How do I schedule a vaccine appointment?

The easiest way to schedule a vaccine appointment is through MyChart. There is no cost to set up a MyChart account.

If you have a MyChart account, simply log in and go to Visits, then click “Schedule an Appointment”. From there, choose “COVID-19 Vaccine” and you can schedule a vaccine appointment at any of our convenient vaccine clinic locations.

If you are new to John Muir Health or don’t have a MyChart account, you can set up a MyChart account. After your account is set up, follow the instructions above to schedule a vaccine appointment. There is no cost to set up a MyChart account.

If you are having any trouble setting up your MyChart account, read our MyChart FAQ or call our Patient Support Center at (925) 941-2001, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please note that our Patient Support Center is for MyChart technical issues only and the team is not able to schedule patient appointments.

In addition to John Muir Health, vaccine appointments are also available in many places, including county or state locations or retail pharmacies. All vaccination sites have the currently approved vaccines for COVID-19.

How do I schedule a vaccine appointment for my child?

If your child is an eligible age, depending on the information in their medical record, we will be contacting you via MyChart message, email, text message or phone call to invite you to schedule a vaccine appointment for your child.

If you have a MyChart account and do not have proxy access for your child, we strongly recommend that you add proxy access. This will allow you to schedule your child’s vaccine appointment via MyChart when they become eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.

Set up MyChart proxy access (please note: you must use a laptop or desktop computer, not the MyChart app)

If your child is not a JMH patient or if you do not have a MyChart account and would like to be able to schedule your child’s COVID-19 vaccine appointment using MyChart, you’ll first need to set up your own MyChart account and then set up proxy access.

Set up MyChart account

If you are having any trouble setting up your MyChart account, read our MyChart FAQ or call our Patient Support Center at (925) 941-2001, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please note that our Patient Support Center is for MyChart technical issues only and the team is not able to schedule patient appointments.

Access To Your Teen’s Health Information

We take patient privacy laws very seriously, and the State of California limits what types of health information we can share with parents about their teen. For that reason, in MyChart, we provide a limited view to parents of the health record of their teen between the ages of 12 and 17.  Parents of children between the ages of 12-17 have the ability to:

• Create new messages
• View messages
• Schedule appointments (including COVID-19 vaccine appointments)
• Request appointments

This means that after you schedule a COVID-19 vaccine for your child ages 12-17, you will not be able to view the appointment details in MyChart. You will receive a confirmation email when you schedule the vaccine appointment, with date, time, location and arrival instructions.

For more details about what information you can access in MyChart for your child who is 12 years or older, please contact our Health Information Management team at (925) 947-5375.

My spouse, significant other or child and I would like to be scheduled for vaccines at the same time/on the same day. Is that possible?

It’s possible to schedule vaccines on the same day for multiple people by logging into each individual’s MyChart account and scheduling individual appointments.

If you are new to John Muir Health or don’t have a MyChart account, you can set up a MyChart account. After your account is set up, follow the instructions above to schedule a vaccine appointment. There is no cost to set up a MyChart account.

If you have a MyChart account and want to schedule a vaccine appointment for your eligible age child but do not have proxy access for your child, we strongly recommend that you add proxy access. This will allow you to schedule your child’s vaccine appointment via MyChart when they become eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.

If your child is not a John Muir Health patient or if you do not have a MyChart account and would like to be able to schedule your child’s COVID-19 vaccine appointment using MyChart, you’ll first need to set up your own MyChart account and then set up proxy access.

Can I register for an appointment or be added to a wait list?

We don’t have a registry or wait list but we have available vaccine appointments and you don’t have to be a John Muir Health patient to schedule a vaccine appointment with us. The vaccine is free and there is enough vaccine now for everyone eligible to receive it.

The easiest way to schedule a vaccine appointment is through MyChart. If you are new to John Muir Health or don’t have a MyChart account, you can set up a MyChart account. There is no cost to set up a MyChart account.

After your account is set up, simply log in and go to Visits, then click “Schedule an Appointment”. From there, choose “COVID-19 Vaccine” and you can schedule a vaccine appointment at any of our convenient vaccine clinic locations.

How many vaccine appointments do you have available?

