NEW 9/8/2022: VBCDHD will have BiValent Booster Doses of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 available beginning 9/12/2022.
Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines Including Boosters- click HERE for “What You Need to Know”
Current VBCASSDHD clinic offerings:
Vaccine is also available for ADULTS by WALK-IN with no appointment necessary at BOTH our Cass County office in Dowagiac and at our Van Buren County office in Lawrence.
MONDAY'S from 9-11 am & 1-4 pm. at BOTH LOCATIONS
WEDNESDAY'S from 9-11 am & 1-4 pm at our Cass County office in Dowagiac
THURSDAY'S from 9-11 am & 1-4 pm at our Van Buren County office in Lawrence.
If you or someone you know is homebound:
Contact Disability Rights by phone at 800-288-5923 or TTY: 517-374-4687 or their website at www.drmich.org/contact/
If you live in Cass County, call Cass County Council on Aging at (269) 445-8110
If you live in Van Buren County, call Senior Services of Van Buren County at (269) 468-9476*
ADDITIONAL COVID-19 VACCINE CLINIC OPTIONS in Our Area
DO YOU NEED A COPY OF YOUR VACCINE RECORD?
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is pleased to share the new Michigan Immunization Portal with you!
As of August 19th, 2021, anyone 18 years or older, who has immunization records in the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR) will be able to locate their immunization record in MCIR if a record exists and matches their government issued ID (ex: MI Secretary of State Driver’s License or ID card, or USA Passport).
The immunization record from MCIR will appear as a .pdf document which can be downloaded, saved, or printed.
The portal can be found online at www.michigan.gov/immunize or at Michigan.gov/MiImmsPortal and is available on computers or smart devices.
To maintain privacy, a citizen MILogin account must be used to sign into MILogin and then upload an ID to the Immunization Portal. If an immunization record can’t be found, immunization records can be requested from a physician’s office or local health department.
As the portal is only available for those 18 years or older, parents won’t be able to download their children’s immunization records. Parents may contact their child’s physician’s office or local health department to get a copy of the child’s immunization records.
About the Vaccine
> MODERNA COVID-19 VACCINE
Click HERE to read the Factsheet for Recipients and Caregivers: Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the MODERNA COVID-19 VACCINE to Prevent Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Individuals 18 Years of Age and older.
> JANSSEN (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 Vaccine
Click HERE to read the Factsheet for Recipients and Caregivers: Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the JANSSEN COVID-19 VACCINE to Prevent Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Individuals 18 Years of Age and older.
> PFIZER-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is a 2 DOSE SERIES.
Click HERE to read the Vaccine Information Factsheet for Recipients and Caregivers about Comirnaty (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) and PFIZER-BIONTECH COVID-19 VACCINE to Prevent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in individuals 12 Years of Age and Older.
Click HERE to read the Factsheet for Recipients and Caregivers: Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the PFIZER-BIONTECH COVID-19 VACCINE to Prevent Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in individuals 5 through 11 Years of Age.
click HERE to learn about V-Safe after vaccination health checker
COVID-19 Vaccine press releases
9/1/2022 VBCDHD Update - For Your Information:
On August 31, 2022, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccines for use as a booster dose, therefore, Monovalent mRNA (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) COVID-19 Vaccines are NO LONGER authorized for use as boosters in people ages 12 years and older, per the FDA press release. Appointments for monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna boosters in people 12 years of age and older will be rescheduled for when the bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccines become available. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is preparing for the arrival of the bivalent vaccine boosters with earliest arrival possibly next week. We have prebooked doses for our Community Members and will post via our website and facebook when we have vaccine at the health department and when we can begin administering the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster doses. We will continue to provide COVID-19 Primary Series vaccine to those who have yet to receive their COVID-19 vaccines or have not completed their Primary Series. For further questions please contact Van Buren Cass District Health Department at 269-621-3143 ext 1300 and request to speak with a Public Health Immunization Nurse. We look forward to protecting our community with the new COVID-19 Bivalent booster vaccine.
8/11/2022 PRESS RELEASE: Novavax COVID-19 vaccine now available for Michigan Residents ages 18 and older
6/23/2022 PRESS RELEASE: COVID-19 Vaccines Now Available for Children 6 Month to 5 Years Old - Make an appointment today
6/1/2022 PRESS RELEASE: COVID-19 Booster Doses Available for 5-11 Year Olds at Van Buren/Cass District Health Department
Additional Resources
State of MI COVID-19 Vaccine Resources
State of MI COVID-19 Vaccines Frequently Asked Questions
CDC COVID-19 Vaccination
V-safe After Vaccination Health Checker - use your smartphone to tell CDC about any side effects after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. You'll also get reminders if you need a second vaccine dose. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions about v-safe.
