals include the following:

• Had a solid organ transplant or recent hematopoietic malignancies
• Active or recent treatment for solid tumor hematologic malignancies (cancer)
• Severe primary immunodeficiency
• Advanced or untreated HIV
• Active treatment with high dose corticosteroids, alkylating agents, antimetabolites, TNF blockers, and other biologic agents
• Asplenia and chronic renal disease can be considered if condition is severe

Additional doses can be administered to Pfizer recipients ages 5+ or Moderna recipients ages 18+. This update does not apply to those who received the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.

Moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals have been approved for a booster shot either 5 months (after a Pfizer 3rd dose for individuals 12+) or 6 months (after a Moderna 3rd dose for individuals 18+).

What’s the difference between an additional dose and a booster? The authorized additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is meant to specifically reach people who may not have a sufficient or expected immune response to the vaccine. Offering an additional dose can help strengthen the immune response to help ward off both infection and severity of infection.

Boosters on the other hand, are meant to address decreasing or waning vaccine effectiveness over time for people who had an expected immune response. Most studies continue to show that the COVID-19 vaccines are effective against COVID-19, particularly when it comes to severe infection and hospitalization.

If I’m pregnant, do I qualify for an additional dose or a booster?
Boosters: Yes, pregnant individuals qualify for a COVID-19 booster of Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson.

Immunocompromised additional dose: No. At this time, pregnant individuals are not considered part of the specified immunocompromised conditions.

COVID-19 Oral Antiviral Treatments Update
The FDA authorized the use of two oral (pill) treatments for mild-to-moderate cases of COVID-19:

• Pfizer’s Paxlovid
  • Available to individuals 12+ within 5 days of testing positive who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death
• Merck’s Molnupiravir
  • Available to individuals 18+ within 5 days of testing positive who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death

The treatment MUST be prescribed by a physician, nurse practitioner, advanced practice registered nurses, and physician assistants. Bartell pharmacists cannot prescribe either of these medications; please get tested and, if positive, talk to your doctor.

Neither of these treatments are substitutions for the protection provided by COVID-19 vaccines, but can help reduce severe disease and hospitalization. These drugs cannot be used for pre-exposure or post-exposure prophylaxis for prevention of COVID-19.

Supply will be limited during the initial weeks and while Bartell’s is proud to add these to the options available in the fight against this pandemic, we will only have limited quantities in a small, select number of stores. If your Bartell’s is not carrying the medications or has run out, we recommend you contact your local Department of Public Health to find out where supply may be in stock.

Bartell’s inventory will be distributed based on the agreements made with local state jurisdictions and will not be available in all stores. As soon as we have inventory and have identified where these treatments will be available, we will update this page with more information.

Prescription Pickup

In order to limit the spread of COVID-19, for customers filling either of these prescriptions at Bartell’s, we encourage you to take advantage of our drive-thru window to pick up your prescription. If you are unable to pick up the medication yourself, the next best option is to send a negative-covid-tested member of your family through the drive-thru to pick up on your behalf. Many of our pharmacies have delivery options available as well.

In the meantime, please continue to practice measures to keep you safe from COVID-19; get vaccinated and boosted, wear your mask and practice social distancing.