L.A. County Office of Education in Downey vaccine site on Jan. 20, 2021. | Photo courtesy of L.A. County

As COVID-19 vaccines remain in short supply, Los Angeles County vaccination sites will only be administering second doses this week.

Residents who received a vaccination before Jan. 29 at any county-operated site —including El Sereno, Balboa Sports Complex, Ritchie Valens Recreation Center, Hazard/Belvedere, Pomona Fairplex, The Forum, Cal State University Northridge, the Los Angeles County Office of Education in Downey, and Magic Mountain — have received emails with a link confirming the place and date of their second dose appointment. Proof of having received the first dose will be required, health officials said.

“Remember to bring your white vaccine record card or electronic vaccine record AND a photo ID,” reads the county vaccine site.

Most individuals who were vaccinated will receive their second doses at the same location they received their first dose, with a few small differences, as a few sites have closed. People vaccinated at Ritchie Valens will now get their second dose at Balboa, and people vaccinated at Hazard/Belvedere, will get their second dose at El Sereno. The county’s super sites will only be administering second doses.

Residents who received a vaccine at a location run by L.A. City Fire Department, such as Dodger Stadium, will receive an email and text from Carbon Health (carbonhealth.com/covid-19-vaccines) within the next two weeks with information about their second appointment. Those whose second appointments are due earlier will be prioritized for notification.

Moving forward, the county said those booking appointments will be able to book both first and second dose at the same time.

Residents can still make an appointment to receive the first dose by visiting VaccinateLACounty.com.

After You Received the Vaccine

Common Side-effects

• You may get vaccine side-effects in the first two days after getting the vaccine. Common side effects include a sore or red arm, fever, chills, and muscle aches, headache, and feeling tired.
• These are normal and show that your body is learning to build up immunity. Having these types of side effects soon after vaccination does not mean that you have COVID-19.
• Vaccine side effects are more common after the second dose and in younger people. They usually do not last long, and you should feel better within a day or two.
• It is important to get the second dose even if you get side effects after the first dose, unless a vaccination provider or your doctor tells you not to.
• Contact your doctor if you have questions, your symptoms last more than two days, start more than two days after you got the vaccine, or they get worse or worry you.

Tips to help with symptoms

• Apply a clean, cool, wet washcloth to reduce pain and discomfort in your arm. It may also help to use or exercise your arm. To reduce discomfort from fever, drink plenty of fluids and dress lightly.
• Over-the counter medicines like acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help with pain, fever, headache or discomfort. Do not take these medicines before getting the vaccine.

Allergic Reactions

As with any medicine, it is rare but possible to have a serious reaction, such as not being able to breathe. It is very unlikely that this will happen. If it does, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Symptoms of COVID-19

You cannot get COVID-19 from the vaccine.

But there is still a risk of getting infected with the COVID-19 virus before and after starting your vaccine series. Talk to a doctor and get tested for COVID-19 if you get any of these symptoms: cough, shortness of breath, runny nose, sore throat, loss of taste or smell. You should stay home and stay away from others until you get the result of your test or until your doctor tells you that you don’t have COVID-19.

What to do if you are Vaccinated

Once a person is vaccinated with two doses it may seem like a good idea to interact with people outside your household or stop wearing mask. This is not the case. It is still possible for those who are vaccinated to spread COVID-19 and according to the CDC it may take a couple of weeks for those who are vaccinated to be fully protected. 

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