Lowell General Hospital – COVID-19 Vaccine

Individuals age 16 or 17 years old need to present a consent form completed by a parent/guardian/legally authorized representative. This form can be found here: MA Consent and Screening Forms for People Under 18 Years of Age. Please note that the Pfizer vaccine is currently the only vaccine approved for use in those aged 16 and 17 years old.

Yes

Please make every attempt to make this appointment. If you need to cancel, please use the link provided in your confirmation email. Please note that new appointments are very limited to vaccine supply and you may not be able to easily reschedule to a different date/time at our site.

Please mark your calendar with the date and time of your appointment. After booking, you will receive an automatic email confirmation of appointment. You may opt in for additional appointment reminders 24 hours in advance of your appointment while you are in the scheduling tool. If you do not receive an email confirmation, please check your spam or junk folder. If you opt in for text reminder, please note that texts are only sent out 24 hours prior to your appointment.

Bring your driver’s license or state-issued identification, and health insurance card. If you are 16 or 17 years old, you will need to present a consent form completed by a parent/guardian/legally authorized representative. This form can be found here: MA Consent and Screening Forms for People Under 18 Years of Age.

Yes, you may schedule your second dose appointment at our site. Please remember to bring your vaccination card to your appointment.

People who live, work, or study in Massachusetts ages 16+ are now eligible for vaccination.

Our goal will be to get you through the entire process in about 30 minutes. This includes a mandatory observation period after you receive the vaccine.

Due to very high demand, we are anticipating that 2nd dose appointments will become difficult to obtain. For your convenience and to ensure you receive your dose in the recommended time frame, we will book your 2nd dose appointment for you during your vaccination appointment. Please make every attempt to make this appointment. If you need to cancel, please use the link provided in your confirmation email. Please note that new appointments are very limited to vaccine supply and you may not be able to easily reschedule to a different date/time at our site.

There is plenty of free parking available at the Cross River Center. Attendants will be available to assist.

Yes, there is a shuttle provided by the Lowell Regional Transit Authority from the Kennedy Center to the Cross River Center. See schedule

We will have translation technologies onsite for all languages as well as onsite interpreters for some languages.

Yes, we have plenty of handicapped parking and we have staff available to provide assistance to anyone that needs it. Wheelchairs are available to assist in transportation from the parking lot or for use at the site.

Two doses for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, 21 days apart.

Two doses for the Moderna vaccine, 28 days apart.

Due to available vaccine supply, we are not currently offering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at our regional vaccination site at Cross River Center. We are currently providing the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines at this location, and because the supply does vary day to day, we are not able to offer the choice of which vaccine patients will receive.

However, please note that the Pfizer vaccine is currently the only vaccine approved for use in people ages 16 and 17, and so we therefore provide the Pfizer vaccine for those patients.

No, you will not receive a bill for the COVID-19 vaccine.

For those enrolled with a health plan carrier, we will submit a claim for the cost of the administration of the vaccine. Your health plan will not enforce any cost-sharing back to you.

You are not required to have health insurance to receive the vaccine.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued guidance that people who have an exposure to someone with COVID do not need to quarantine if they are 2 weeks post 2nd dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccination.

No, you won’t get COVID-19 from the vaccine.

We encourage you to check with your school’s vaccination policy as requirements may vary.

It typically takes a couple of weeks after the last dose in a series to become fully protected. On the days after taking the vaccine, you may have a sore arm, aches, fatigue, or fever, but these are not harmful. These symptoms signal that your immune system is developing protection from the virus.

You must wait to get the vaccine until after your quarantine period has ended to ensure you do not spread the virus to others. Please cancel your appointment and reschedule for after your quarantine period has ended.

It is a best practice to wait 15 minutes after the dose is administered and to be observed to make sure there are no adverse reactions. Serious reactions are very rare, however this is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended precaution.

We encourage all patients to hold onto the CDC issued card we will provide you. Your vaccination administrations will be transmitted to the Massachusetts Immunization Information System, MIIS. Your physician and other providers are able to look up your immunization history through this secure portal.

On check in, we will confirm the brand and date of your first dose. It is possible to have a 2nd card re-issued at the site.

Yes, you should take any of your medications as regularly prescribed.

If you are feeling well, there is no reason you can’t continue your regular activities after receiving the vaccine. You may experience some soreness at the injection site, so you may want to take it somewhat easier than usual. If you experience side effects like fever or fatigue, this is normal and you should plan on taking it easy until you feel better.

You can take Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Motrin (ibuprofen) after receiving your vaccine. Any swelling or inflammation at the injection site can also be relieved by taking an antihistamine like Benadryl.

There have been some reports of a delayed injection site reaction a week or so after receiving the Moderna vaccine. This may include a rash, redness and/or swelling. This reaction usually lasts 3-5 days and can be helped by taking an antihistamine. Please note this is expected and it is ok to get your second dose. If you have any concerns, please follow up with your primary care physician.

Yes, you can go to the dentist, doctor appointments, etc. It is safe to resume all normal activities that you were doing prior to vaccination unless specifically directed otherwise by your physician.

Two weeks after receiving your second dose of Pfizer or Moderna.

Yes, as long as the cortisone shot is not given in the same spot at the vaccine, a localized cortisone injection is very unlikely to impact how effective the vaccine is in boosting your immune system.

Oral steroids suppress the immune system and may somewhat decrease the effectiveness of the vaccine. If you are prescribed these currently by your physician you should not stop them unless otherwise instructed. The benefits of treatment with the steroids likely outweighs any possible risk from mildly decreased effectiveness of the vaccine.

If you have normal symptoms of allergies (itchy eyes, runny nose, etc.) it is fine to get vaccinated. If you become extremely ill (symptoms other than you normally have with your seasonal allergies), you should not get the vaccine and make sure you speak with your physician.

Yes. While we know the vaccine prevents you from getting COVID-19 disease, and protects others from getting COVID-19 from you, in public places we still must follow all of the rules including keeping social distance, wearing masks and following other Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines to reduce the risk of transmission. Over time and as more people are vaccinated, we expect that restrictions will gradually loosen.