Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination

No. Currently, CDC recommends one updated COVID-19 booster dose:

• For everyone aged 5 years and older.
• For children aged 6 months–4 years who completed the Moderna primary series.

CDC recommends everyone stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines for their age group:

• Children and teens ages 6 months–17 years
• Adults ages 18 years and older

To find a COVID-19 vaccination location near you, search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829 (for English), or 882862 (for Spanish),  or call 1-800-232-0233. Then, call or visit the vaccine provider’s website to make an appointment.

CDC will continue to provide updated information and guidance as it becomes available, based on the best available science.

Yes, you are fully vaccinated even if you haven’t gotten your booster yet. The definition of fully vaccinated does not include a COVID-19 booster. Fully vaccinated, however, is not the same as having the best protection. People are best protected when they stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, which includes getting a booster when eligible.

Yes. You are up to date if you have completed a COVID-19 vaccine primary series and received the most recent booster dose recommended for you by CDC.

Adults and children may have some side effects from a COVID-19 vaccine, including pain, redness or swelling at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea. Serious side effects are rare, but may occur.

Yes. COVID-19 boosters are the same ingredients (formulation) as the current COVID-19 vaccines.

Yes. COVID-19 vaccines are working well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death. However, public health experts are seeing reduced protection over time [1 MB, 68 pages] against mild and moderate disease, especially among certain populations.

People (except those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised) who first received a J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine and got it again for their booster may also receive a booster of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna). Get the mRNA booster at least 2 months after the most recent J&J/Janssen booster.

• One CDC study found that adults who received the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine as both their primary and booster had lower levels of protection against COVID-19-associated emergency department and urgent care visits during Omicron compared to adults who received an mRNA COVID-19 booster.

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.

Scientists are monitoring how long COVID-19 vaccine protection lasts. COVID-19 vaccines work well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death. However, public health experts are seeing decreases in the protection COVID-19 vaccines provide over time, especially for certain groups of people. Due to this, CDC recommends everyone stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines for their age group:

• Children and teens ages 6 months–17 years
• Adults ages 18 years and older

Learn more about COVID-19 booster recommendations, including recommendations for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.

CDC continues to review evidence and updates guidance as new information becomes available.

The number of vaccine doses you need to complete your primary series depends on which vaccine you receive.

• 2 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine 3–8* weeks apart for people 5 years and older, or
• 3 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for ages 6 months through 4 years, first and second dose 3-8 weeks apart, second and third dose at least 8 weeks apart*.
• 2 doses of Moderna vaccine 4–8* weeks apart for people ages 6 months and older.
• 2 doses of Novavax vaccine 3-8* weeks apart for people ages 12 years and older.
• 1 dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (J&J/Janssen) vaccine for people ages 18 and older.

*Talk to your healthcare or vaccine provider about the timing for the second dose in your primary series. You should not get the second dose early.

People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may have a different immune response following COVID-19 vaccination. Please see specific COVID-19 vaccination guidance for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.

No. If you receive your second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at any time after the recommended date, you do not have to restart the vaccine series. This guidance might be updated as more information becomes available.

Learn more about staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines.

An employer may require that their workers be vaccinated. Check directly with your employer to see if they have any vaccination requirements or rules that apply to you.

Your provider cannot give you a dose of vaccine that does not follow its specific vaccine product guidelines and requirements. All COVID-19 vaccine providers in the United States must be enrolled in the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program. To participate in this program, vaccine providers sign an agreement that states they will only administer COVID-19 vaccines in accordance with program requirements and recommendations including those of CDC, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Your provider can refer to the CDC Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States for specific information on administration of COVID-19 vaccines. These guidelines are based on safety and efficacy data and are updated as new information becomes available.

Results from recent research studies show that people who menstruate may observe small, temporary changes in menstruation after COVID-19 vaccination, including:

• Longer duration of menstrual periods
• Shorter intervals between periods
• Heavier bleeding than usual

Despite these temporary changes in menstruation, there is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause fertility problems.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccination for people who would like to have a baby.

