COVID-19 vaccine appointments open at a variety of convenient locations
Schedule via your patient portal account
Patients who have a patient portal account can use the link above to schedule your first, second, third or booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. If you are not a CommonSpirit patient and would like to schedule an appointment, please contact one of our many primary care clinic that is most convenient for you. |
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What is the difference between a booster shot and an additional dose?
An additional or third shot is for individuals who are moderately to severely immunocompromised to complete their initial vaccination. This can be given at any time, if you meet the criteria as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The booster shot is for any individuals who completed their initial vaccination series (two shots for the mRNA vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna or one shot for Janssen (J&J) vaccine and who meets the CDC criteria.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided guidance on the booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Janssen COVID-19 vaccines, which states that individuals who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are eligible for a booster shot if they meet the following criteria:
- It has been six months or longer following the initial vaccine series; and is
- 65 years old or older; or
- 18 years or older, who live in long-term care settings; or
- 18 years or older, who have underlying medical conditions; or
- 18 years or older, who work or live in high-risk settings
The CDC also recommends that individuals who received the Janssen (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine receive a booster shot if they are 18 years or older and were vaccinated two or more months ago, regardless of risk category.
It is acceptable to use any of the two mRNA vaccines (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech) as a booster for any one of the three approved initial vaccines (Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech or J&J).
What is the CDC guidance regarding who is eligible for the booster shot?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided guidance on the booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Janssen COVID-19 vaccines, which states that individuals who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are eligible for a booster shot if they meet the following criteria:
- It has been six months or longer following the initial vaccine series; and
- 65 years old or older; or
- 18 years or older, who live in long-term care settings; or
- 18 years or older, who have underlying medical conditions; or
- 18 years or older, who work or live in high-risk settings
The CDC also recommends that individuals who received the Janssen (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine receive a booster shot if they are 18 years or older and were vaccinated two or more months ago, regardless of risk category.
It is acceptable to use any of the two mRNA vaccines (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech) as a booster for any one of the three approved initial vaccines (Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech or J&J).
Can I mix vaccine brands when I get my booster shot?
Yes, if you meet the criteria to receive a booster shot, it is acceptable, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to use any of the two mRNA vaccines (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech) as a booster for any one of the three approved initial vaccines (Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech or J&J).
I’m immunocompromised – should I get an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released guidance regarding COVID-19 vaccines for moderately to severely immunocompromised people. The guidance recommends an additional dose of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, which include the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, at least 28 days after their second dose.
Learn more about how the CDC defines immunocompromised.
Please speak with your physician if you have questions about your individual health or medical conditions.
Do I need to call my doctor’s office to get an initial, second, additional or booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine?
At CommonSpirit Health, we have several scheduling options if you need a COVID-19 vaccine. Patients who a have a portal account can schedule an appointment directly in their portal. Individuals who do not have a portal can contact one of our many primary care clinics to schedule an appointment.
What should I do if I need to cancel or reschedule my vaccine appointment?
If you need to cancel your appointment, please either cancel or reschedule in your patient portal or by calling the practice where your appointment is scheduled. We recommend patients follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance regarding the timing of doses for their vaccine.
How long will my appointment last?
You can expect vaccination appointments to take about 30 minutes in total, as we will ask you to wait 15 minutes after receiving the vaccine to monitor you for any vaccine reaction. If you have ever had an adverse vaccine reaction in the past, please notify the clinical team and we may ask you to stay for longer monitoring. If you have questions or concerns about whether to receive the vaccine, please consult with your primary care provider before scheduling your appointment.
Where will I get my COVID-19 vaccine? At my doctor’s office or a hospital?
CommonSpirit Mountain Region is offering the COVID-19 vaccine at our many primary care clinics across Colorado, Utah and western Kansas. Schedule an appointment today via your patient portal or by calling a clinic near you.
How do I know if it is safe to take the vaccine?
If you are concerned about receiving the vaccine due to your chronic or high-risk medical condition, we recommend you speak with your physician to discuss your individual situation. If you need to establish care with a CMG primary care physician, click here to see a list of physicians in our area.
Will I be charged to receive the vaccine?
You are not required to have insurance to receive the vaccine and there will be no cost to you. Although your insurance may be billed to cover the cost to administer the vaccine, there should be no cost to you to receive it, either at the time of your appointment or at any time thereafter.
I received my COVID-19 vaccine from a CommonSpirit facility. How do I obtain my record of immunization?
If you have a patient portal account, you can find your immunization information by logging in and navigating to your Health Summary.
Additionally, Colorado residents are able to obtain vaccination records through the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment’s (CDPHE) Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS). Kansas residents can obtain records by accessing the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s statewide immunization registry, called KansasWebIZ.
I received my COVID-19 vaccine at one of the Vaccines for All drive-thru events at The Broadmoor World Arena, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park or State Fairgrounds in Pueblo. How do I obtain my record of immunization?
Colorado residents are able to obtain vaccination records through the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment’s (CDPHE) Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS).
What does FDA approval of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine mean?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) COVID-19 Vaccine for prevention of the disease in individuals 16 years of age or older. The vaccine continues to be available under emergency use for individuals five through 15 years of age and for third dose usage for individuals who are immunocompromised.
The FDA approval process for vaccinations includes a standardized process for reviewing the quality, safety and effectiveness of the medical product. To receive FDA stamp of approval for the COVID-19 vaccine, the data from Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) was reviewed by the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and determined to provide benefits that outweigh its own risks.
As a reminder, the Moderna and J&J vaccines are both approved by the Food and Drug Administration for Emergency Use Authorization.
- Learn more about FDA development & approval processes.
- See list of approved vaccines in the United States.
How many people participated in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine trials?
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was given to 43,000 people worldwide. Of those taking part in the trial, 42% were from diverse ethnic backgrounds, 41% were between the ages of 56 and 85.
The Moderna vaccine was given to 30,000 adults at 100 clinical research sites in the United States. Of those taking part, 23% were 65 or older and 37% of participants were from racial and ethnic minorities.
What is the efficacy of each vaccine?
All three vaccines used in the United States are incredibly effective preventing severe disease, meaning infection severe enough to require hospitalization.
How do the vaccines work?
Both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines use a synthetic version of coronavirus genetic material, called messenger RNA or MRNA, to program a person’s cell to churn out many copies of a fragment of the virus. That fragment sets off alarms in the immune system and stimulates it to attack, should the real virus appear.
A number of vaccines using this technology are in development for other infections and cancers, but none have been approved or marketed.
What are the side effects?
Most people do not have serious side effects after being vaccinated, though some mild side effects can be expected.
The most common side effects for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine included fatigue (3.8%) and headaches (2.0%). There were no severe adverse events and older adults showed fewer side effects.
For the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, the most common side effects were injection site pain (2.7%), fatigue (9.7%), muscle pain or soreness (8.9%), joint pain (5.2%), headache (4.5%). Moderna reported no severe adverse events.