What to know
- 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.
- The COVID-19 vaccine helps protect you from severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
- It is especially important to get your 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine if you are ages 65 and older, are at high risk for severe COVID-19, or have never received a COVID-19 vaccine.
- Vaccine protection decreases over time, so it is important to get your 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine.
Importance of staying up to date
- Getting the 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine is important because:
- Protection from the COVID-19 vaccine decreases with time.
- Immunity after COVID-19 infection decreases with time.
- COVID-19 vaccines are updated to give you the best protection from the currently circulating strains.
- Getting the 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine is especially important if you:
- Never received a COVID-19 vaccine
- Are ages 65 years and older
- Are at high risk for severe COVID-19
- Are living in a long-term care facility
- Want to lower your risk of getting Long COVID
When are you up to date?
A 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for all adults ages 18 years and older in the United States for the prevention of COVID-19.
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.
People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised
There are different recommendations if you are moderately or severely immunocompromised; see Vaccines for Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised People.
People who recently had COVID-19
- If you recently had COVID-19, you may delay getting a COVID-19 vaccine for 3 months after symptoms started OR after receiving a positive test with no symptoms
- The risk of getting COVID-19 is less likely in the weeks to months following a SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- Certain factors could be reasons to get a vaccine sooner rather than later, such as:
- Personal risk of severe COVID-19
- Risk of severe COVID-19 in a family or household member or other close contact
- Local levels of COVID-19 illness
Available COVID-19 Vaccines
Three vaccines are available for use in the United States. There is no preference for one vaccine over the other when more than one vaccine is recommended for an age group.
- The 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccines are updated to give you the best protection from the currently circulating strains.
Vaccine
Can be given to:
2026-2027 Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine: Spikevax
Anyone ages 6 months and older
2026-2027 Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine: mNexspike
2026-2027 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine: Comirnaty
Anyone ages 5 years and older
2026-2027 Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine: Nuvaxovid
Anyone ages 12 years and older
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