Questions About the VACCINE

  • Use the online Vaccine Finder or call 1-800-232-0233 to find nearby locations
  • Call your healthcare provider
  • Text your ZIP code to 438829
  • See the list of any upcoming Onondaga County Clinics

For information about the vaccine, safety, clinics, FAQs, and more:

• Visit the NYS COVID-19 vaccine website,

• Call the NYS Vaccination Hotline, 1.833.NYS.4VAX (1.833.697.4829).

• Call the Upstate COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline, 315.464.3979 (option #2)

Everyone age 6 months and older is eligible to receive the vaccine, including boosters! Learn more here.

People ages 6 months and older should get all primary series doses and the booster dose recommended for them by CDC. Learn more here.

People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised have different recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines.

You do not need to have insurance to get the vaccine. Insurance information will be collected, but there will be no out-of-pocket costs.

For appointments at an Onondaga County Health Department clinic, please be prepared with the following:

  1. Complete a consent form and bring it with you to the clinic.
    You will also receive the link to the form in your confirmation email once your appointment is made.
  2. Provide identification/proof of age at the clinic. Please note that children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. 
  3. Bring your insurance card with you to the clinic. You will be asked for insurance information BUT the vaccine is free and there will never be a charge to you, and you do not need to have insurance to get the vaccine.
  4. Bring your vaccine card with you if you have received any previous doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

It is normal to have certain reactions after a vaccination. There may be redness, swelling or pain around the injection site. Fatigue, fever, headache and aching limbs are also not uncommon in the first three days after vaccination. When mild side effects occur, they are a normal sign your body is building protection to the virus, and most go away in a few days. Learn more here.

After receiving your vaccine, please register for v-safe, a smartphone-based tool that provides personalized health check-ins so you can quickly tell CDC if you have any side effects or report side effects through the CDC Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

The groundbreaking cooperation between leading medical experts here in America and pharmaceutical companies globally has made a return to normal possible thanks to the COVID-19 vaccine. The speed of development was due to the sharing of research on a scale never attempted before – and every study, and every phase of every trial, was carefully reviewed and approved by a safety board and the FDA. The process was transparent and rigorous throughout, with continual oversight and expert approval. Data will continue to be collected two years after each vaccine is first administered to ensure that the long-term effects are safe.

The CDC no longer recommends quarantining if you are exposed.
If you were exposed to someone with COVID-19 or have been told by a healthcare provider or public health authority that you were exposed, here are the steps that you should take, regardless of your vaccination status or if you have had a previous infection.

If your vaccination card is lost or damaged, contact your primary care provider who can access your immunization record in NYSIIS or the Health Information Exchange and provide you with the necessary documentation.

 

Questions About TESTING

Anyone can get tested for COVID-19. Call your primary care physician, search for a test site near you, take a home test, or make an appointment at an Upstate Medical University or Syracuse Community Health Center test site.

Physicians, pharmacies, and urgent care centers offer testing as well, please call ahead to inquire.

If you do an at-home COVID test and you test positive, please submit your results HERE.

PCR testing is available through Upstate Medical University and the Syracuse Community Health Center. Physicians, pharmacies, and urgent care centers may offer PCR testing as well, please call ahead to inquire.

There are treatments available for those who are at high risk of getting very sick from COVID-19, but treatment must be started early to work, so don’t delay! Contact your health care provider for treatment options that may be available to you.

If you don’t have a health care provider, you can call 888-TREAT-NY (888-873-2869) or submit an online form to be evaluated for treatment. All New Yorkers are eligible regardless of income or health insurance coverage. Learn more here.

Contact the provider where the test was given.

Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 must immediately isolate and notify close contacts who may have been exposed. Learn more about what you need to do here.

If you tested positive on an at-home test, please submit your results HERE.

There are treatments available for those who are at high risk of getting very sick from COVID-19, but treatment must be started early to work, so don’t delay! Contact your health care provider for treatment options that may be available to you.

If you don’t have a health care provider, you can call 888-TREAT-NY (888-873-2869) or submit an online form to be evaluated for treatment. All New Yorkers are eligible regardless of income or health insurance coverage. Learn more here.

 

Questions About ISOLATION and QUARANTINE

Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 regardless of vaccination status must isolate. Learn more here.

If you were exposed to someone with COVID-19 or have been told by a healthcare provider or public health authority that you were exposed, here are the steps that you should take, regardless of your vaccination status or if you have had a previous infection.

When possible, find a friend or family member to make a contact-free delivery of necessities to your home or use a home delivery service. The Nutrition Assistance Hotline is a resource available and can be reached at 315.218.1987.

Information about Paid Family Leave for COVID-19 can be found here.

Complete a self-attestation form. These new forms are legal documentation and may be used for release from isolation or quarantine, for your employer, and for New York Paid Family Leave COVID-19 claims.

If your employer is not providing you with the required number of COVID-19 sick leave days OR not properly paying you for your COVID-19 sick leave days, you may file a complaint with the Department of Labor at: https://forms.ny.gov/s3/Department-of-Labor-COVID-19-Complaint

 

Questions About PREVENTION MEASURES

The CDC recommends that everyone wear a mask in indoor public settings in areas with a high COVID-19 transmission.

All travelers, domestic and international, should continue to follow all CDC travel requirements.

You can find more information about cleaning and disinfection here.

 

Questions About BUSINESSES or FACILITIES

New York State's Business Pandemic Recovery Initiative includes grants, tax credits, and technical assistance programs for businesses affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Learn about this initiative here.

You may issue a general statement that someone at the facility has tested positive and remind everyone to practice personal protection measures and advise them to self-monitor for symptoms. You may not identify the positive individual.

You can find more information about cleaning and disinfection here.

 

Questions From HEALTHCARE WORKERS

Please contact 315.435.2525 for information about testing and PPE.

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) is the regulatory authority for Nursing Homes and Adult Care facilities.

NYSDOH Nursing Home and ICF/MR Surveillance is responsible for investigating complaints and incidents for nursing homes in New York State that are related to a State and/or Federal regulatory violation. A complaint against a nursing home should be submitted in writing by the complainant. There are two ways to submit a complaint: