Many Stanford Health Care patients may have access to vaccine through commercial pharmacies or county resources beyond those offered by Stanford Health Care. We encourage you to get vaccinated where convenient and in the most safe and timely manner possible.

You can also check myturn.ca.gov to see if there are other vaccination sites with available appointments.

If you book an appointment with another provider and have an existing appointment at Stanford Health Care, please cancel your existing appointment. This will help open up our schedule and allow other people to book new appointments to be vaccinated.

Please visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website  for more information and resources about the COVID-19 vaccine. The website is hosted in multiple languages.

Please bring a form of identification to your vaccination.

MyHealth is your online account connected to SHC. To get the record of your COVID-19 vaccination:

• Log in to MyHealth with your username and password on a laptop or desktop.
• Click on "My Medical Record" and "Immunizations."
• Look for the printer icon and click it. Print out the information. 

Stanford Health Care offers the three vaccines currently approved for use in the United States: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen.

Vaccines work by teaching our immune systems to fight against infections.  The Pfizer and Moderna vaccine uses an mRNA strategy to teach your body to target the surface of the virus.  The Janssen vaccine teaches the immune system to attack the protein the virus uses.  Both have shown to help your body protect against COVID-19.

The three vaccines being offered are all highly effective at protecting against severe forms of COVID-19 that can result in hospitalization or death.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that mRNA vaccines are being held to the same rigorous safety and effectiveness standards as all other types of vaccines in the United States. The only COVID-19 vaccines the Food and Drug Administration will make available for use in the United States are those that meet these standards.

These vaccines have demonstrated equivalent vaccine efficacy across all racial and ethnic backgrounds. This will continue to be tracked over the next two years.

Stanford Medicine is encouraged by the high level of racial and ethnic diversity represented in the Pfizer and Moderna clinical trials. Pfizer has stated that approximately 42% of its 44,392 participants in its global COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials have a diverse background. Moderna has reported that it recruited more than 11,000 people from communities of color — 37% of its cohort — as well as 7,000 people over the age of 65. The Moderna vaccine had 100% efficacy in those aged 65 and older, and 100% efficacy in communities of color.

Learn more about clinical trials at the US Food & Drug Administration website.

There is evidence that the three vaccines currently in use in the U.S. (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen) are likely to be effective against the major COVID-19 variants.

Please remember that vaccines are just one of several tools to help end the pandemic. It is essential for everyone, including those who have been vaccinated, to continue using all the tools available to help stop the spread of infection, including covering mouth and nose with a mask, washing hands often, staying at least 6 feet away from others, testing when indicated, and following all guidance from state and county health officials.

Stanford Medicine has access to all 3 vaccine manufacturers and can help you obtain J&J if necessary. Please discuss this with your healthcare provider to determine if you should receive a J&J dose.

There is some evidence that one dose of two-dose vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna) can provide some protection against COVID-19 and is therefore better than not getting vaccinated at all. However, two doses of two-dose vaccines, given at the proper intervals, is still the U.S. recommendation. At this time, the CDC is also recommending a third shot for individuals with weak immune systems. Stanford Health Care will continue to follow CDC guidance for populations who may receive the booster dose. Please continue to check this website for updates.

Please remember that vaccines are just one of several tools to help end the pandemic. It is essential for everyone, including those who have been vaccinated, to continue using all the tools available to help stop the spread of infection, including covering mouth and nose with a mask, washing hands often, staying at least 6 feet away from others, testing when indicated, and following all guidance from state and county health officials.

“Third doses” are different than a “booster dose.” A booster is an added dose of a vaccine that is given to someone with a healthy immune system who built enough protection after being fully vaccinated. If that protection gradually decreases, a booster can help sustain it. Third doses are provided to individuals with compromised immune systems for whom the original vaccine dose was not sufficient to achieve protection from the virus.

Yes, the COVID-19 vaccine and flu vaccine may be given at the same time.

Because of reports of anaphylactic reactions in persons who received the COVID-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials, the CDC has proposed the following guidance:

• Persons who have had a severe allergic reaction to any vaccine or injectable therapy (intramuscular, intravenous, or subcutaneous) should not receive the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine at this time.
• Persons who have had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient in a COVID-19 vaccine should not get that specific vaccine.
• Vaccine providers should observe patients after vaccination to monitor for the occurrence of immediate adverse reactions:
  • Persons with a history of anaphylaxis: 30 minutes
  • All other persons: 15 minutes
• This recommendation does not apply to persons with other severe allergic reactions (for example: food allergies).

Stanford Medicine recommends that persons with a history of anaphylaxis or severe allergic reactions discuss COVID-19 vaccination with their primary care physician.  The CDC Interim Considerations document details more considerations.

As per CDC guidelines, COVID-19 vaccination is recommended 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.

Evidence about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy has been growing. These data suggest that the benefits of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine outweigh any known or potential risks of vaccination during pregnancy.

There is currently no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, cause fertility problems in women or men.

Pregnant and recently pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant people. Source: CDC

Stanford Medicine recommends that people who are pregnant or lactating discuss COVID-19 vaccination with their primary care physician if they are uncertain regarding vaccination.  

