Walter Reed offers FDA-approved and authorized Pfizer and Novavax COVID-19 vaccines and boosters to beneficiaries 6 months and older. However, the Pfizer bivalent vaccine for patients 6 months through 4 years old is currently out of stock.
UPDATES:
In accordance with the FDA and CDC, the following changes are in effect:
- The Pfizer monovalent vaccine is no longer available.
- Most moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals may receive a second dose of the Pfizer bivalent vaccine if at least 2 months have passed since their first dose. If you’re unsure if this applies to you, please contact your primary care manager for guidance.
- Adults ages 65 and older may receive a second dose of the Pfizer bivalent vaccine if at least 4 months have passed since their first dose.
COVID-19 Vaccine Availability
The CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccination for everyone 6 months and older. FDA-approved or authorized COVID-19 vaccines are currently available to all U.S. citizens and residents.
Visit the CDC website for more information.
- COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective, and free.
- Getting the vaccine can reduce the risk of severe disease, hospitalizations, and long-term complications from COVID-19.
- For children, the vaccine can also curb community transmission and reduce disruptions to in-person learning activities.
To learn more, visit the CDC website for answers to
frequently asked questions, see
Interim Clinical Considerations, and
bust myths about vaccines.
Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine at Walter Reed
COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are provided on a walk-in basis in the Allergy, Immunology and Immunization Clinic located on the fourth floor in the America Zone, Building 19. Be sure to bring your military ID card.
Click here for help planning your visit.
Service Member COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Ended
COVID-19 vaccines are no longer required for all members of the armed forces on active duty or in the Reserve or Guard components, according to DOD. However, service members are still encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
- Service members who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 may be barred from certain assignments or deployments, including when vaccination is required to travel to or enter a foreign country.
- If you’re a service member and received a COVID-19 vaccine from a non-DOD provider, make sure to update your medical records.
- Find a DOD COVID Vaccine Location near you.
Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines and Boosters
You are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines if you have completed a COVID-19 vaccine primary series and received the most recent bivalent dose recommended for you by the CDC.
Vaccine recommendations are based on your age, the vaccine you first received, and time since last dose. People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised have different recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines.
Updated bivalent vaccines are now recommended for anyone six months old and older. Per the CDC, bivalent mRNA vaccines are not authorized at this time for primary series doses with the following exception: children ages six months to four years who receive two primary series doses of a monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine should receive a bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as their third primary series dose. Consult with your primary care manager on availability and the best options to help protect you and your loved ones from severe illness, hospitalization, or death from COVID-19.
Find more information at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html.
Concerns about the vaccine?
Speak with a Vaccine Expert. You may contact the DHA-Immunization Healthcare Support Center at 1-877-GET-VACC (1-877-438-8222) option 1 or Defense Switched Network (DSN) 761-4245, option 1, if you have questions about the vaccines or about an adverse event following vaccination.
Visit the CDC Website for current COVID-19 booster guidance.
Visit the TRICARE website for information about the COVID-19 vaccine.
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs
Q1. What is an Emergency Use Authorization?
A1. Drugs and vaccines have to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure that only safe and effective products are available to the American public. During public health emergencies, when there is good scientific reason to believe that a product is safe and is likely to treat or prevent disease, the FDA may authorize its use through an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), even if definitive proof of the effectiveness of the drug or vaccine is not known. FDA pre-licensure approval is considered for treatment or prevention of diseases that are very serious.
Q2. How do we know if the vaccine is safe? How will you monitor and track vaccine side effects?
A2. The DoD is confident in the stringent regulatory process and requirements of the FDA. Manufacturers are required to submit their raw data for the FDA to review. Safety, immune response, and efficacy data from the trial stages are submitted to the FDA before they are authorized for use and distribution. Per FDA requirements, DoD will be monitoring and tracking vaccine reports of vaccine side effects through various surveillance activities both internal and external to the DoD.
Q3. If I already had COVID-19, should I still get a vaccine?
A3. Yes. Vaccination is recommended because the duration of immunity following COVID-19 infection is unknown and the vaccine may have value in protecting previously infected people.
Q4. Do we still need to wear masks and practice physical distancing now that a vaccine is available?
A4. For the safety of our patients and staff,
WRNMMC’s current policy remains in effect and unchanged. Please refer to
installation guidance for policies that may be in place for other tenant commands at NSAB.
Q5. If I take the vaccine, will I still be required to comply with COVID-19 mitigation measures?
A5. Yes, it is important that everyone continues to comply with all COVID-19 mitigation/preventive measures even after receiving the vaccine. The more efficient we are at distributing the vaccine and the more people who accept it, the faster we can ‘return to normal’. The experts predict we’ll need about 70% of the American population vaccinated in order to have ‘herd immunity’. The closer we get to 100%, the safer we all will be! We will continue to follow guidance from the DoD.
