At a glance
- A 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for all adults ages 18 years and older.
- A 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine is also recommended for all children ages 6 months–17 years with moderate to severe immunocompromise; for all other children in this age group, a COVID-19 vaccine is recommended through shared clinical decision making between parents or legal guardians and healthcare professionals.
- The recommended vaccine and number of doses are based on age, vaccination history, and immune status.
- Where a recommendation on this page describes use that is not within the FDA-approved indication, the page identifies it as off-label.
- See Table 2 for the vaccination schedule for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.
Introduction
A 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for all adults ages 18 years and older. A 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine is also recommended for all children ages 6 months–17 years with moderate to severe immunocompromise. For all other children in this age group, a COVID-19 vaccine is recommended through shared clinical decision making between parents or legal guardians and healthcare professionals—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 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccination schedule for persons without immunocompromise is detailed in Table 1. The recommended vaccine and number of 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine doses are based on age and vaccination history. This table includes asterisks to indicate where recommendations are for off-label use of FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines.
Table 1: 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccination schedule, November 4, 2025
1a: Ages 6–23 months
| COVID-19 vaccination history before 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine*** | Number of 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine doses indicated**** | Recommended 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine† and interval between doses |
|---|---|---|
Unvaccinated:
|
||
| Unvaccinated | 2 | 2026-2027 COVID-19 Vaccine Dose 1 (Moderna): Day 0
2026-2027 COVID-19 Vaccine Dose 2 (Moderna): 4–8 weeks after Dose 1‡
|
Initiated but did not complete the initial series before 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine:
|
||
| 1 dose Moderna | 1 | 2026-2027 COVID-19 Vaccine Dose 1 (Moderna): 4–8 weeks after last dose‡ |
| 1 dose Pfizer-BioNTech** | 2 | 2026-2027 COVID-19 Vaccine Dose 1 (Moderna): 3–8 weeks after last dose‡
2026-2027 COVID-19 Vaccine Dose 2 (Moderna): At least 4 weeks after Dose 1
|
| 2 doses Pfizer-BioNTech** | 1 | 2026-2027 COVID-19 Vaccine Dose 1 (Moderna): At least 8 weeks after last dose |
Completed the initial series before 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine:
|
||
| 2 or more doses Moderna or 3 or more doses Pfizer-BioNTech | 1 | 2026-2027 COVID-19 Vaccine Dose 1 (Moderna): At least 8 weeks after last dose |
*FDA approval for Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (Spikevax) is limited to persons aged 6 -23 months with at least one condition that places them at increased risk for severe COVID-19. Vaccination of children 6-23 months of age with any product other than Spikevax and vaccination of children in this age group without high-risk conditions is off-label use.
**Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is no longer authorized in the United States for children ages 6 months–4 years. Children in this age group who began vaccination with Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and have not completed the recommended number of doses cannot complete the series with the same product. CDC advises completing vaccination with an available age-appropriate product, consistent with CDC guidance on interchangeability of COVID-19 vaccines. This guidance is issued to prevent children from remaining with an incomplete series. It is based on CDC interchangeability guidance and the judgment of CDC clinical and public health experts. It has not been reviewed by ACIP for the 2026-2027 formulations.
***COVID-19 vaccination history refers to all doses of COVID-19 vaccine from any manufacturer received before the availability of the 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccines.
****Giving more than one dose to any individual of any age regardless of risk status is not a recognized indication for use by the FDA and would be administered off-label, with the exception of 6-23 month old children with at least one underlying condition that puts them at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19.
†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. In a retrospective cohort study that included >4 million persons 16-25 years of age during 2020-2025, the incidence of myocarditis after COVID-19 illness was 0.05% and the incidence of myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination was 0.005%.
