Preparing for Your COVID-19 Vaccination
COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting you from getting sick. Vaccination is an important tool to help us get back to normal. This information will help you prepare for your COVID-19 vaccination.
Learn more about the different types of COVID-19 vaccines and how they work.
- Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
- Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
- Johnson and Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine
Learn more about the benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccination.
Find a COVID-19 Vaccine: Search vaccines.gov, text your zip code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations near you.
Plan and Prepare for Your COVID-19 Vaccination
- Find out how to get a COVID-19 vaccine
- Don’t plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as other vaccines.
- Learn more about routine medical procedures and screenings and COVID-19 vaccination.
play circle light iconWatch Video: What to Expect at Your COVID-19 Vaccination Appointment [00:00:48]
Considerations for Taking Medication before Getting Vaccinated
For most people, it is not recommended to avoid, discontinue, or delay medications for underlying medical conditions around the time of COVID-19 vaccination. However, your healthcare provider should talk to you about what is currently known and not known about the effectiveness of getting a COVID-19 vaccine when taking medications that suppress the immune system.
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. However, 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.
If you have questions about medications that you are taking, talk to your doctor or your vaccination provider.