Thibodaux Regional is no longer administering the COVID vaccine. Persons interested in receiving the vaccine can contact local pharmacies as well as the Lafourche Parish Health Unit.

Understand the Facts About COVID-19 Vaccinations

Why getting a COVID-19 vaccine is so important.

While many people with COVID-19 have only mild symptoms, others may have severe illness or die. There is no way to know how COVID-19 will affect you, even if you are not at an increased risk of severe illness. COVID-19 vaccination helps protect you by creating an antibody response without you having to experience sickness and thus helping prevent you from getting the virus.

Not only does getting a COVID-19 vaccine help protect you, it helps protect the people around you.

If you get COVID-19 you can spread it to others. By getting a vaccination, you help protect others, especially those at increased risk of severe illness or death from the virus.

The COVID-19 vaccine will not give you COVID-19.

None of the vaccines in development or in use in the United States contain the live virus that causes COVID-19.

Normal side effects of a COVID-19 vaccination.

Common side effects are pain and swelling at the injection site and you may have fever, chills, tiredness and headache. These symptoms may feel like flu and may even affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. Drink plenty of fluids and talk with your doctor about taking over-the-counter medicine such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. And if your symptoms do not stop or you are concerned, contact your doctor or healthcare provider.

Most COVID-19 vaccines require more than one shot.

Most vaccinations require two shots with the second one to be received a few weeks after the first one. Even if you had side effects from the first one, it is important to have the second one unless your doctor tells you not to get a second one.

It takes time to build immunity after any immunization.

COVID-19 vaccines that require 2 shots may not protect you until a week or two after your second shot.

People who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past may need to get vaccinated.

At this time, experts do not know how long someone is protected from getting sick after recovering from COVID-19. Re-infection with COVID-19 is possible and due to the severity of the health risks associated, those who have had COVID-19 may be advised to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

COVID-19 vaccines will not cause you to test positive on COVID-19 viral tests.

While you won’t test positive for a COVID-19 test (used to determine if you have a current infection), you may test positive on some antibody tests.

Vaccination is not a “get it and forget it” to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 vaccination is just one of four measures we must take to help get our families, communities, schools and workplaces “back to normal” sooner. We must all:

1. Get vaccinated
2. Continue to wear a mask
3. Continue social distancing
4. Continue to wash our hands

Content per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Hospital Association and the Louisiana Department of Health.