The COVID-19 vaccines for children have the same active ingredients as the vaccines given to adults. However, children receive a smaller and more age-appropriate dose that is right for them. The smaller doses were rigorously tested and found to create the needed immune response for each age group. Making it important for your child to get the vaccine made for their age group.

Parents and caregivers should get their child vaccinated as soon as vaccines are available to them. Getting vaccinated provides the best protection against serious illness if a child gets infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Since there is no way to tell in advance how children, who are not moderately or severely immunocompromised, or those who may be immunocompromised. A child can be immunocompromised and still healthy, will be affected by COVID-19 it’s important to get them vaccinated as soon as possible to protect them against severe illness. To find your child a COVID-19 vaccine or booster near you:  Search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233.

There is no federal legal requirement for a parent, guardian, or caregiver to consent for COVID-19 or any other vaccination.  However, depending on each state or local law, this does not mean that consent is not required for select age groups.  State or local laws and policies, as well as vaccine provider policies, around minor consent for vaccination have existed for a long time and will also apply to COVID-19 vaccination of children.

No. COVID-19 vaccines that are currently available do not use the live virus that causes COVID-19. These vaccines work by using a harmless piece of spike protein from the virus causing COVID-19 to teach the body how to fight the virus that causes it. The body then gets rid of the harmless spike protein within a few days after vaccination.

Vaccine ingredients vary by manufacturer. None of the vaccines contain eggs, gelatin, latex, or preservatives. All COVID-19 vaccines are free from metals, such as iron, nickel, cobalt, lithium, and rare earth alloys. They are also free from manufactured products such as microelectronics, electrodes, carbon nanotubes, and nanowire semiconductors. None of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized or approved in the United States contain any live virus.

To learn more about the ingredients in authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccines, see

• Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Overview and Safety
• Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Overview and Safety
• Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Overview and Safety
• Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine Overview and Safety
• Ingredients Included in COVID-19 Vaccines

Although COVID-19 vaccines were developed quickly, research and development on vaccines like these have been underway for decades. All vaccine development steps were taken to ensure COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness, including:

• Clinical Trials – All vaccines in the United States must go through three phases of clinical trials to ensure they are safe and effective. The phases overlapped to speed up the process, but all phases were completed.
• Authorization or Approval – Before vaccines are available to people, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews data from clinical trials. FDA has determined COVID-19 vaccines meet FDA’s standards and has granted those vaccines Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) or full FDA approval.
• Tracking Safety Using Vaccine Monitoring Systems – Like every other vaccine approved for use in the United States, COVID-19 vaccines continue to be monitored for safety and effectiveness. Hundreds of millions of people in the United States have safely received COVID-19 vaccines. CDC and FDA continue to provide updated information on the safety of U.S. authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccines using data from several monitoring systems.

Learn more about developing COVID-19 vaccines.

Yes, COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to get pregnant now, as well as people who might become pregnant in the future. People with COVID-19 during pregnancy are more likely to deliver a preterm (earlier than 37 weeks) or stillborn infant and may also be more likely to have other pregnancy complications.

COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy helps:

• Prevent severe illness and death in people who are pregnant
• Protect babies younger than 6 months old from hospitalization caused by COVID-19

Learn more about vaccination considerations and the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccinations for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

If you are pregnant and have received a COVID-19 vaccine, we encourage you to enroll in v-safe, CDC’s smartphone-based system that provides personalized health check-ins after vaccination. A v-safe pregnancy registry has been established to gather information on the health of pregnant people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine.

COVID-19 can make children and teens very sick and sometimes requires treatment in a hospital. Getting eligible children and teens vaccinated against COVID-19 can help keep them from getting really sick if they do get COVID-19, including protecting them from short and long-term complications and hospitalization. Vaccinating children can also help keep them in school or daycare and safely participating in sports, playdates, and other group activities.

The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks. CDC recommends everyone stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines for their age group:

• Children and teens ages 6 months–17 years
• Adults ages 18 years and older

Learn 6 Things About the COVID-19 Vaccine for Children.

Use CDC’s COVID-19 Booster Tool to learn if and when your child or teen can get boosters to stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines.

