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COVID-19 Vaccines

Vaccine Eligibility:  Everyone 6 months of age and older in the United States is eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

Every state has its own vaccination distribution plan. 

Vaccine Access:

Visit https://vaccinefinder.org/ to search for vaccine locations by zip code nationally.

    Do I have to pay for the vaccine?  

No. Currently, the vaccine serum cost is being covered by the federal government and the vaccine administration cost is covered by your health plan. Eventually, when the Federal Public Health Emergency declaration ends, and/or when pharmacies start to directly purchase their own vaccine serum, there could be a cost to you depending on your Health Plan’s specific benefits for preventive care and immunizations. The vaccine will be covered the same as other preventive immunizations under your health plan. 

Updated (bivalent) vaccines:   

  • Updated (bivalent) Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine also became available on December 9, 2022 for children aged 6 months–4 years to complete the primary series.
  • CDC recommends everyone stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines for their age group:
  • Getting a COVID-19 vaccine after you have recovered from COVID-19 infection provides added protection against COVID-19.
  • People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised have different recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines.
  • COVID-19 vaccine and booster recommendations may be updated as CDC continues to monitor the latest COVID-19 data.

Is the vaccine safe?  

All the COVID-19 vaccines being used have gone through rigorous studies to ensure they are as safe as possible. Systems that allow CDC to watch for safety issues are in place across the entire country. Please refer to the official CDC webpage to learn more about the safety and efficacy of all vaccines available.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Emergency Use Authorizations and approal for COVID-19 vaccines that have been shown to meet rigorous safety criteria and be effective as determined by data from the manufacturers and findings from large clinical trials. Watch a video describing the emergency use authorization. Clinical trials for all vaccines must first show they meet rigorous criteria for safety and effectiveness before any vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccines, can be authorized or approved for use. The known and potential benefits of a COVID-19 vaccine must outweigh the known and potential risks of the vaccine. Learn more about how federal partners are ensuring the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States. 

Is it safe for me to get a vaccine if I have an underlying medical condition? 

People with underlying medical conditions can receive the FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines provided they have not had an immediate or severe allergic reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine or to any of the ingredients in the vaccine. Learn more about vaccination considerations for persons with underlying medical conditions. Vaccination is an important consideration for adults of any age with certain underlying medical conditions because they are at increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19. 

Do I need to get a booster shot?  

Please refer to the official CDC guidelines and eligibility requirements for the most up-to-date information.

    

   Updated Boosters Are Recommended

     CDC recommends one updated (bivalent) booster dose:

  • For everyone aged 5 years and older if it has been at least 2 months since your last dose.
  • For children aged 6 months–4 years who completed the Moderna primary series and if it has been at least 2 months since their last dose.
  • There is no booster recommendation for children aged 6 months–4 years who got the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine primary series.

Find Out When You Can Get Your Booster

Boosters are an important part of protecting yourself or your child from getting seriously ill or dying from COVID-19. People ages 6 months and older should receive one updated (bivalent) booster, if they are eligible, including those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.

People who did not receive Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Novavax, or Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen, like people who were vaccinated abroad, have specific recommendations.

This tool is intended to help you make decisions about getting COVID-19 vaccinations. It should not be used to diagnose or treat COVID-19.

If I already had COVID-19 and recovered, do I still need to get vaccinated? 

Yes. According to the CDC, due to the severe health risks associated with COVID-19 and the fact that reinfection with COVID-19 is possible, you should be vaccinated and receive regular boosters regardless of whether you already had COVID-19 infection. If you were treated for COVID-19 symptoms with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you should wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine or booster. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure what treatments you received or if you have more questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine. 

Experts do not yet know how long someone is protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. The immunity someone gains from having an infection, called “natural immunity,” varies from person to person.  It is rare for someone who has had COVID-19 to get infected again. It also is uncommon for people who do get COVID-19 again to get it within 90 days of when they recovered from their first infection.  We won’t know how long immunity produced by vaccination lasts until we have more data on how well the vaccines work. 

Both natural immunity and vaccine-induced immunity are important aspects of COVID-19 that experts are working to learn more about, and the CDC will keep the public informed as new evidence becomes available.