COVID-19 Information

Our mission is simple: build a healthier community. It’s what we’ve been doing for nearly 130 years, and today we’re doing it in more ways than ever before.

Your Resource for COVID-19 Information

Widespread vaccination for COVID-19 is a critical tool to best protect everyone, especially those at the highest risk, from severe illness and death. People who are fully vaccinated can safely resume many activities that they did prior to the pandemic. Children ages 5 years and older are able to get an age-appropriate dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.

For children and adults ages 12 and over, vaccines are now widely available. All currently authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective, and reduce your risk of severe illness.

Together, we can keep our community healthy. We have included testing information, COVID-19 vaccine FAQs, and resources from trusted organizations on this page. This information will help explain why vaccination is such an important tool to keep you and our community safe and end the spread of this deadly virus.

Please note: Due to the current surge in Omicron, we are experiencing an influx of patients. Our emergency department volume along with wait times is expected to be higher than usual. As the only Level II trauma center in the San Gabriel Valley and the only emergency room in Pasadena, we have set-up temporary tents to allow more space for those awaiting treatment in our emergency department, should we need to.

COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs

The COVID-19 vaccine is a shot that teaches our immune system how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. It’s the same idea behind the flu shot that Americans have been getting since the 1940s. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization for the use of COVID-19 vaccines to help stop the spread of the virus.

What is Omicron? Should I be concerned about this new variant?

CDC is working with state and local public health officials to monitor the spread of Omicron. Omicron is rapidly spreading across the world and increasing hospitalizations.

Do I need a booster of the COVID-19 vaccine?

If you are 5 months out from a mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) or 2 months from J&J, now is the time to get your booster shot to help prevent breakthrough infections of COVID-19. Booster shots can increase protection against COVID-19 to up to 95%

We strongly recommend an mRNA booster for those who received a J&J vaccine. Please speak with your doctor or a pharmacist about what is best. Boosters are widely available in the community.

For the latest news about boosters, please visit: Who Is Eligible for a COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shot? | CDC. You can also visit the LA County Vaccination site for booster information and information.

Is COVID-19 dangerous for kids? Is there a risk for my child to develop long-COVID-19?

Children are contracting COVID-19 at a rising pace due to the contagious Omicron variant. In general, children do not become as ill as adults with COVID-19 but rising cases of symptomatic and hospitalized children across the country suggests the Omicron variant is playing a role in serious pediatric cases.

What can I do to protect my child from COVID-19?

CDC now recommends everyone ages 5 and older get a COVID-19 vaccineto help protect against COVID-19. Masking and social distancing are encouraged when children and adults are in large groups or around unvaccinated individuals. In addition, on January 3, 2022, the FDA approved the Pfizer booster for children ages 12 and up.

Does the COVID-19 vaccine affect women’s fertility?

No, the COVID-19 vaccine does not affect fertility. The COVID-19 vaccine will not affect the fertility of women who are seeking to become pregnant, including through in vitro fertilization methods. Contracting COVID-19, on the other hand, can have potentially serious impact on pregnancy and the mother’s health. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology strongly encourages pregnant women to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect themselves and their baby.

Should pregnant women receive the vaccine?

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology strongly encourages pregnant women to be vaccinated against COVID 19 to protect themselves and their baby. The antibodies mothers develop in response to these vaccines not only protect them but also cross the placenta and help protect their babies from serious diseases early in life. Vaccinating during pregnancy also helps protect a mother from getting a serious disease and then giving it to her newborn.

If I’ve already had COVID-19, why do I need a vaccine?

Although having COVID-19 may produce protective antibodies, the duration and strength of protection from natural immunity begin to fade after 3-6 months. This is why reinfection rates are much higher in those unvaccinated individuals who have had COVID versus vaccinated individuals. Data is emerging from solid studies that vaccine-induced immunity is longer lasting and more robust. That is why CDC recommends proceeding with full vaccination even if you’ve had COVID-19.

Researchers developed the COVID-19 vaccine quickly. How can it be effective and safe?

Studies found that the two initial vaccines are effective with no serious or life-threatening side effects. There are many reasons why the COVID-19 vaccines were able to be developed so quickly.

Does getting the COVID-19 vaccine mean I can stop wearing my mask and taking coronavirus precautions?

The CDC continues to monitor the spread of COVID-19 and makes recommendations for wearing face masks, both for those who are fully vaccinated as well as those who are not fully vaccinated. In Pasadena and LA County, we are seeing a growing number of public and private businesses and organizations implement their own infection prevention measures including wearing a mask, both indoors and outdoors, physical distancing and in some cases, showing proof of vaccination, both indoors and outdoors.

Does getting the COVID-19 vaccine give you COVID-19?

The vaccine will not give you COVID-19. The two authorized mRNA vaccines instruct your cells to reproduce a protein that is part of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which helps your body recognize and fight the virus. The COVID-19 vaccine does not contain the SARS-Co-2 virus, so you cannot get COVID-19 from the vaccine. The protein that helps your immune system recognize and fight the virus does not cause infection of any sort.

Does the COVID-19 vaccine change your DNA?

The COVID-19 vaccines are designed to help your body’s immune system fight the coronavirus. The messenger RNA from two of the first types of COVID-19 vaccines does enter cells, but not the nucleus of the cells where DNA resides. The mRNA does its job to cause the cell to make protein to stimulate the immune system, and then it quickly breaks down — without affecting your DNA.

The COVID-19 vaccine is brand new. Should we wait to see if it really works?

The mRNA technology behind the new coronavirus vaccines has been in development for almost two decades. Vaccine makers created the technology to help them respond quickly to a new pandemic illness, such as COVID-19.

I heard the COVID-19 vaccine was developed with/or contains controversial substances. Is this true?

The first two COVID-19 vaccines to be authorized by the FDA contain mRNA and other, normal vaccine ingredients, such as fats (which protect the mRNA), salts, as well as a small amount of sugar. These COVID-19 vaccines were not developed using fetal tissue, and they do not contain any material, such as implants, microchips, or tracking devices.

Why should I get the vaccine?

SARSCOV2 is a very dangerous and infectious virus that can cause serious illness, hospitalization, and death. We have all seen the effects of this global pandemic and are now experiencing even more disease due to the emergence of the Omicron variant and a large number of unvaccinated individuals in our country. More than 5.7 BILLION doses of COVID vaccines have been given worldwide. They have proven to be very safe and very effective at preventing serious disease, hospitalization and death. To control this virus and finally move on from this pandemic we will have to vaccinate as many people as we can throughout the world. High vaccination rates protect you, your family and your community and are the most important and safest tool we have in conquering this terrible disease.