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Side Effects Public Media is working closely with Indiana Public Broadcasting and WFYI to increase engagement journalism efforts this year. We’re also partnering with other public radio stations and collaborations in a reporting initiative called America Amplified: Election 2020.The $1.9 million national initiative, funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, was designed to bring a different kind of reporting into public media coverage of this year’s election. In light of the current health crisis, America Amplified is pivoting to focus on the coronavirus pandemic and providing resources to engage with the communities they cover.America Amplified aims to put people, not preconceived ideas, at the center of its reporting process. In this era of “social distancing,” we will use tools such as crowd-sourcing, virtual town halls, surveys and social media to listen first to the concerns and aspirations of communities across the country. The results will then be reported back through a network of participating public media stations across the country.America Amplified is working with seven established public media collaborations — Side Effects Public Media, StateImpact Pennsylvania, Ohio Valley ReSource, the Mountain West News Bureau, I-4 Votes, Harvest Public Media and the New England News Collaborative — as well as with WABE in Atlanta.Other partners include APM Research Lab, BBC and the Public Agenda/USA Today/Ipso Hidden Common Ground initiative.Follow America Amplified on Twitter at @amplified2020 or visit www.americaamplified.org to sign up for our newsletter.

You Asked: Do COVID-19 Vaccines Have Side Effects?

(Provided by Indiana Department of Health)
Health care workers received the first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, Dec. 14.

States will begin receiving the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines this week, and many anticipate receiving more at least weekly. Every state has made their own vaccination plans, so check with your health department for specific information.  Meanwhile, here are answers to some of your general questions about the vaccines.

Will I have to pay for the vaccine?

No. 

Vaccine providers will be able to bill insurance for a fee to administer the vaccine, but will not be able to charge you. They can seek reimbursement for uninsured patients from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provider Relief Fund.

Join the conversation and sign up for the Indiana Two-Way. Text "Indiana" to 73224. Your comments and questions in response to our weekly text help us find the answers you need on COVID-19 and other statewide issues.

Do I still have to wear a mask once I have the vaccine?

Yes. 

According to NPR’s Shots, studies of the new vaccines only measured whether vaccinated people developed symptoms, not whether they got infected. It's possible that they got mild infections — not enough to make them ill, but enough to pass the virus on to others. 

The CDC is calling for those who are immunized to continue wearing masks and practicing safe physical distancing until more is learned.

What are the side effects of the vaccine?

WITF, a station in Pennsylvania, asked that question of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Dr. William Moss.

He said at this point, we only know the short-term side effects – which appear in about 5-15 percent of participants.

Those include inflammation, soreness at the injection site, a low-grade fever, headaches, muscle aches and fatigue. These can last from 12 to 36 hours after vaccination.

Contact Lauren at lchapman@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @laurenechapman_.

Side Effects, WFYI and Indiana Public Broadcasting are asking Americans about health issues, as part of America Amplified: Election 2020. The public media initiative, funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, uses community engagement to inform and strengthen local, regional and national journalism. Follow on Twitter at @amplified2020.