With significant vaccine supply now available, we are pleased to be able to now offer vaccine appointments to any California resident age 16+ (and soon age 12+), regardless of whether you are a current John Muir Health patient. The vaccine is free and there is enough vaccine now for everyone eligible to receive it. Please see above for information on how to schedule a vaccine appointment at John Muir Health.

Can I walk-in to get a vaccine?

Vaccinations are being given by appointment only. This is the best way to ensure we are using every dose we have available. The current COVID-19 vaccines must be stored at cold temperatures and are only usable for a certain amount of time after they have been removed from a freezer. Our goal is to give every single dose that is prepared for each day and not waste any doses. This means we must make sure that we schedule the same number of appointments as we have vaccine doses prepared for each day.

Should I call or message my doctor to schedule my vaccine appointment or ask questions about the vaccine?

Vaccine appointments are now available to people age 16 and above, and will soon be available to people age 12+. Instructions on how to schedule a vaccine appointment are above.

We want to make sure that we are answering your vaccine questions. We update our website with the latest information that we have as soon as we have it. If you have a question that we haven’t answered on our website, please contact us and we will add the information to our website. If you have a question about the vaccine that isn’t answered on our website or you are experiencing symptoms that are not those most commonly reported, then you should contact your doctor.

I got my first vaccine somewhere else, but I'm not able to get an appointment for my second vaccine dose there. Can I get just my 2nd dose at John Muir Health?

We are able to provide Pfizer 2^nd doses; you must have had the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as your first dose. You do not have to be a California resident. You must bring your vaccine information card with you to your 2^nd dose appointment. We are unable to provide the 2^nd dose without a vaccine information card showing proof that you received the first Pfizer dose.

To schedule a 2^nd dose appointment, log in to MyChart and go to Visits, then click “Schedule an Appointment”. From there, choose “COVID-19 Vaccine” and you can schedule a vaccine appointment at any of our convenient vaccine clinic locations.

If you are not a current John Muir Health patient or do not have a MyChart account, you’ll first need to set up a MyChart account, then follow the instructions above to schedule your 2^nd dose vaccine appointment.

Do I have to be a patient at John Muir Health to get a vaccine from John Muir Health?

No! With significant vaccine supply available, we are pleased to be able to now offer vaccine appointments to any California resident age 16+ (and soon age 12+), regardless of whether you are a current John Muir Health patient. The vaccine is free and there is enough vaccine now for everyone eligible to receive it. Please see above for instructions on how to schedule a vaccine appointment at John Muir Health.

How many weeks apart should the first and second vaccines be scheduled?

The Pfizer vaccine is recommended to be given 21 days apart. The Moderna vaccine is recommended to be given 28 days apart. The second dose should be administered as close to the recommended interval as possible. However, if it is not feasible to adhere to the recommended interval and a delay in vaccination is unavoidable, the second dose of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines may be administered up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose. There are currently limited data on efficacy of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines administered beyond this window. If the second dose is administered beyond these intervals, there is no need to restart the series.

For more information on clinical considerations for the COVID-19 vaccines, please see the CDC website.

Are there any medical screenings I should not have around the time of my COVID-19 vaccine?

Yes, the recommendation is that some screenings are best to schedule around your COVID-19 vaccination:

Mammograms: The Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) recommends that patients schedule their mammograms around their COVID-19 vaccination. This is because a potential side effect of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines is lymph node swelling in the armpit, which can appear within two-to-four days following the shot and last up to 10 days. Vaccines of all types can result in temporary swelling of the lymph nodes, which may be a sign that the body is making antibodies in response as intended. However, it could cause anxiety if such swelling is detected during a mammogram. To minimize anxiety, when it doesn't unduly delay care, SBI recommends scheduling screening mammograms prior to the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine or 4-6 weeks following the second vaccine dose. 

Tuberculosis (TB ) tests: The CDC recommends that patients who need a TB test after a COVID-19 vaccine should schedule TB tests no earlier than 4 weeks after their COVID-19 vaccine. This is because it's possible that a negative TB test done right after a COVID-19 vaccine may not be accurate. TB tests may be done prior to a COVID-19 test or during the same appointment.