COVID-19 Vaccine Update:
9/6/22 update: New Booster dose now available to those 12+ for Pfizer and 18+ for Moderna. Patients must wait a minimum of 2 months before receiving this new booster dose.
*3/29/2022 update: Under new federal guidelines a second booster dose is now available for those 50 years of age or older.
*12/17/2021 UPDATE: Sunshine Pharmacy carries the Pfizer Pediatric, Moderna and Pfizer Vaccine and their Booster Vaccines.
Please Note:
Vaccines are administered Monday through Friday between 12pm and 5pm.
Moderna vaccines are only available TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS.
For a vaccine appointment at the pharmacy – Click here to sign up
Walk-Ins are available
Please do not call our pharmacy line asking for vaccine appointments. This page has the most updated information.
Vaccine Facts: (Courtesy: Mayo Clinic)
Looking to get the facts about the new COVID-19 vaccines? Here’s what you need to know about the different vaccines and the benefits of getting vaccinated.
Vaccines to prevent the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are perhaps the best hope for ending the pandemic. But as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) begins authorizing emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines, you likely have questions. Find out about the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccines, how they work, the possible side effects, and the importance of continuing to take infection prevention steps.
COVID-19 can cause severe medical complications and lead to death in some people. There is no way to know how COVID-19 will affect you. If you get COVID-19, you could spread the disease to family, friends, and others around you. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine can help protect you by creating an antibody response in your body without your having to become sick with COVID-19.
A COVID-19 vaccine might prevent you from getting COVID-19. Or, if you get COVID-19, the vaccine might keep you from becoming seriously ill or from developing serious complications.
Getting vaccinated also might help protect people around you from COVID-19, particularly people at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
Currently, several COVID-19 vaccines are in clinical trials. The FDA will review the results of these trials before approving COVID-19 vaccines for use. But because there is an urgent need for COVID-19 vaccines and the FDA’s vaccine approval process can take months to years, the FDA will first be giving emergency use authorization to COVID-19 vaccines based on less data than is normally required. The data must show that the vaccines are safe and effective before the FDA can give emergency use authorization.Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine
The FDA has given emergency use authorization to the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Data has shown that the vaccine starts working soon after the first dose and has an efficacy rate of 95% seven days after the second dose. This means that about 95% of people who get the vaccine are protected from becoming seriously ill with the virus. This vaccine is for people age 16 and older. It requires two injections given 21 days apart.
Moderna vaccine
Moderna has applied for FDA emergency use authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine. Data has shown that the vaccine has an efficacy rate of 94.1%. This vaccine requires two injections given 28 days apart.
Both the Pfizer/BioNTech and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines use messenger RNA (mRNA). Coronaviruses have a spike-like structure on their surface called an S protein. COVID-19 mRNA vaccines give cells instructions for how to make a harmless piece of an S protein. After vaccination, cells begin making the protein pieces and displaying them on cell surfaces. Your immune system will recognize that the protein doesn’t belong there and begin building an immune response and making antibodies.
No. The COVID-19 vaccines currently being developed in the U.S. don’t use the live virus that causes COVID-19. Keep in mind that it will take a few weeks for your body to build immunity after getting a COVID-19vaccination. As a result, it’s possible that you could become infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or after being vaccinated.
A COVID-19 vaccine can cause mild side effects, including:
- Pain, redness, or swelling where the shot was given
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Chills
- Joint pain
You’ll likely be monitored for 15 minutes after getting a COVID-19 vaccine to see if you have an immediate reaction. Most reactions happen with the first few days after vaccination and last no more than three days. If you experience side effects after getting a COVID-19 vaccine, it doesn’t mean that you have COVID-19. Take time to rest and recover. If you develop a fever, stay home. However, it’s not necessary to get a COVID-19 test or quarantine.
If you have a reaction that prevents you from being able to eat, sleep, or work, contact your doctor. Also, contact your doctor if you have a reaction that lasts longer than three days.
Signs of an allergic reaction include hives, swelling of the face and throat, difficulty breathing, a fast heartbeat, dizziness, and weakness. If you have any of these signs, seek care immediately.
Due to limited supplies, not everyone will be able to get a COVID-19 vaccine right away.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is a U.S. federal advisory group made up of medical and public health experts. The ACIP has recommended that in the first phase of vaccination in the U.S., COVID-19vaccines should be given to health care personnel and adult residents of long-term care facilities. Other groups under consideration for early COVID-19 vaccination include workers in essential and critical industries, adults at high risk of severe COVID-19 due to underlying medical conditions, and adults age 65 and older.
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is not available to children under age 16.
There is no research on the safety of COVID-19vaccines in pregnant or breastfeeding women. However, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding and part of a group recommended to get a COVID-19 vaccine, you may choose to get the vaccine. Talk to your health care provider about the risks and benefits.
COVID-19 vaccination also might not be recommended for people with certain health conditions. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about getting the vaccine.
Also, if you have a history of allergic reactions, talk to your doctor before getting the vaccine. You might need to be observed for 30 minutes after getting the vaccine.
