Vaccinate All 58 – Let’s Get to Immunity.

Page topics

Last Updated: March 22, 2021

Why get vaccinated?

Do it for yourself, your family, and your community. When you’re vaccinated against COVID-19, you protect yourself from a deadly disease. Vaccinate to stop the spread to your friends, your family, your elders, and the people who work hard to keep our communities safe and open.

Vaccination helps us get to community-wide protection (sometimes called herd immunity) much more quickly, saving millions of lives. When enough individuals become vaccinated, it adds up to protection for everyone.

Vaccination is one of the most important steps in ending the pandemic

Each person that gets vaccinated brings us closer to a post-pandemic world.

More benefits of vaccination

Your chances of being hospitalized with COVID-19 become almost zero
You will not pass the disease to the elderly or those with medical conditions, who could get very sick or die
COVID-19 cases will drop, and schools and businesses will safely reopen
We can all get back to the things we love

From nurses, teachers, and farmworkers to many more people in our communities, hear why Californians have gotten vaccinated.

Nurse Ashley

fact

Leading scientists and medical experts in both the U.S. and California confirm the vaccines are safe and effective.

See the evidence

Are the vaccines safe?

Yes. COVID-19 vaccines have gone through extensive clinical trials and the most intensive safety review in U.S. history. Technological advancements in science and an unprecedented amount of resources made the development of vaccines in under a year possible.

Before release, they were tested in tens of thousands of participants of different ages, races, genders, and ethnicities. Most people report no side effects, or only mild ones.

You cannot get COVID-19 from a vaccine.

COVID-19 vaccines do not contain the virus, and cannot give you COVID-19.

How we know they’re safe

Millions of people in the United States have been safely vaccinated for COVID-19
Everyone who receives a vaccine is observed while on-site for side effects
Reported side effects have been mild, and are a normal sign that your body is building immunity
These vaccines were built on years of research -- no safety step was skipped

Hear why Dr. Burke Harris, California Surgeon General, chose to get vaccinated.

Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, California Surgeon General, speaks about vaccine safety and her choice to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

fact

The vaccines do not interact with your DNA in any way.

See the evidence

Are they effective?

Yes. Unlike most medicines, which treat or cure diseases that are already there, vaccines prevent them. The vaccines are highly effective at preventing you from getting seriously ill from COVID-19.

Be sure to get all required doses of a vaccine.

For full protection, both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine require two shots, spaced a few weeks apart.

Vaccine effectiveness

All authorized vaccines have shown high efficacy against severe COVID-19. No vaccinated person died due to COVID-19 during studies of these vaccines.

Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine use paused.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has directed health care providers to pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in California following the FDA and CDC's recommendation. The State is working with vaccine providers to prioritize vaccine appointments for affected individuals.

For additional information visit Covid19.ca.gov.

fact

Every vaccine now given in the United States or California prevents hospitalization and death from COVID-19.

See the evidence

Woman in mask in car getting a covid test

How can I get vaccinated?

Vaccination is open to all and free. If you live or work in California, it’s your right to get vaccinated.

Here's how to get started:

Sign up for the vaccine

Vaccinations are prioritized by who’s at the highest risk. Vaccination is open for all Californians aged 50 and up April 1st, and 16 and up April 15th.

See if it's your turn to get vaccinated and make an appointment at MyTurn.ca.gov.

Schedule your appointment

Find more vaccine providers near you

If it is your turn to be vaccinated, and you need more appointment options near you, check VaccineFinder.

Find local providers

fact

The vaccine is free to all Californians.

See the evidence

Questions and answers

At your appointment, wear a mask and stay 6 feet away from others.
You will get a fact sheet that tells you about the specific vaccine you'll receive, with risks and benefits.
The vaccine will be given to you as a shot in your upper arm.
After vaccination, you'll be monitored on-site for 15 minutes to make sure you don't have a reaction.
Once vaccinated, you'll get a card that tells you what COVID-19 vaccine you got, the date you got it, and where you got it. Bring your vaccination card to your second appointment (if you need two shots), and keep it in case you need it in the future.
Ask your vaccination provider about getting started with v-safe, a free, smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to check how you’re doing after your COVID-19 vaccination.
Once you’re fully protected, which is about two weeks after your final shot, there are many new things you can do safely:
- You can visit with other fully-vaccinated people indoors without masks or distancing
- You can visit with unvaccinated people indoors without masks or distancing, if they are from a single household and are at low risk for getting very sick from COVID-19
- You can skip quarantining and testing if you are exposed to someone with COVID-19 and get no symptoms yourself

Still have questions?

Everyone deserves answers. Visit California’s COVID-19 Vaccines webpage or call the COVID-19 Hotline at (833) 422-4255.

Share more about COVID-19 vaccines and why they’re so important. Visit the COVID-19 Response Toolkit page to find images and videos you can post on social media and use in communities across California.