At a glance
- The 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for people ages 6 months and older based on individual-based decision-making (also known as shared clinical decision making).
- The recommended vaccine and number of doses are based on age and vaccination history.
- People can self-attest to factors that increase their risk for severe COVID-19 and receive COVID-19 vaccination.
- See Table 2 for the vaccination schedule for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.
Introduction
COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all adults ages 65 years and older based on individual-based decision-making (also known as shared clinical decision-making). For people ages 6 months–64 years, vaccination is recommended based on individual-based decision-making (also known as shared clinical decision-making)—with an emphasis that the risk-benefit of vaccination is most favorable for individuals who are at an increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease and lowest for individuals who are not at an increased risk, according to the CDC list of COVID-19 risk factors. In addition to the CDC list, the Moderna (Spikevax) package insert states that prematurity (birth at <37 weeks gestational age) has been associated with COVID-19-related hospitalizations in children ages 6–23 months.
Additionally, some people may be at increased risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection including healthcare workers and residents and employees in long-term care facilities and other residential congregate settings.
The 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccination schedule is detailed in Table 1. The recommended vaccine and number of 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccine doses are based on age and vaccination history.
Table 1: 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccination schedule, November 4, 2025
1a: Ages 6–23 months
| COVID-19 vaccination history before 2025–2026 vaccine* | Number of 2025–2026 doses indicated | Recommended 2025–2026 vaccine† and interval between doses |
|---|---|---|
Unvaccinated:
|
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| Unvaccinated | 2 | 2025–2026 Dose 1 (Moderna): Day 0
2025–2026 Dose 2 (Moderna): 4–8 weeks after 2025–2026 Dose 1‡
|
Initiated but did not complete the initial series before 2025–2026 vaccine:
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| 1 dose Moderna | 1 | 2025–2026 Dose 1 (Moderna): 4–8 weeks after last dose‡ |
| 1 dose Pfizer-BioNTech | 2 | 2025–2026 Dose 1 (Moderna): 3–8 weeks after last dose‡
2025–2026 Dose 2 (Moderna): At least 4 weeks after 2025–2026 Dose 1
|
| 2 doses Pfizer-BioNTech | 1 | 2025–2026 Dose 1 (Moderna): At least 8 weeks after last dose |
Completed the initial series before 2025–2026 vaccine:
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| 2 or more doses Moderna or 3 or more doses Pfizer-BioNTech | 1 | 2025–2026 Dose 1 (Moderna): At least 8 weeks after last dose |
*COVID-19 vaccination history refers to all doses of COVID-19 vaccine from any manufacturer received before the availability of the 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccines.
†Dosage for Moderna (Spikevax): 0.25 mL/25 ug.
‡An 8-week interval between the first and second COVID-19 vaccine doses (i.e., extended interval) might reduce the rare risk of myocarditis and pericarditis associated with COVID-19 vaccines.
1b: Ages 2–4 years
| COVID-19 vaccination history before 2025–2026 vaccine† | Number of 2025–2026 doses indicated | Recommended 2025–2026 vaccine‡ and interval between doses |
|---|---|---|
Unvaccinated:
|
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| Unvaccinated | 1 | 2025–2026 Dose 1 (Moderna): Day 0 |
Previously vaccinated before 2025–2026 vaccine:
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| 1 or more doses mRNA (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccine | 1 | 2025–2026 Dose 1 (Moderna): At least 8 weeks after last dose |
*Children who transition from age 23 months to age 2 years during the initial vaccination with 2025–2026 vaccine (i.e., after they received Dose 1 but before Dose 2) should receive 1 dose of Moderna (Spikevax) 4–8 weeks after Dose 1.
†COVID-19 vaccination history refers to all doses of COVID-19 vaccine from any manufacturer received before the availability of the 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccines.
‡Dosage for Moderna (Spikevax): 0.25 mL/25 ug.
1c: Ages 5–11 years
| COVID-19 vaccination history before 2025–2026 vaccine* | Number of 2025–2026 doses indicated | Recommended 2025–2026 vaccine† and interval between doses |
|---|---|---|
Unvaccinated:
|
||
| Unvaccinated | 1 | 2025–2026 Dose 1 (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech): Day 0 |
Previously vaccinated before 2025–2026 vaccine:
|
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| 1 or more doses mRNA (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccine | 1 | 2025–2026 Dose 1 (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech): At least 8 weeks after last dose |
*COVID-19 vaccination history refers to all doses of COVID-19 vaccine from any manufacturer received before the availability of the 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccines.
†Dosage for Moderna (Spikevax): 0.25 mL/25 ug; dosage for Pfizer-BioNTech: 0.3 mL/10 ug.
1d: Ages 12–64 years
| COVID-19 vaccination history before 2025–2026 vaccine* | Number of 2025–2026 doses indicated | Recommended 2025–2026 vaccine† and interval between doses |
|---|---|---|
Unvaccinated:
|
||
| Unvaccinated | 1 | 2025–2026 Dose 1 (Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech): Day 0 |
Previously vaccinated before 2025–2026 vaccine:
|
||
| 1 or more doses any COVID-19 vaccine (Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech) | 1 | 2025–2026 Dose 1 (Moderna [Spikevax], Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech): At least 8 weeks after last dose; (Moderna [mNexspike]): At least 3 months after last dose‡ |
*COVID-19 vaccination history refers to all doses of COVID-19 vaccine from any manufacturer received before the availability of the 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccines.
†Dosage for Moderna (mNexspike): 0.2 mL/10 ug; dosage for Moderna (Spikevax): 0.5 mL/50 ug; dosage for Novavax: 0.5 mL/5 ug rS protein and 50 ug Matrix-M adjuvant; dosage for Pfizer-BioNTech: 0.3 mL/30 ug.
‡The recommended interval for Moderna (mNexspike) is 3 months after the last dose; however, a dose administered at least 2 months after the last dose should not be repeated.
1e: Ages 65 years and older
| COVID-19 vaccination history before 2025–2026 vaccine* | Number of 2025–2026 doses indicated | Recommended 2025–2026 vaccine† and interval between doses |
|---|---|---|
Unvaccinated:
|
||
| Unvaccinated | 2 | 2025–2026 Dose 1 (Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech): Day 0
2025–2026 Dose 2 (Moderna [Spikevax], Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech): 6 months (minimum interval 2 months) after 2025–2026 Dose 1; (Moderna [mNexspike]): 6 months (minimum interval 3 months)‡ after 2025–2026 Dose 1
|
Previously vaccinated before 2025–2026 vaccine:
|
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| 1 or more doses any COVID-19 vaccine (Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech) | 2 | 2025–2026 Dose 1 (Moderna [Spikevax], Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech): At least 8 weeks after last dose; (Moderna [mNexspike]): At least 3 months after last dose‡
2025–2026 Dose 2 (Moderna [Spikevax], Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech): 6 months (minimum interval 2 months) after 2025–2026 Dose 1; (Moderna [mNexspike]): 6 months (minimum interval 3 months)‡ after 2025–2026 Dose 1
|
*COVID-19 vaccination history refers to all doses of COVID-19 vaccine from any manufacturer received before the availability of the 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccines.
†Dosage for Moderna (mNexspike) 0.2 mL/10 ug; dosage for Moderna (Spikevax): 0.5 mL/50 ug; dosage for Novavax: 0.5 mL/5 ug rS protein and 50 ug Matrix-M adjuvant; dosage for Pfizer-BioNTech: 0.3 mL/30 ug.
‡The recommended interval for Moderna (mNexspike) is 3 months after the last dose; however, a dose administered at least 2 months after the last dose should not be repeated.
Self-attestation of COVID-19 risk factors
People can self-attest to factors that increase their risk for severe COVID-19 during the individual-based decision-making process and receive COVID-19 vaccine doses wherever vaccines are offered. Vaccinators should not deny COVID-19 vaccination to a person due to lack of documentation.