Experts want to learn more about the protection that a COVID-19 vaccine provides and how long immunity lasts before changing safety recommendations. Factors such as how many people get vaccinated and how the virus is spreading in communities will also affect these recommendations.
In the meantime, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends following these precautions for avoiding infection with the COVID-19 virus:
- Avoid close contact. This means avoiding close contact (within about 6 feet, or 2 meters) with anyone who is sick or has symptoms. Also, keep a distance between yourself and others. This is especially important if you have a higher risk of serious illness.
- Wear cloth face coverings in public places. Cloth face coverings offer extra protection in places such as the grocery store, where it’s difficult to avoid close contact with others. Surgical masks may be used if available. N95 respirators should be reserved for health care providers.
- Practice good hygiene. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw away the used tissue. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Avoid sharing dishes, glasses, bedding, and other household items if you’re sick. Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces daily.
- Stay home if you’re sick. Stay home from work, school, and public areas if you’re sick unless you’re going to get medical care. Avoid public transportation, taxis, and ride-sharing if you’re sick.
If you have a chronic medical condition and may have a higher risk of serious illness, check with your doctor about other ways to protect yourself.
COVID-19 Testing
1. COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test – $65
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Any person in New York that wishes to be tested for COVID-19 may be tested. However, this does not mean that insurance will cover the cost of the test and we are finding that many commercial payers are NOT set up for pharmacies to provide rapid COVID tests at this time.
Sunshine Pharmacy recommends COVID-19 testing be performed in accordance with guidelines from New York State, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the manufacturers of the testing kits. If a patient is tested outside of state or federal guidelines, or any additional guidelines issued by their insurance company, the patient will be responsible for all charges associated with the test.
Many commercial payers have restrictions on COVID-19 testing and as such are not covering COVID testing for screening and assessment of asymptomatic patients for purposes such as travel advisories, employer mandates, back to school requirements, visits to nursing homes, or research. Please check the website of your insurance company for the most up to date information.
Sunshine Pharmacy recommends patients schedule testing based on the timing of the development of symptoms associated with COVID-19, at least 2-3 days after symptoms have developed. According to the CDC, and based on preliminary data, the median incubation period and time to symptom onset is approximately 5 days from exposure, but may range anywhere between 2-14 days.
There may be free testing sites available from the Department of Health, check with your county Health Department for more details.
Anyone who is symptomatic should remain in isolation until COVID-19 has been ruled out.
Due to the demand for testing, we ask that patients NOT book appointments as placeholders. We will reserve the right to charge a cancellation fee for any no shows or cancellations made less than 24 hours before the scheduled appointment.
Patients must have a smartphone to book this test.
This is an antigen test for an active COVID-19 infection that detects specific proteins on the surface of the virus. Both the collection (via nasal swab) and the test are performed by Sunshine Pharmacy and the patient will have the results that same day. The target population is patients with COVID-19 symptoms and within the first 7 days of symptom onset. If you are testing due to exposure to a confirmed COVID positive person, you should wait 5 days from the exposure to test. Positive results are accurate, but negative results may require confirmation with a high complexity PCR/molecular test.
2. COVID-19 Collection Test – Saliva-based PCR – $105 (12/20/2021: DO NOT BOOK NOT IN STOCK)
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Any person in New York that wishes to be tested for COVID-19 may be tested. However, this does not mean that insurance will cover the cost of the test and we are finding that many commercial payers are NOT set up for pharmacies to provide rapid COVID tests at this time.
Sunshine Pharmacy recommends COVID-19 testing be performed in accordance with guidelines from New York State, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the manufacturers of the testing kits. If a patient is tested outside of state or federal guidelines, or any additional guidelines issued by their insurance company, the patient will be responsible for all charges associated with the test.
Many commercial payers have restrictions on COVID-19 testing and as such are not covering COVID testing for screening and assessment of asymptomatic patients for purposes such as travel advisories, employer mandates, back to school requirements, visits to nursing homes, or research. Please check the website of your insurance company for the most up to date information.
Sunshine Pharmacy recommends patients schedule testing based on the timing of the development of symptoms associated with COVID-19, at least 2-3 days after symptoms have developed. According to the CDC, and based on preliminary data, the median incubation period and time to symptom onset is approximately 5 days from exposure, but may range anywhere between 2-14 days.
There may be free testing sites available from the Department of Health, check with your county Health Department for more details.
Anyone who is symptomatic should remain in isolation until COVID-19 has been ruled out.
Due to the demand for testing, we ask that patients NOT book appointments as placeholders. We will reserve the right to charge a cancellation fee for any no shows or cancellations made less than 24 hours before the scheduled appointment.
These tests must be performed before 5:00 PM and are only offered during the week
If you are traveling out of the country, this test will likely be the test you will need so please schedule accordingly.
This is NOT a rapid test. This is a Saliva -Based PCR test for an active COVID-19 infection where Sunshine Pharmacy serves as the collection site (via saliva collection) for offsite analysis by a high complexity lab contracted by Base10 Genetics). Sunshine Pharmacy will collect a sample to ship to our partner lab, patients should expect results to take 48 business hours and should allow for additional processing time around holidays. The virus is detectable within 7-10 days of the onset of illness.