Important update: Healthcare facilities
CDC has updated select ways to operate healthcare systems effectively in response to COVID-19 vaccination. Learn more
UPDATE
Given new evidence on the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant, CDC has updated the guidance for fully vaccinated people. CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. Children should return to full-time in-person learning in the fall with layered prevention strategies in place.
UPDATE
The White House announced that vaccines will be required for international travelers coming into the United States, with an effective date of November 8, 2021. For purposes of entry into the United States, vaccines accepted will include FDA approved or authorized and WHO Emergency Use Listing vaccines. More information is available here.
UPDATE
Travel requirements to enter the United States are changing, starting November 8, 2021. More information is available here.

Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine

Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine
Updated June 19, 2022
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Find a Vaccine

Vaccines are widely available. In many cases, you do not need an appointment.

  • The federal government is providing COVID-19 vaccines free of charge to everyone ages 6 months and older living in the United States, regardless of their immigration or health insurance status.
  • Most people in the United States live within 5 miles of a COVID-19 vaccination location.

Find a COVID-19 vaccine or booster: Search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations near you.

Get Vaccinated Even If You Had COVID-19 and Think You are Immune

You should get a COVID-19 vaccine even if you already had COVID-19. No currently available test can reliably determine if you are protected after being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. However, you may consider delaying your next vaccine dose (primary dose or booster) by 3 months from when your symptoms started or, if you had no symptoms, when you first received a positive test.

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine after having COVID-19 provides added protection to your immune system. People who already had COVID-19 and do not get vaccinated after their recovery are more likely to get COVID-19 again than those who get vaccinated after their recovery.

People Who Can Wait to Get Vaccinated

If you recently had COVID-19, you may consider delaying your next COVID-19 vaccine (either primary dose or booster) by 3 months from when your symptoms started or when you received a positive test.

Routine Medical Procedures and Screenings

Most routine medical procedures and screenings can be performed before or after COVID-19 vaccination. However, if you are due for a mammogram, ask your doctor about when you should get a vaccine. Some experts recommend getting your mammogram before being vaccinated or waiting four to six weeks after getting your shot. People who have received a COVID-19 vaccine can have swelling in the lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy) in the underarm near where they got the shot. This is more common after booster or additional doses than after the primary vaccination series. It is possible that this swelling could cause a false reading on a mammogram.

Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about getting vaccinated before or after any routine medical procedures or screenings.

Considerations for Taking Medication before Getting Vaccinated

It is not recommended you take over-the-counter medicine (such as ibuprofen, aspirin, or acetaminophen) before vaccination for the purpose of trying to prevent vaccine-related side effects. It is not known how these medications might affect how well the vaccine works. If you take these medications regularly for other reasons, you should keep taking them before you get vaccinated. It is also not recommended to take antihistamines before getting a COVID-19 vaccine to try to prevent allergic reactions.

Learn more about medications to relieve post-vaccination side effects.

For most people, it is not recommended to avoid, discontinue, or delay medications that you are routinely taking for prevention or treatment of other medical conditions around the time of COVID-19 vaccination.

If you are taking medications that suppress the immune system, you should talk to your healthcare provider about what is currently known and not known about the effectiveness of getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Ask about the best timing for receiving a vaccine. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines for moderately to severely immunocompromised people.

Most people who take medication can get a COVID-19 vaccine. Taking one of the following medications is not, on its own, a reason to avoid getting your COVID-19 vaccination:

  • Over-the-counter medications (non-prescription)
  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (naproxen, ibuprofen, aspirin, etc.)
  • Acetaminophen (Tylenol, etc.)
  • Biologics or biologic response modifiers that treat autoimmune diseases
  • Chemotherapy or other cancer treatment medications
  • Antiviral medication
  • Antibiotics
  • Statins
  • Blood pressure medications/antihypertensives (amlodipine, lisinopril, etc.)
  • Diuretics
  • Thyroid medications
  • Antidepressants
  • Metformin
  • Diabetic medications
  • Insulin
  • Steroids (prednisone, etc.)

This is not a complete list. It is meant to provide some examples of common medications. Taking any of these medications will not make COVID-19 vaccination harmful or dangerous.

If you have questions about medications that you are taking, talk to your healthcare professional or your vaccination provider.

At the Vaccination Site

illustration of woman wearing mask receiving vaccine

Before you arrive, contact the site where you will be vaccinated or review your appointment confirmation email for details about your vaccination appointment.

  • When getting a vaccine, you or your child and your healthcare provider will need to wear masks that cover your nose and mouth. Stay 6 feet away from others while inside and in lines. Learn more about protecting yourself when going to get your COVID-19 vaccine.
  • You should receive a paper or electronic version of a fact sheet that tells you more about the specific COVID-19 vaccine you or your child received. Each approved and authorized COVID-19 vaccine has its own fact sheet that contains information to help you understand the risks and benefits of receiving that specific vaccine. Learn more about different COVID-19 vaccines.
  • After getting a COVID-19 vaccine, you or your child should be monitored on site for at least 15 minutes. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and rare severe allergic reactions. ​

Watch Video: What to Expect at Your COVID-19 Vaccination Appointment [00:00:48]

People Who Should Wait to Get Vaccinated

People who are in quarantine

If you are not vaccinated and were exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should wait until your quarantine is over to avoid getting others sick while you get your vaccine. However, you may be able to get a vaccine while in quarantine if you

  • Are at risk for multiple exposures (like living in shared housing),
  • Don’t have any symptoms of COVID-19, and
  • Take precautions to prevent spreading COVID-19.

People who are in isolation

If you currently have COVID-19, you should wait to get your vaccine until

  • Your symptoms are gone (if you had symptoms) and
  • Criteria to discontinue isolation have been met.

People who have had multisystem inflammatory syndrome

If you or your child have a history of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults or children (MIS-A or MIS-C), consider delaying vaccination until

  • You have recovered from being sick and
  • It has been 90 days since the date of diagnosis of MIS-A or MIS-C.

Learn more about the clinical considerations for people with a history of MIS-A or MIS-C.

Talk to your doctor if you are unsure what treatments you received or if you have more questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

If you were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma while sick with COVID-19, you do not need to wait before getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

After Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine

V-safe provides quick and confidential health check-ins via text messages and web surveys so you can quickly and easily share with CDC how you or your dependent feel after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

Watch Video: Use v-safe to tell CDC how you’re feeling after COVID-19 vaccination [00:00:34]

Your CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Card

At the first vaccination appointment, you will get a CDC COVID-19 Vaccination card that tells you which COVID-19 vaccine you or your child received, the date you or your child received it, and where you or your child received it.

  • Keep this CDC COVID-19 vaccination card for future use. Consider taking a picture of the card after your or your child’s vaccination appointment as a backup copy.

Learn more about getting a CDC COVID-19 Vaccination card.

Getting Additional Shots

Everyone ages 6 months and older should stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines, which includes getting boosters if eligible. A booster shot enhances or restores protection against COVID-19, which may have decreased over time.

Use CDC’s COVID-19 Booster Tool to learn if and when you can get boosters to stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines