Coronavirus/COVID-19

These resources are designed to help parents as they navigate decisions about the COVID-19 vaccine. 

• When will a vaccine be ready for my child?
• The COVID-19 vaccine: What parents need to know
• COVID-19 vaccine distribution timeline

Akron Children’s Hospital is working with state and federal officials on the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. This is in accordance with the Ohio Department of Health’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program (ohio.gov)

Beginning Feb. 1, 2021, Akron Children’s will be administering the vaccine to those who meet the state’s phase 1B eligibility requirements. Supplies are limited, and as additional vaccines are made available, our hope is to offer more appointments.

Before scheduling your vaccine, be sure to read the following information.

How do I know if I’m eligible to receive the vaccine?

Governor DeWine has issued a vaccine distribution plan for the state. You must meet the Ohio Department of Health’s criteria in order to schedule your vaccine. To learn if you meet the criteria, visit: COVID-19 Vaccination Program (ohio.gov).

How can I get a vaccine?

We are offering COVID-19 vaccines to patients who have been contacted by the hospital by appointment only. No walk-ins will be accepted.

How do I make my vaccine appointment?

If you have been contacted by Akron Children’s to schedule you or your child’s vaccine appointment, you can do so by calling 330-543-2621. Once scheduled, it’s important that you keep your appointment and arrive on time for your vaccination.

Once scheduled, it’s important that you keep your appointment and arrive on time for your vaccination.

I have not been contacted by Akron Children’s, but my child is eligible to be vaccinated. What should I do?

The vaccine supply continues to be limited, As more vaccine becomes available, we will be contacting our patient families who meet the state’s criteria; however, we encourage you to also look at other community vaccine resources, including the their local health department, community pharmacy or other vaccine provider to schedule a vaccine. A list of vaccine providers is available at https://vaccine.coronavirus.ohio.gov.

If I received my first dose through Akron Children’s, will I also receive my second dose?

Yes, if you have received your first dose of the vaccine through the hospital, you’ll receive your second dose through us as well.

Where is the vaccine being distributed?

The vaccine is currently being offered at our Akron and Mahoning Valley campuses. We hope to expand to additional locations in the future. Check the page for updated information on available locations.

If I can’t make my scheduled appointment, what should I do?

If you are unable to make your scheduled appointment, please call (330) 543-2621 and cancel. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to reschedule the appointment.

What should I bring to my vaccine appointment?

Please bring your photo ID, insurance card (if you have one) and when it’s time to receive the second dose, your CDC vaccination card.

Will my insurance be billed?

Currently, there is no charge for the vaccine itself. We may bill your insurance a vaccine administration fee as this helps us support the costs of the public vaccination program. However, you will not be required to make a co-pay at the visit. In addition, you will not receive any bill or “balance bill” from Akron Children’s regardless of whether your insurance pays or not. We will still give you the vaccine at no charge even if you are uninsured or your insurance does not cover the vaccine.

Where do I park when I arrive for my vaccine?

The vaccines are offered at various locations on our campus. Refer to your appointment confirmation email for your specific location and parking instructions.

Akron Campus

Kay Jewelers Pavilion, Floor 4
Building address: 156 W. Exchange Street
Closest parking: Exchange Street Parking Deck, on the ground level

Take the parking deck elevator to the third floor and use the Exchange Street Bridge to enter the Kay Jewelers Pavilion for screening. Then follow signs to the Immunization Clinic. Visit akronchildrens.org/parking for maps, traffic and construction information.

Boardman Campus

Building C, Floor 2
6505 Market Street, Suite 2100

Follow signs for Immunization Clinic. Free surface parking available. For more information and maps, visit akronchildrens.org/parking
 

Where can I find a wheelchair on the Akron campus?

There will be wheelchairs placed at the elevators by the bridge entrance to the Kay Jewelers Pavilion (deck side) during the clinics. In the event that none are available, please request one from a screener and/or guest attendant at the K3 entrance.

 

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About the Vaccine                                                                                           

Which vaccine will I receive as part of the Public Vaccine Program?

For the Public Vaccine Program, the hospital will be administering either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, based on vaccine availability. In the future, we will be administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Is the vaccine one dose or two?

Two doses are given for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines in order to reach full effectiveness. One dose is administered for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

• For side effects and other information about the Moderna vaccine, click here.
• For side effects and other information about the Pfizer vaccine, click here.
• For side effects and other information about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, click here.

