COVID-19 Information & Safety for Adults and Children

Information & Safety for Adults and Children

Who We Are

Disability Rights New York (DRNY) is the Protection & Advocacy System (P&A) and Client Assistance Program (CAP) for persons with disabilities in New York State. As the P&A/CAP for New York, DRNY advocates for the civil and legal rights for New Yorkers with disabilities.

Information about COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccine is always changing. This guide will point you to trusted sources that contain up-to-date and reliable information about:

COVID-19

THE VACCINE BOOSTERS

WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET SICK

Information about COVID-19 and the vaccine can be confusing and overwhelming. Here is what you should know:

1

The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective. Millions of people have gotten the vaccine.

2

Getting COVID-19 is not the same as getting a cold or the flu. You are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19.

3

Staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccine is the best way to protect yourself from severe illness from COVID-19.

4

One or two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine may not be enough to protect you. To stay protected, stay up to date by getting all of your recommended doses.

For more information about common myths and facts about COVID-19 and the vaccine, visit the links below:

CDC — Myths and Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines

NYS of Health — Combatting Misinformation about the COVID-19 Vaccines

FDA — COVID-19 Vaccines Myths Social Media Toolkit

To help you figure out whether online information about COVID-19 and the vaccine is credible, visit the link below:

NIH — Online Health Information: Is It Reliable?

Where Are We Now?

COVID Risks for Adults

COVID-19 is still dangerous. COVID-19 can lead to:

SEVERE ILLNESS

LONG COVID DEATH

People with disabilities may be at a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

To learn more about COVID-19, visit the links below:

CDC — Easy to Read COVID-19 Materials (Easy Read)

CDC — COVID-19 Information for People with Disabilities

DRNY — Long COVID & Your Rights

How to Stay Safe:

Get Vaccinated

Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 reduces your risk of serious illness, death, and long COVID.

For more information about the vaccine, and how to get vaccinated, visit the links below:

CDC — How I Get My COVID Shot Social Story (Easy Read)

DRNY — Tips for Getting Your COVID-19 Vaccine or Booster

CDC — How Do I Get a COVID Vaccine?

CDC — Possible Side Effects After Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine

How to Stay Safe: Get the Most Recent Boosters

Why Get Boosted?

Over time the COVID-19 vaccine is less effective at protecting you from getting seriously ill from COVID-19. The best way to protect yourself is to stay up to date with your boosters.

You can help protect your friends, family, and community from COVID-19 by getting boosted.

How to Stay Up to Date:

Talk to your doctor, contact your county health department, or check the CDC’s Stay Up to Date website to see if you are eligible for a booster.

For more information about booster doses and how to get them, visit the links below:

CDC — How I Get My COVID-19 Booster Shot Social Story (Easy Read)

DRNY — Getting Your COVID-19 Booster

DRNY — The CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations

DRNY — The CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations for People with Weakened Immune Systems

What To Do If You Get COVID-19

If you test positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms, you should:

Stay home and isolate from others as best you can.

Call your doctor and follow their instructions.

If you have severe symptoms, or you are worried that your symptoms are an emergency, call 911.

For more information on what to do if you get COVID-19, vist the links below:

CDC — Things to Know When You Have COVID-19 (Easy Read)

CDC — What to Do If You Are Sick

CDC — COVID-19 Treatments and Medications

As a parent or guardian, you want to protect the children in your life. Information about COVID-19 and vaccinating children can be confusing and overwhelming. Here is what you should know:

2

1 Children can get very sick from COVID-19.

The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for children. Millions of children have gotten the vaccine.

3

Keeping a child up to date with their COVID-19 vaccine is the best way to protect them from severe illness from COVID-19.

4

One or two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine may not be enough to protect a child. To keep them protected, stay up to date by getting them all of their recommended doses.

For more information, visit the links below:

AMA — What Doctors Wish Parents Knew About Kids’ COVID-19 Vaccine Safety

CDC — COVID-19 Vaccine Safety in Children and Teens

NYS Special Education Task Force — COVID-19 Vaccination & Students with Disabilities

Where Are We Now?

COVID Risks for Children

COVID-19 can be dangerous to children. COVID-19 can lead to:

SEVERE ILLNESS

LONG COVID DEATH

Children with disabilities may be at a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

To learn more about COVID-19 risks to children with disabilities, visit the links below:

Johns Hopkins Medicine — COVID in Babies and Kids: Symptoms and Prevention

CDC — COVID materials for people with IDD (Easy Read)

Keep A Child Safe:

Get Them Vaccinated

Getting a child vaccinated against COVID-19 reduces their risk of serious illness, death, and long COVID. Talk to the child’s doctor about getting a child vaccinated against COVID-19.

For more information about the vaccine and how to get a child vaccinated, visit the links below:

CDC — Vaccinating Children with Disabilities Against COVID-19

NYS — Vaccinating Babies, Children, and Teens

Keep A Child Safe: Get Them Boosted

Why Get Your Child Boosted?

Over time the COVID-19 vaccine is less effective at protecting children from getting seriously ill from COVID-19. The best way to protect a child is to keep them up to date with their boosters.

Getting a child boosted can help protect your family, friends, and community from COVID-19.

How to Stay Up to Date:

Talk to the child’s doctor or check the CDC’s Stay Up to Date website to see what booster schedule is right for the child.

For more information about booster doses and how to get them, visit the links below:

CDC — How I Get My COVID-19 Booster Shot Social Story (Easy Read)

DRNY — Getting Your COVID-19 Booster

DRNY — The CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations

DRNY — The CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations for People with Weakened Immune Systems

Side Effects: They Are Normal

Children may experience mild side effects after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. The side effects should go away within a few days.

For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine side effects, visit the links below:

CDC — Possible Side Effects After Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine

CDC, V-Safe — How to Add Dependents to V-Safe

Resources & Tools

For more resources to help you and your loved ones stay safe through COVID, visit the links below:

CDC — COVID-19 Toolkit for People with Disabilities

HHS — COVID-19 Toolkit for People with Disabilities

NY OPWDD — COVID-19 In Plain Language

VaxFacts DDNY

Family Voices — Coronavirus Information and Resources

CDC — Tips for Talking to Your Child about COVID

CDC — Making Shots Less Stressful for Your Child

RFK Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center — VaxFacts DDNY

The resources listed in this toolkit are frequently updated. To access the online version of this toolkit with clickable links:

Open your phone’s camera app

Scan the code to the right

DRNY is supported at taxpayer expense by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, The Administration for Community Living; Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration; U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration; and, the Social Security Administration. This publication does not represent the views, positions or policies of, or the endorsements by, any of these federal agencies.