COVID-19 Vaccines

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L.A. Care is proud to partner with the family of Leonard Nimoy, the legendary actor of Star Trek™ fame, and LeVar Burton, another member of the Star Trek family who starred in Star Trek: The Next Generation, on our campaign to encourage you to get vaccinated and boosted. Look out for our billboards across L.A.!

All public health agencies and L.A. Care recommend that everyone who is eligible get the vaccine and boosters. It is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones and for all of us to get back to a more normal life. Many sites throughout L.A. County are now offering vaccines and boosters without an appointment, and have expanded hours to include evenings and weekends. Visit myturn.ca.gov to find a vaccination location near you. There is no cost to L.A. Care members to receive the vaccine and boosters.

If you have questions about the COVID-19 Vaccines, please access our Frequently Asked Questions.

Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines and Boosters by visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
 

Access to COVID-19 Therapeutics is Now Available Through "Test to Treat" Program

COVID-19 therapeutics are oral anti-viral medications that can help prevent serious illness, hospitalization or death in individuals at elevated risk for poor outcomes should they get infected with COVID-19.

Through the Federal government's recently-launched "Test to Treat" program, eligible patients can walk into a limited number of local pharmacies and clinics to get tested and treated on the same visit. A limited number of CVS Minute Clinics in L.A. County are currently participating and can be found here.

If you test positive for COVID-19 and have questions on which treatment is right for you, please contact your medical provider or call the L.A. County COVID-19 information line at 833-540-0473, 8:00 am - 8:30 pm daily. You can also visit the Federal therapeutics locator to find available therapeutics near you.

For more information on available COVID-19 therapeutics, please visit the County's Medicine to Treat and Prevent COVID-19 page.
 

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Vaccine Access

You can receive the vaccine at a variety of pharmacy locations, community vaccination sites, health systems, clinics and participating doctor's offices.

Pharmacy chains that have agreed to participate in administering the COVID-19 vaccine include Albertsons, Vons, Sav-On, Pavilions, Ralphs, Costco, CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens and Walmart.

Visit the following locations to find a vaccination site near you:

You will need to bring proof of eligibility when you get your vaccine.

Vaccine Eligibility

Los Angeles County is now administering the vaccine to everyone 6 months and older.

The Food and Drug Administration and CDC recently determined the Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine both safe and effective and met the criteria for emergency use authorization for children. The known and potential benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine in individuals under five years of age outweigh the known and potential risks. The following vaccines are available:

  • Pfizer will include three doses for children six months to four years old. The second dose should be given three weeks after the first, and the third dose should be given at least eight weeks after the second.
  • Moderna will include two doses for children six months to five years old. The second dose should be given one month after the first.
     

You must bring proof of age and eligibility. For more information, please visit the L.A. County Department of Public Health website.

Transportation to Vaccine Appointments

L.A. Care's Medi-Cal members can use their transportation benefit to be driven to and from eligible walk-up COVID-19 vaccination sites, such as at a local pharmacy.

  • Drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination sites are not eligible.
  • Same day transportation appointments may be available.
  • To find eligible walk-up COVID-19 vaccination sites, please visit Myturn.ca.gov.
  • Please use the number on the back of your ID card to schedule your transportation after you have scheduled your vaccine appointment.
Vaccine Effectiveness

The COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at preventing severe disease, hospitalization, and death, including against the Delta and Omicron variants. But they are not 100% effective, and some fully vaccinated people will become infected (called a breakthrough infection) and experience illness. For such people, the vaccine still provides them strong protection against serious illness and death. The vast majority of infections and hospitalizations are among the unvaccinated.

Vaccine Safety

The vaccines were tested in large clinical trials to make sure they meet safety standards and many people of different ages, races, and medical conditions were recruited to participate in these trials to see how the vaccines offer protection to different groups of people. The FDA, the state of California, and qualified scientists carefully reviewed all safety data from clinical trials before approving the vaccines, and millions across America have already safely received the vaccines to date.

Vaccine Side Effects

The vaccines do not infect you with the COVID-19 virus. Common side effects of these vaccines during clinical trials included pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain, chills and mild fever. Side effects are generally mild and go away after a day or two, while the benefit of the vaccines remain. If you have questions or concerns regarding the COVID-19 vaccines based on your specific health conditions, please check-in with your primary care provider.

After You're Vaccinated

Due to concern with transmission, the L.A. County Department of Public Health is recommending that everyone ages 2 and older wear a mask in indoor public spaces. This includes transit, retail, event venues, schools, and worksites when around others.

Learn more about the latest masking guidance from the California Department of Public Health.

Vaccine Costs

There is no cost to L.A. Care members to receive the vaccine. 

There will be no cost-share for any L.A. Care members regardless of where they get it (pharmacy, doctor's office, from their employer etc.).  

Please do not pay if someone tries to charge you for the COVID-19 vaccine. If you are asked to pay for the vaccine, contact L.A. Care to report it by calling our COVID-19 information line at (844) 656-7272 (TTY 711).

Vaccine Fraud

Knowing the facts about COVID-19 vaccine distribution is important to prevent getting scammed. Criminals will be taking advantage of our fears to steal our money or personal information by promising a COVID-19 vaccine.

L.A. Care members are able to receive the vaccine at a variety of pharmacy locations, community vaccination sites and participating doctor's offices and clinics.

Please do not pay for the vaccine, or give your personal information to anyone other than authorized health care providers that can give you COVID-19 vaccination.

What else do you need to know to avoid a vaccine-related scam? Here are the facts from the Federal Trade Commission and the National Associations of Attorneys General:

  • You can't pay to put your name on a list to get the vaccine. 
  • You can't pay to get early access to the vaccine.
  • No one from a vaccine distribution site or health care payer, like a private insurance company, will call you asking for your Social Security number or your credit card or bank account information to sign you up to get the vaccine.
  • Also be cautious of providers offering other products, treatments, or medicines to prevent the virus. Check with your health care provider before paying for or receiving any COVID-19-related treatment.
     

More on this & other COVID-19 fraud

Vaccine Information in More Languages

The Los Angeles Department of Public Health has developed COVID-19 vaccine materials in many languages. To access the documents, visit the page below, and scroll to the General Information tab on the left side of the screen. Click on the plus sign to see the document links


Please keep checking this page for vaccine updates. You can also sign up with your local public health department to receive regular updates:

Access Your Digital Vaccine Record

To obtain your or your child's digital COVID-19 vaccine record, visit the California Department of Public Health's digital COVID-19 vaccine record portal.

Enter a few details, including name, date of birth and phone number or email address, to receive a link to a QR code and digital copy of your COVID-19 vaccination record. If you want to share your proof of vaccination, you can use either the electronic version you'll get from the portal or the card you were given at time of vaccination.

If you are a parent or guardian and have multiple vaccine records associated with a single mobile phone number or email address, enter each digital vaccine record request separately. 

Two additional ways to obtain your record:

Healthvana: Everyone who got vaccinated at an L.A. County site should have received an email and text from Healthvana to download their vaccination record onto their Apple Wallet or Google Wallet.

Carbon Health: Only people who got vaccinated at a Carbon Health site should have gotten a text message with a link to a digital "Health Pass."

Still have questions about the COVID-19 Vaccine?

Get the answers to common questions about the COVID-19 vaccines, including vaccine safety, who should get the vaccine and when the vaccine will be available.

View COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs

COVID-19 Resources for L.A. Care Providers

Coronavirus information and resources for L.A. Care contracted providers.

Get Informed