Q6. Will recipients of the vaccine receive a card or something as proof of receipt of the vaccine?
A6. It will be included in your electronic health record, and you will receive a card specifying the vaccine you received.
Q7. Is the COVID-19 vaccine more than a single shot?
A7. That depends on the manufacturer of the vaccine you receive.
Visit the CDC website for more information.
Q8. Can I get the Moderna vaccine if it becomes available if my first shot was made by Pfizer?
A8. No. Individuals will receive both doses of the same manufacturer only.
Q9. Who do I contact if I experience adverse effects from the vaccine?
A9. A medical provider is at the COVID Vaccine Site should you need immediate medical assistance. If you experience adverse effects after you have already left the base, you can contact your medical provider or the MHS Nurse Advise Line at 1-800-TRICARE, Option 1. For severe symptoms, contact your Primary Care Provider or go to the emergency room.
Q10. If I begin to feel ill after the shot, should I be concerned about being around my family members?
A10. You should not be concerned about any adverse effects from the shot putting your family at risk. Current data shows that about 10-15% of vaccine recipients have side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine. These can include redness, soreness at the injection site, feeling tired, feeling generally ill and fever. It is recommended that those who have a fever stay home from work and away from their family members as much as possible. That is not because of any risk from the shot, but rather, because it is possible that someone with a fever might have a different infection, completely unrelated to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine that simply occurred at the same time as receiving the vaccine. For most people, side effects from the shot last a day or two, anything longer than that could be caused by something other than the vaccine.
Q11. How long will protection last following vaccination?
A11. We do not know how long protection will last following vaccination but it will be critically important to measure long-term protection (at least two years) in the phase 3 trials and in other groups prioritized for early vaccination. We are still learning about the duration of protection following infection with COVID-19 and it is too early to tell how long protection will last.
Q12. Should children get the vaccine?
A12. The CDC recommends all children 6 months and older receive the COVID-19 vaccine. For more information, visit the CDC’s
COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations for Children and Teens webpage. Parents with questions about the vaccines are encouraged to discuss them with their child’s primary care manager.
Q13. If I am pregnant, can I get the vaccine?
A13. The CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccination for all people 12 years and older, including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future.
Q14. Can I get COVID-19 from the vaccine?
A14. No, it is not possible to get COVID-19 from the vaccines. There are two types of vaccines available against COVID-19:
mRNA and
viral vector. Neither type of vaccine can cause COVID-19.
Q15. Can I get the flu vaccine or another vaccine at the same time as the COVID-19 vaccine or booster?
A15. Yes. You can get a COVID-19 vaccine or booster dose at the same time as other vaccines, including the
flu vaccine. This applies to the COVID-19 bivalent updated booster, as well. Experience with other vaccines has shown that the way our bodies develop protection, known as an
immune response, and possible
side effects after being vaccinated, are generally the same whether we receive vaccines one at a time or with other vaccines.
Q16. How will the DoD track personnel who receive a COVID-19 vaccine?
A16. Everyone who receives a COVID-19 vaccine will be tracked through existing medical record and readiness reporting systems.
Q17: If we need a Booster shot, does that mean that the vaccines aren’t working?
A17: No. COVID-19 vaccines are working well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death, even against the widely circulating Delta variant. However, public health experts are starting to see reduced protection, especially among certain populations, against mild and moderate disease.
Q18: What are the risks to getting a Booster?
A18: Adults and children may have some side effects from a COVID-19 vaccine, including pain, redness or swelling at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea.
Serious side effects are rare, but may occur.
Q19: Am I still considered “fully vaccinated” if I don’t get a booster?
A19: Yes, the definition of fully vaccinated has not changed and does not include a booster. Everyone is still considered fully vaccinated after their last dose of the primary vaccine series. Fully vaccinated, however, is not the same as having the best protection. People are best protected when they
stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, which includes getting boosters when eligible.
Q20: Will providers accept anyone who says they’re eligible to receive a Booster shot? Will people need to show a doctor’s note/prescription or other documentation?
A20: It’s important to note that individuals can self-attest (i.e. self-report that they are eligible) and receive a Booster shot wherever vaccines are offered. This will help ensure there are not additional barriers to access for these select populations receiving their Booster shot.
Q21: When am I eligible for a booster?
A21: Use the
CDC’s COVID-19 Booster Tool to learn if and when you can get boosters to stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines.
Q22. Does the brand of my booster matter?
A22. According to the CDC, people ages 18 and older may get a different brand for their booster dose than they received for their primary vaccine series.
Please call our COVID-19 Vaccine Information Line at (301) 295-CVAX (2829) for the latest updates on the COVID-19 vaccine availability at WRNMMC.