Can I get three shots — COVID booster, flu, shingles — at once?

The COVID death toll in Florida is now over 50,000. And we are answering your questions about the COVID19 vaccine and what we need to do next. Submit your question using this form or email Lois Solomon at AskLois@sunsentinel.com.

Q. “Is it OK for me, having lung cancer now, to get three vaccines in a five-minute period: the COVID booster, the flu and the shingles? I got spasms in my muscles and my joints started hurting within 20 minutes of receiving the shots. Do you think with my cancer and lupus, am I safe?” — Sherrie Ulrich

A. There are no medical prohibitions against getting all these shots at once, although you may want to spread them out in the future so you can observe your responses to each one, especially since you are immune-compromised, said Dr. Hila Beckerman, a Delray Beach pediatrician with extensive vaccine experience.

“The shingles vaccine can be given with all other live and inactivated vaccines, such as influenza (flu) and the COVID vaccine, and you should receive them as recommended by your physician,” she said. “When multiple vaccines are being administered at one visit, each one should be injected into a different site, even if in the same muscle. There’s no problem per se with getting multiple vaccines at once, but it is important to remember that each vaccine can carry its own side effects so you may want to spread them

that it’s more tolerable to you.”

You did the right thing by getting the three vaccines, Beckerman said.

“Both cancer and lupus can compromise your immune system and weaken it, especially if you are on medications,” she said. “This makes it much more dangerous for you to be infected with viruses, such as COVID and influenza. This is why it’s important, especially for people with a compromised immune system, to protect themselves as best they can against these diseases by getting vaccinated.”

Q. “I live in a senior community. Can I ask employees of the community about their vaccination status? Obviously, we prefer to have vaccinated employees at work here, in the clubhouse, and elsewhere. Is it legal for us to ask or require this of the management company?” — Paul, Boynton Beach

A. Don’t take this upon yourself; speak to your management company, said Peter Sachs, founding partner at Sachs Sax Caplan, which specializes in homeowners’ association law in Boca Raton.

“It would not be appropriate for a resident to inquire of an employee directly regarding vaccination status. It is a private matter,” Sachs said. “However, the board of the association or community may require the management company to certify that all of its employees on site will be vaccinated as of a date certain as a matter of policy and contract between the association and the management company. The community at large may then rely upon the certification of their vendor, the management company.”

Q. “I received my COVID-19 shots at the FEMA site at Miami-Dade College back in March. Unfortunately, with just occasional use, the ink is rubbing off of the labels they used on the cards, making them a bit faint and difficult to read. I’m heading to Europe at the end of this month and will need the card to enter most places. I’d like to get a copy of my official shot record from the state of Florida, but I can’t find the site I’d go to in order to obtain this.” — Ed

A. The information on your COVID Vaccination Record Card is sent to a statewide database not accessible to COVID vaccine recipients. The card’s record of where you got your shots and when are stored in Florida SHOTS (State Health Online Tracking System), a database available to health care professionals formerly used to track young children who need proof of vaccinations to attend school.

The best strategy for you would be to call your primary care physician, who can access the database and can print out your Florida Certificate of Immunization.

Q. “My 96-year-old homebound mother got a J&J vaccine at home several months ago. Can she get a booster at home now? Who do I call?” — Wendy Ward, West Palm Beach

A. There is no booster shot approved for Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients at the moment. On Aug. 22, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said Johnson & Johnson recipients will “likely need a booster.” However, the booster rollout that’s expected to begin soon will only be for recipients of the Moderna and Pfizer shots, as J&J studies are still underway.

It may be possible for J&J recipients to get a different booster brand, but we have yet to hear. In either case, the state has dedicated this email address, HomeboundVaccine@em.myflorida.com, to people who need medical personnel to vaccinate them in their homes. Keep in touch with them as we learn more about booster shots, and one day they likely will be able to deliver one to your mom.

Q. “Are you aware of any facilities offering lidocaine or other numbing agents to those who would like to receive a COVID vaccination? I checked with Broward County Health Department, CVS and Walgreens, and none offers this option. Sometimes vaccine hesitancy is more about a fear/ dislike of needles than FDA approval. Are there any local options for the needle-phobic among us?” — Jessica

A. There are a couple of options for those with a fear of needles, said Dr. Joanna Drowos, an associate professor of family medicine at Florida Atlantic University’s medical school.

First, check with local pediatric practices to see if they are offering shots to adults. They may offer a numbing cream for the kids and would allow you to have some, too, she said.

Otherwise, you can buy lidocaine 4% cream over the counter at drug stores or on Amazon.

“You could apply a blob about the size of a nickel to the skin over the area of the anticipated needle poke,” she said. “This would likely be your upper outer arm for a vaccine. You would not want to place any of the cream over injured or unhealthy skin without talking to your doctor, and can test a small amount first to make sure you don’t have a reaction.”

Wrap the area carefully and loosely with plastic wrap to hold the cream in place. Place the cream on 30 to 60 minutes before receiving your vaccine.

“Let the medical staff know that you have done this and allow them to wipe the cream off just prior to the procedure so they know which area has been treated and where they should administer the vaccine,” she said. “Do not leave the cream on for longer than two hours, and note that it would work for about an hour after removal.”

Q. “I have organized a luncheon for leaders of the hospitality industry at a hotel in Fort Lauderdale on Oct. 8. On the official invitation, I added a clause as follows: “COVID-19: For the safety of all attendees, vaccination cards will be required.” There will be no more than 52 attendees due to the capacity of the dining room in the hotel.

By asking for vaccination cards, am I facing legal issues because of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s new law? Could the hotel be held liable in addition to myself?” — Ron Stevens, Boca Raton

A. You can’t ask people for their vaccination cards because of the new Florida law that prevents businesses, schools and government agencies from requiring people to show documentation certifying COVID-19 vaccinations before gaining entry. The only exception is health care facilities.

If you require the vaccine card as a condition of entry, you run the risk of being fined $5,000, and the hotel also could face a penalty, according to Boca Raton attorney Peter Sachs.

“The hotel may have exposure,” Sachs said. “The reader may want to have the event catered at a private home rather than involve the hotel, which likely would have concerns if it knew the condition of entry for the event.”

Q. “I belong to a non-profit group that is having a fundraiser event in December at a hotel. It is a sit-down dinner and silent auction. We would

like to ask all paying guests and members to show proof of vaccination so that everyone will feel safe attending. Is this legal? If I want to have an event in my private home, can I say that everyone must be vaccinated? Or does this not make a difference?” — Kathy Schultz

A. You can’t ask for vaccination proof for your fundraiser, but you can for the event in your house, Boca Raton attorney Peter Sachs said.

Starting Sept. 16, Florida will start fining businesses, schools and government agencies as much as $5,000 if they ask for vaccine proof. It’s part of the bill Gov. Ron DeSantis signed earlier this year that banned vaccine passports.

“Vaccination cards may not be required in Florida as a condition of entry or service,” Sachs said. “There is no exception for not-forprofit groups holding fundraisers . Exceptions are limited to health care and health care service-related providers.”

However, you’re free to make whatever rules you like for entry into your home.

“Your reader may invite guests to her private home and require proof of vaccination from her invited guests as the property owner,” Sachs said. “The restrictions apply to businesses, not homes.”