COVID 19

Everyone age 6 months and older! This is the recommendation of The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—the United States’ leading health care authority.

Regardless of your age, health status, or how many times you’ve had COVID, staying up to date on your COVID vaccines is the best way to protect yourself and loved ones from the worst effects of COVID, including hospitalization and death.

The Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) works with healthcare providers and community partners to provide access to vaccines at various sites across the city.
You can also receive your vaccine at a local pharmacy.

COVID vaccines are safe! They have prevented millions of hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19. COVID vaccines have been more carefully monitored for safety than any other vaccine in U.S. history. You may have some side effects after your vaccine, such as headache, fatigue, muscle aches, or nausea - but these are not signs that you're sick with COVID; they are signs that your body is building immunity to the virus. Side effects will typically go away within a day or two.

Finally, it’s important to remember that we’ve been here before. For instance, when the polio vaccine was invented in 1955, many were afraid of its potential side effects. But because of the safety and success of the polio vaccine, the disease has almost entirely disappeared in the U.S.

Behind heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries, COVID is still one of America’s top causes of death. If you aren’t vaccinated, study after study shows that you have a significantly greater chance of getting COVID and spreading it to a loved one. And when you do get it, you have a greater chance of being hospitalized or even dying if you haven't had the vaccine. You are also twice as likely to develop “long COVID,” with symptoms that can last for years. Why keep taking that chance for yourself or the people you care most about?

But let’s be honest, getting COVID-19 is also a huge inconvenience. Many people with COVID have lost wages and had to use sick time at work. Many have also had to take time off to care for children or elderly loved ones who get COVID. Even if you are lucky enough not to have severe symptoms, you should still quarantine for at least 5 days to protect those around you - which could cause you to miss your dream vacation, a once-in-a-lifetime wedding, or the big game you have tickets to.