What to expect at your COVID-19 vaccine appointment at Walgreens

Here’s how you can prepare for your COVID-19 vaccine appointment at Walgreens: Wear short sleeves and plan to stay for 15-30 minutes after getting your shot so our pharmacists can monitor possible side effects. It’s not recommended to take any pain medications before your appointment.

Ready to get vaccinated?

Here's what you can do to help prepare for your COVID-19 vaccine appointment. Head to the pharmacy to check in. Wear layers or short sleeves so your pharmacist can easily access your upper arm.

After you get the vaccine, you'll need to stick around for 15 to 30 minutes so your pharmacist can monitor for possible side effects.

Some of those potential side effects are normal, like soreness at the injection site, tiredness, headache or even a little fever. These are signs that the vaccine is working to build up protection in your body. Talk to your pharmacist about taking ibuprofen or acetaminophen to help ease your symptoms. Just be sure not to take anything before your appointment. We still don't know if this could affect the effectiveness of the vaccine.

Lastly, it can take up to two weeks after you're fully vaccinated to reach maximum immunity. So keep practicing social distancing and wearing your mask when you're in public or around unvaccinated people.