Is the vaccine safe and effective for my family and me?
U.S. Food & Drug Administration
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s scientific and regulatory processes are among the most rigorous in the world and ensure the safety, effectiveness, and quality of COVID-19 vaccines.
How Do mRNA Vaccines Work?
Every virus is different. The virus that causes COVID-19 is called SARS-CoV-2 and the vaccine developed to prevent it is an mRNA vaccine.
Vaccine Safety & Effectiveness
We are confident that both vaccines* approved for use in the U.S. are highly safe and effective. Both were developed in the United States and have undergone U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scrutiny, the most rigorous vaccine approval process on the planet. They were found to be over 94% effective in adults, and only 2-10% of clinical trial participants experienced mild to moderate side effects attributable to a normal, healthy immune response.
Vaccine Development & Approval Process
Each COVID-19 vaccine moved through a three-phase development process, including human clinical trials involving tens of thousands of people. Upon the completion of the clinical trials, the drug sponsors applied to the FDA to market and distribute the vaccine.
Prior to issuing guidance on each vaccine, the data and evidence was reviewed by an external panel of independent experts who provided a recommendation to the FDA to authorize the vaccine. The FDA ultimately determined that the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines, product quality, and consistency had been clearly demonstrated, so the vaccines were approved. While the three-phase clinical trial process has historically taken an average of three years or more, the FDA allowed for the acceleration of the development timeline and permitted some trials to overlap rather than run sequentially.
But federal oversight does not end once the vaccines are approved. Local healthcare workers will be among the first to get the vaccine and they will be using an after-vaccine health checker to provide additional data to a national database. Anyone who gets the vaccine may also use the vaccine reporting system – VAERS – to report undocumented side effects. This system is already used with other vaccines and immediately alerts health authorities to any possible issues.
Visit the FDA’s website to learn more about the development of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Possible Side Efffects
Based on published data, there are mild to moderate side effects associated with the leading COVID-19 vaccines. These short-term symptoms can include:
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Headache, and
- Joint and muscle pain
However, only 2-10% of people who took part in the clinical trials experienced side effects. None were severe or required hospitalization.
Side effects from vaccines are not uncommon. The seasonal flu shot, for example, can cause fever and fatigue, among other symptoms.
The COVID-19 vaccines, in particular, are designed to teach your body how to recognize and fight the coronavirus. Therefore, mild to moderate side effects are the result of a normal, healthy immune system responding to the vaccine.
Side effects do not mean you have contracted COVID-19. You cannot get COVID-19 from the vaccine. Remember, mild to moderate symptoms are a sign that the body is building immunity.
watch the CDC video:
What to Expect After Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine
Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website to learn more about the COVID-19 side effects.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can the vaccine give me a COVID-19 infection?
No. None of the COVID-19 vaccines currently in development in the United States use the live virus that causes COVID-19. There are several different types of vaccines in development. The goal for each of them is to teach our immune systems how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. Sometimes this process can cause symptoms, such as fever. These symptoms are normal and are a sign that the body is building immunity. Learn more about how COVID-19 vaccines work.
It typically takes a few weeks for the body to build immunity after vaccination. This means it is possible a person could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or after vaccination and get sick. This is because the vaccine has not had enough time to provide protection.
Will I have a positive COVID-19 test after getting the vaccine?
No. Vaccines currently in clinical trials in the United States won’t cause you to test positive on viral tests, which are used to see if you have a current infection.
If your body develops an immune response, which is the goal of vaccination, there is a possibility you may test positive on some antibody tests. Antibody tests indicate you had a previous infection and that you may have some level of protection against the virus. Experts are currently looking at how COVID-19 vaccination may affect antibody testing results.
Do I still need to wear a mask even after I get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Yes. While experts learn more about the protection provided by the COVID-19 vaccines under real-life conditions, it will be important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to us to help stop this pandemic, like covering your mouth and nose with a mask, washing hands often, and staying at least 6 feet away from others. Experts need to understand more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide before changing recommendations on steps people need to take that slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine together with following CDC’s recommendations for how to protect yourself and others will offer the best protection from getting and spreading COVID-19.
For more information, visit considerations for wearing masks.
Can the COVID-19 vaccine help me even if I've already been infected with COVID-19?
Yes. Due to the severe health risks associated with COVID-19 and the fact that re-infection with COVID-19 is possible, people may be advised to get a COVID-19 vaccine even if they had COVID-19 before.
At this time, experts do not know how long someone is protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. The immunity someone gains from having an infection, called natural immunity, varies from person to person. Some early evidence suggests natural immunity to COVID-19 may not last very long. Both natural immunity and vaccine-induced immunity are important aspects of COVID-19 that experts are trying to learn more about, and CDC will keep the public informed as new evidence becomes available.