You should get a COVID-19 vaccine even if you already had COVID-19.

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine after you recover from COVID-19 infection provides added protection against COVID-19. You may consider delaying your vaccine by 3 months from when your symptoms started or, if you had no symptoms, when you received a positive test.

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.

Learn more about the benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

No. You should wait to be vaccinated until after you complete your isolation period. People who have symptoms will end isolation at a different time than people who do not have symptoms. This also applies to people who have been vaccinated but get COVID-19 before getting any additional or booster doses. Additionally, you may consider delaying your next vaccine (primary dose or booster) by 3 months from when your symptoms started or, if you had no symptoms, when you received a positive test.

People who have had a known COVID-19 exposure should not seek vaccination until their quarantine period has ended to avoid potentially exposing healthcare personnel and others during the vaccination visit. This recommendation to wait also applies to people with a known COVID-19 exposure who have received their first dose and need additional or booster doses.

Learn more about how to stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines.

Yes, depending on your age, for your primary series you can choose which type of COVID-19 vaccine to get. If you are getting a COVID-19 booster, depending on your age and which type of COVID-19 vaccine you have already had, you may be able to choose which type of COVID-19 vaccine booster to get.

Learn more about which vaccine is available by age and how to stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccination.

There is no recommended waiting period between getting a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines. You can get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines, including a flu vaccine, at the same visit. Experience with other vaccines has shown that the way our bodies develop protection, known as an immune response, and possible side effects after getting vaccinated are generally the same when given alone or with other vaccines.

COVID-19 vaccination significantly lowers your risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death if you get infected. Compared to people who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations, unvaccinated people are more likely to get COVID-19, much more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19, and much more likely to die from COVID-19.

Like all vaccines, COVID-19 vaccines are not 100% effective at preventing infection. Some people who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations will get COVID-19 breakthrough infection. However, staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccinations means that you are less likely to have a breakthrough infection and, if you do get sick, you are less likely to get severely ill or die. Staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccination also means you are less likely to spread the disease to others and increases your protection against new variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

If you have lost your CDC COVID-19 Vaccination card or don’t have a copy of it, contact your vaccination provider directly to request a new vaccination card. They may be able to reissue a CDC COVID-19 Vaccination card.

• If you cannot contact your vaccination provider directly or your vaccination provider cannot reissue a CDC COVID-19 Vaccination card, contact your state health department’s immunization information system (IIS). Your state’s IIS cannot issue you a vaccination card, but they can provide a digital or paper copy of your full vaccination record, including your COVID-19 vaccinations.
• If you need another COVID-19 vaccine dose and are unable to get a copy of your vaccination card or vaccination record, talk to a vaccination provider to learn about your possible options.
• Some vaccination providers and health departments may offer you access to a QR code or digital copy of your CDC COVID-19 Vaccination card in addition to giving you a physical card. Contact your vaccination provider or local health department to learn if you can get a digital copy of your card.

CDC does not provide the white CDC COVID-19 Vaccination card to people and does not maintain vaccination records. CDC distributes the white CDC COVID-19 Vaccination cards to vaccination providers and only a vaccination provider can give you this card.

Generally, if you are up to date on your COVID-19 vaccinations, you do not need to wear a mask in outdoor settings. Check your local COVID-19 Community Level for recommendations on when to wear a mask indoors and additional precautions you can take to protect yourself from COVID-19. If you are immunocompromised or more likely to get very sick from COVID-19, learn more about how to protect yourself.

If you have a condition or are taking medications that weaken your immune system, your immune response to COVID-19 vaccination may not be as strong as in people who are not immunocompromised. Check your county’s COVID-19 Community Level for recommendations on whether you should wear a mask and additional actions you can take to protect yourself from COVID-19. You may choose to wear a mask at any time based on your own level of comfort and personal risk.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.

It depends on a number of factors. Learn more about Vaccination Received Outside the United States.

The white CDC COVID-19 vaccination cards are only issued to people vaccinated in the United States. However, there are several ways you can update your records with vaccines you received while outside the United States. Learn more about Vaccination Received Outside the United States.