First doses
Intermountain is nearly out of the supplies of first doses for COVID-19 vaccines that we received from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, which were approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Utah Department of Health to provide to healthcare workers. The state will continue to receive more COVID-19 vaccine supplies dedicated to first doses, as well as second doses. Intermountain will support ongoing caregiver and healthcare worker access to first and second doses of the vaccine; exactly how this will be operationalized is being determined this week.
For the time being, Intermountain caregivers, along with patients and community members, are encouraged to contact their local health departments to initiate their vaccine series. Caregivers may also wait to access vaccines at Intermountain as supplies increase again for caregivers. Please watch for more updates on ongoing caregiver access to COVID-19 vaccines.
Second doses
If you’ve received your first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from Intermountain already, you will receive, or may have already received, a personalized invitation to reschedule your second-dose appointment through our new vaccine scheduling software, Qualtrics. The email comes from Sean Meegan with the subject line: “Schedule your second COVID vaccine.”
After you received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, you should receive a secure email invitation in seven to 10 days. The link in the email will be unique to you and can only be used once. If you already received and scheduled your second-dose appointment through this email, you should have then received a confirmation email “COVID-19 Second Dose Confirmation.” No further action is required.Owing to the transition the last few days to Qualtrics, some caregivers haven’t yet received this email but will by the end of this week. If you haven’t received any emails about your second dose, keep checking all email addresses you regularly use including the junk/spam folders. The emails will go to the address you provided on your first-dose consent form. If you still haven’t received an email by the end of the week, reach out to Employee Health at the location you received your first dose to check whether your original consent was complete and correct. The information may need to be updated.
Reminder that second doses should be taken on the recommended date or shortly thereafter, but it's okay to delay several days or weeks if personal scheduling issues require a delay. Second doses shouldn't be accelerated or avoided altogether unless medically necessary.- The first dose of the vaccines creates partial protection and limited immunity. The second, booster dose reactivates “memory” cells that remember the substance in the first dose to respond to and fight the virus. When reactivated the body produces more powerful antibodies, offering better and longer protection.
- There may be mild to moderately severe side effects from the second dose, such as joint pain, headache and low-grade fevers. Due to the possibility of 24 to 48 hours of these side effects, we encourage caregivers from the same unit, area, or function to stagger days and times that they sign up to receive the vaccine. Please consult with your leader on dates and times before you schedule your appointment.
- There is no concern if vaccine spacing between doses is longer than the recommended 21 days for Pfizer vaccine or 28 days for Moderna vaccine. There should not be any impact to effectiveness by getting a vaccine at a timeframe longer than the recommended spacing. Potentially, the way vaccines work, a longer timeframe between doses may enhance effectiveness.
- Vaccine effectiveness can be impacted if second doses are given too soon, not allowing for appropriate immune responses.
Can I still get the COVID-19 vaccine if I’ve been exposed to, or had, COVID-19?
- If you’ve had known, unprotected exposure to COVID-19 within the last 14 days, you’ll be eligible to be vaccinated after the quarantine period has ended.
- If you have a current COVID-19 infection or COVID-19+ diagnosis since the time you received your first dose, you will be eligible for the second dose 90 days after COVID-19 symptoms have gone away.
- If you had a severe (anaphylaxis) allergic reaction to any previous dose or component of COVID-19 vaccine, you will not be eligible for a second dose.
- If you had an immediate allergic reaction (within 4 hours) to a previous dose of COVID-19 vaccine or any component of its vaccine, you will not be eligible for a second dose.
- If you had an immediate allergic reaction (within 4 hours) to polysorbate, you will not be eligible for a second dose.
- If you received another vaccine (of any kind) in the last 14 days, you’ll be eligible for your initiation of the COVID-19 vaccine series 14 days after your last vaccine.
If you would like to further discuss your personal circumstances, please contact your local Employee Health nurse.
Thank you for supporting prevention methods including COVID-19 vaccines. Learn more about vaccine access for caregivers.