Yes. There is strong evidence that vaccination-induced immunity is significantly more protective than natural immunity. As the Delta variant continues to drive higher infection and death among the unvaccinated, vaccination is strongly recommended to ensure the safety of our community.

People with COVID-19 who have symptoms should wait to be vaccinated until they have recovered from their illness and have met the criteria for discontinuing isolation.

People who have tested positive for COVID-19 without symptoms should also wait until they meet the criteria for discontinuing isolation before getting vaccinated.

People who were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, or who were diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome, should typically wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. (Source: CDC).

Stanford Medicine recommends that persons who have had COVID-19 in the last 90 days discuss COVID-19 vaccination with their primary care physician if they are uncertain regarding vaccination.  

Individuals who develop COVID-19 after the first dose may receive their vaccine after their symptoms resolve and they have met criteria to discontinue isolation per CDC guidelines or they may choose to defer their second dose up to six weeks (42 days) after their first dose without having to repeat the full two-dose sequence. (Source: CDC).

Yes, Stanford Health Care is taking all necessary precautions to protect patients and staff, including screening patients for symptoms of COVID-19 in their cars to limit entry to the emergency department as appropriate. We also regularly test our own workforce. We’ve had very few health care workers test positive within our health system. Everyone wears a mask inside our facilities, and ample hand sanitizer is available. We also help you maintain appropriate physical distancing while you’re here for treatment.

We have instituted enhanced infection control procedures in the emergency department and across our health system:

• Using PPE judiciously – with the goal of keeping our patients and health care workers safe
• Ramping up sterilization and cleaning protocols to instituting universal masking and temperature checks
• Creating dedicated spaces for suspected COVID-19 patients

We have taken extra precautions to ensure that COVID-19 is not spread in our Emergency Departments.

Learn more about our infection control measures »

Stanford Health Care is following a careful set of guidelines to prevent exposure to COVID-19. With these measures in place, we are confident that everyone visiting Stanford Health Care can expect the safest and highest quality care.

Learn more about Stanford Health Care’s safety standards »

Contactless check-in/check-out and eArrival let you check in and check out digitally with the MyHealth app so you can minimize the need to visit the front desk at your next appointment.

Yes, health care workers have been tested for COVID-19 and all employees are screened for symptoms at the hospital entrance upon arrival each day.

Yes, all who enter the hospital are screened for symptoms on a daily basis.

Currently all patients are screened for symptoms and provided a mask to wear upon entrance to the hospital.

Standard personal protective equipment precautions are used for all procedures and currently, all health care workers are wearing masks.

Stanford Medicine adheres to the CDC guidelines regarding personal protective equipment. In alignment with the statewide physical-distancing order, minimally, you can expect to see everyone wearing a mask, until further notice.

A positive COVID-19 molecular test result, or any other contributing medical factor that would normally cancel a procedure would most likely prohibit you from having surgery on the day it is scheduled.

You will be assessed for COVID-19 symptoms at the entrance. As part of the normal pre-operating practices, your temperature and other vital signs will be taken.

Yes, when you are medically cleared, your procedure will be rescheduled.

Follow the instructions provided by your health care team.

Yes, we have specific protocols for where we see patients with COVID-19 symptoms.  They are screened outside the emergency department, and, if admitted, are cared for in a negative-pressure, isolation room in a COVID-19-dedicated unit by a COVID-19 care team.  This is separate from where we take care of surgical patients.

Please refer to our visitor policy for the latest information on visiting patients in the hospital.

In an effort to keep our patients and staff safe, our visitor policy has been updated.

The MyHealth app allows the patient to invite family or loved ones to monitor the patient’s hospital stay remotely. The care team will also be updating patients and their family during their hospitalization.  Ask your health care team for more information.

Stanford Medicine has made an effort to co-locate COVID-19 patients within our hospital to increase safety. We are fortunate that we have been able to quickly activate space across each of our hospitals as dedicated COVID-19 units.

Interpreters can be included in your video visit. If you need an interpreter for your video visit, please let the clinic or your provider know in advance so they can make the appropriate preparations.

COVID-19 test results are available online through your MyHealth account. Staff will assist you in signing up, if necessary.

Yes, patients will have a nasal swab for COVID-19 molecular testing before most procedures.

If you test positive:

• Your physician and care team will work with you to determine the care plan, considering factors such as the urgency of your procedure and the potential impact COVID-19 might have on your recovery.
• If it is decided that a surgery should be delayed, you will be given home quarantine and symptom-monitoring instructions and will need to be retested for COVID-19 prior to proceeding with surgery.
• If it is decided that a surgery should continue, our care teams will proceed with the utmost caution, including using enhanced personal protective equipment and patient isolation, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The teams will also follow county reporting requirements.

If patients are well and not experiencing any symptoms, they will have a nasal swab for COVID-19 molecular testing once before their procedure.  However symptomatic patients will be tested as needed.

In an effort to keep our patients and staff safe, our visitor policy has been updated.

Stanford Health Care contracts with local hotels for our out of town guests. Please inquire with your health care team for resources.

Our Family Resource Center is here to help.  You can reach us at 650-497-7100 or caregiver@stanfordhealthcare.org.