Should we be concerned with the FDA's "Operation Warp Speed" program?

Despite an unprecedented accelerated pace, these COVID-19 vaccines have been rigorously tested for safety and effectiveness before being authorized for use in the United States.

The FDA requirements and vaccine trials were performed exactly the same way as any other vaccine that is available today. The difference is these vaccines were given more money, more people and researchers, and more attention to push it to the forefront to get the job done.

In other circumstances, vaccine development can take years because companies must first raise funds and staff the project to meet the FDA requirements. Because of the worldwide crisis, these major components were put in place, with help from the federal government and researchers around the globe, at the start of this project.

If I develop a fever after I get the vaccine, am I contagious to others?

No. This is not a live vaccine, so it cannot give you a COVID-19 infection and it will not make you contagious.

I have had COVID-19. Should I get the vaccine?

The study included evaluating whether the vaccine put people who had had recent COVID-19 at any increased risk of side effects or increased risk in terms of getting the vaccine, and the answer to that was no. So, there appears to be no additional risk to you to get the vaccine if you've had COVID-19. Immunity due to the vaccine seems to be greater than with the natural illness. Waiting 90 days after your COVID-19 illness is also an option as there appears to be some natural immunity for up to 90 days after natural illness with COVID-19. The CDC’s guidance may be found here:

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/clinical-considerations.html

I have COVID-19 now. Can I get the vaccine?

You do need to meet criteria to come out of isolation from the COVID-19 illness to get the vaccine. If you actively are sick with COVID-19 and you're still in your 10-day isolation period, we would not give you the vaccine at that point, but you could get it as soon as you're out of isolation.

If I have allergies or asthma is there an increased risk if I get the vaccine?

There’s no significant risk to you to get the vaccine if you have a medical comorbidity, in fact, it's quite the opposite. If you're at increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease because of a medical comorbidity like asthma, you're an even better candidate to get the vaccine because the vaccine will protect you from COVID-19 infection.

If I've had other vaccines or a TB test recently, does that impact my ability to get the vaccine at this time?

The short answer is no. The CDC is recommending that you not get any other vaccines within 14 days of when you get the COVID vaccine. And the reason that they're making that recommendation is because there are a small number of vaccines that interfere with each other's ability to provide an effective immune response. There is no evidence that's the case with the COVID-19 vaccine, but in order to optimize the effectiveness of your vaccine, that's the recommendation the CDC has made. The CDC’s recommendations are available here:

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/clinical-considerations.html

Because the vaccine was made available so quickly, should I be concerned about the safety of the vaccine?

These were extremely large, extremely well-designed, clinical trials. The speed at which it was produced and made available was due to several factors: They put a lot of money into it, they put a lot of people into it, they did a lot of things in parallel that they would normally do in series. Normally they go to step A, step B, step C, mostly to try to save money, and instead they did A, B and C all at the same time. And that's how they sped it up. In doing so, they did not compromise on the vaccine end points, the efficacy end point was just what they would use if they had done a full trial that had gotten FDA approval. The main reason that this hasn't been FDA approved is because the FDA approval process requires six months of follow-up data. There are only two or three months of follow-up data available right now; however, they're following for more and this was a well-designed study.

Safety Measures

Do I still need to follow the PPE guidelines and universal masking if I get the vaccine? 

Yes. It's important to continue practicing proper hand hygiene, masking and social distancing while we learn more about the length of immunity that the vaccines provide.

Click on the links below for simple, helpful tools to keep your family and friends healthy.

The most important thing our community can do to help our health care workers is to wear a mask, stay at least 6 feet from people who don’t live with them, wash their hands often and limit outings. For those community members and business owners who have expressed an interest in donating items, thank you.  If you have a stock of the most-needed items below, we will gladly accept your donation. Please email COVID.Resources@akronchildrens.org to give details on the items you want to donate, along with your name and phone number. We will let you know when and where you can have the supplies delivered.

• Hand sanitizer
• Disinfecting wipes
• Latex-free exam gloves
• Surgical masks and N-95 masks
• Disposable splash gowns

Prepared Food Donations
We are also accepting donations of prepared food and meals for our health care providers and staff. If you’re interested in making a donation, please refer to these important food donation guidelines first.

Again, please email us at COVID.Resources@akronchildrens.org to make arrangements for delivery.