1b: Ages 2–4 years
| COVID-19 vaccination history before 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine† | Number of 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine doses indicated | Recommended 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine‡ and interval between doses |
|---|---|---|
Unvaccinated:
|
||
| Unvaccinated | 1 | 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine Dose 1 (Moderna): Day 0 |
Previously vaccinated before 2026-2027 vaccine:
|
||
| 1 or more doses mRNA (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccine | 1 | 2026-2027 COVID-19 Vaccine Dose 1 (Moderna): At least 8 weeks after last dose |
*FDA approval for Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (Spikevax) for children 2 – 4 years of age is limited to children with at least one condition that places them at increased risk for severe COVID-19. Vaccination of children 6-23 months of age with any product other than Spikevax and vaccination of children in this age group without high-risk conditions is off-label use.
**Children who transition from age 23 months to age 2 years during the initial vaccination with 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine (i.e., after they received Dose 1 but before Dose 2) may 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 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccines.
‡Dosage for Moderna (Spikevax): 0.25 mL/25 ug.
1c: Ages 5–11 years
| COVID-19 vaccination history before 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine** | Number of 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine doses indicated | Recommended 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine† and interval between doses |
|---|---|---|
Unvaccinated:
|
||
| Unvaccinated | 1 | 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine dose 1 (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech): Day 0 |
Previously vaccinated before 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine:
|
||
| 1 or more doses mRNA (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccine | 1 | 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine dose 1 (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech): At least 8 weeks after last dose |
*FDA approvals for Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (Spikevax) and Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) are limited to persons 5 – 11 years of age with at least one condition that places them at increased risk for severe COVID-19. Vaccination of children 5-11 years of age with any product other than Spikevax or Comirnaty and vaccination of children in this age group without high-risk conditions is off-label use.
**COVID-19 vaccination history refers to all doses of COVID-19 vaccine from any manufacturer received before the availability of the 2026-2027 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 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine** | Number of 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine doses indicated | Recommended 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine† and interval between doses |
|---|---|---|
Unvaccinated:
|
||
| Unvaccinated | 1 | 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine dose 1 (Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech): Day 0 |
Previously vaccinated before 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine:
|
||
| 1 or more doses any COVID-19 vaccine (Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech) | 1 | 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine dose 1 (Moderna [Spikevax], Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech): At least 8 weeks after last dose; (Moderna [mNexspike]): At least 3 months after last dose‡ |
*FDA approval for Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (Spikevax) is limited to persons 12 – 64 years of age with at least one condition that places them at increased risk for severe COVID-19. Vaccination of persons 12-64 years of age without high-risk conditions is off-label use.
**COVID-19 vaccination history refers to all doses of COVID-19 vaccine from any manufacturer received before the availability of the 2026-2027 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 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine** | Number of 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine doses indicated | Recommended 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine† and interval between doses |
|---|---|---|
Unvaccinated:
|
||
| Unvaccinated | 2 | 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine dose 1 (Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech): Day 0
2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine dose 2 (Moderna [Spikevax], Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech): 6 months (minimum interval 2 months) after 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine dose 1; (Moderna [mNexspike]): 6 months (minimum interval 3 months)‡ after 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine dose 1
|
Previously vaccinated before 2026-2027 vaccine:
|
||
| 1 or more doses any COVID-19 vaccine (Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech) | 2 | 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine dose 1 (Moderna [Spikevax], Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech): At least 8 weeks after last dose; (Moderna [mNexspike]): At least 3 months after last dose‡
2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine dose 2 (Moderna [Spikevax], Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech): 6 months (minimum interval 2 months) after 2026-2027 Dose 1; (Moderna [mNexspike]): 6 months (minimum interval 3 months)‡ after 2026-2027 Dose 1
|
*FDA approval for available COVID-19 vaccines is limited to a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine in this age group. Giving more than one dose of COVID-19 vaccine to adults ages 65 years and older is off-label use.
**COVID-19 vaccination history refers to all doses of COVID-19 vaccine from any manufacturer received before the availability of the 2026-2027 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 based on the package insert; however, a dose administered at least 2 months after the last dose should not be repeated based on clinical and public health expert opinion.
Content Source
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; Coronavirus and Other Respiratory Viruses Division
About This Page
Published: May 1, 2025
Updated: September 23, 2026
This page was last updated on this date. Updates may include minor edits, image changes, or other modifications to page content.
Reviewed: September 23, 2026
The information on this page was last reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy.