Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccines
About Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Coronavirus disease 2019, or (COVID-19), is a respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a coronavirus discovered in 2019. The virus spreads mainly from person-to-person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Some people who are infected may not have symptoms. For people who have symptoms, illness can range from mild to severe. Everyone 6 months and older should receive at least one dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against serious illness, hospitalization, and death.
COVID-19 vaccines can help reduce the risk of illness from COVID-19 and its potentially serious complications.
Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) are information sheets produced by CDC that explain both the benefits and risks of a vaccine.
Vaccine Information Statement | Current VISs | CDCVISs are available for mRNA vaccines for people ages 12 years and older. For more information, go to
COVID-19 vaccine EUA Factsheets.
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
Novavax COVID-19 vaccine
Available Vaccines, Package Inserts, and Factsheets
There are two types of COVID-19 vaccines approved for use or authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States. For most people, these vaccines are given as an injection in the muscle of the upper arm. For infants and toddlers, these vaccines are usually given as an injection in the thigh muscle.
- Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty®) and Moderna (Spikevax®) – are mRNA vaccines that use mRNA created in a laboratory to teach cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response inside the body. These vaccines are authorized for children ages 6 months through 11 years and approved for people ages 12 years and older. CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older receive at least one dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine.
- Novavax – is a protein subunit vaccine that contains spike proteins of the virus that causes COVID-19. After learning how to respond to the spike protein, the immune system will respond quickly to protect against the actual COVID-19 virus. It is authorized for people 12 years and older.
To learn more about how the different types of COVID-19 vaccines work, go to
Understanding How COVID-19 Vaccines Work | CDC.
Talk with your
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Child and Adult Immunization Schedules
Get CDC’s official recommended immunization schedules for children, adolescents, and adults.
Manufacturer Package Inserts and Factsheets
There are currently two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States that have full approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in people ages 12 and older (Pfizer-BioNTech [Comirnaty®] and Moderna [Spikevax®]). These vaccines are authorized for emergency use in children ages 6 months through 11 years. They are designed to protect people ages 6 months and older against COVID-19.
Novavax, a protein subunit COVID-19 vaccine, is also available in the United States. Novavax is authorized for use in people ages 12 years and older.
These vaccines have been updated for 2023-2024 to protect against circulating variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. CDC recommends that people receive the age-appropriate vaccine product and dosage based on their age on the day of vaccination.
Severe allergic reactions following vaccination are rare but can be life threatening.
Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction may include:
- Anaphylaxis, which is a life-threatening reaction that needs to be treated with epinephrine (EpiPen) and may require hospitalization. Symptoms include wheezing, difficulty breathing, or low blood pressure; and sometimes hives.
- Swelling of the airway, which includes the tongue, uvula, or larynx.
- A widespread rash involving the skin and inside places like your mouth or nose that required hospitalization.
Common Side Effects
- Pain, soreness, redness at injection site
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Joint pain
- Chills
- Fever
- Nausea/vomiting (Moderna)
- In infants and toddlers, common symptoms include irritability or crying, decreased appetite, and sleepiness
Common Side Effects
- Pain, soreness, redness at injection site
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Joint pain
- Chills
- Fever
- Nausea/vomiting (Moderna)
- In infants and toddlers, common symptoms include irritability or crying, decreased appetite, and sleepiness
Common Side Effects
- Pain, soreness, redness at injection site
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Joint pain
- Chills
- Fever
- Nausea/vomiting (Moderna)
- In infants and toddlers, common symptoms include irritability or crying, decreased appetite, and sleepiness
Who Should Not Get an mRNA Vaccine
People should not get an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine if they:
- Are younger than 6 months
- Have had a severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) after a previous dose or to an ingredient of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine
People should talk to their healthcare provider before getting an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine if they:
- Have had an immediate allergic reaction to a previous dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine that was not severe
- Have had an allergic reaction to an ingredient in the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine that was not severe
- Have a recent history of COVID-19 infection
- Are sick with a moderate or severe illness, with or without a fever
- Have a history of MIS-C or MIS-A
- Have a history of myocarditis or pericarditis within 3 weeks after a dose of any COVID-19 vaccine
Common Side Effects
- Pain, soreness, redness, swelling at injection site
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Joint pain
- Chills
- Fever
- Nausea/vomiting
Common Side Effects
- Pain, soreness, redness, swelling at injection site
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Joint pain
- Chills
- Fever
- Nausea/vomiting
Common Side Effects
- Pain, soreness, redness, swelling at injection site
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Joint pain
- Chills
- Fever
- Nausea/vomiting
Who Should Not Get a Protein Subunit Vaccine
People should not get a protein subunit COVID-19 vaccine if they:
- Are younger than 12 years
- Have had a severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) after a previous dose or to an ingredient of Novavax vaccine
People should talk to their healthcare provider before getting a protein subunit COVID-19 vaccine if they:
- Have had an immediate allergic reaction to a previous dose of a Novavax COVID-19 vaccine that was not severe
- Have had an allergic reaction to an ingredient in the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine that was not severe
- Have a recent history of COVID-19 infection
- Are sick with a moderate or severe illness, with or without a fever
- Have a history of MIS-C or MIS-A
- Have a history of myocarditis or pericarditis within 3 weeks after a dose of any COVID-19 vaccine
- COVID-19 Vaccination: What everyone should knowWhat everyone should know about COVID-19 and the vaccines that can protect against it.
- Who Should Not Get Vaccinated?Some people should not get certain vaccines or should wait before getting them. Read the CDC guidelines for each vaccine.
- COVID-19 ACIP Vaccine RecommendationsOfficial recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
- COVID-19 Vaccination Provider Requirements and SupportGuidance for healthcare professionals about the CDC COVID-19 vaccination program.
COVID-19 vaccines meet the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) standards for safety and effectiveness. In rare cases, people have experienced serious health events after COVID-19 vaccination. Any health problem that happens after vaccination is considered an adverse event following immunization. An adverse event can be caused by the vaccine or be a coincidental event that is not related to the vaccine, such as an unrelated fever, that happened following vaccination.
To date, the systems in place to monitor the safety of these vaccines have found two serious types of adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination.
The two serious adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination currently used in the United States are anaphylaxis and myocarditis or pericarditis.
Anaphylaxis is a severe type of allergic reaction that can rarely happen after any vaccine. Anaphylaxis needs to be treated with epinephrine (for example, EpiPen) and may require hospitalization. Anaphylaxis can involve wheezing, difficulty breathing, or low blood pressure; and sometimes is accompanied by hives. Anaphylaxis after COVID-19 vaccination is rare.
Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle, and pericarditis is inflammation of the outer lining of the heart. Myocarditis and pericarditis after COVID-19 vaccination are rare.
The evidence suggests that, although rare, these events are linked to certain types of COVID-19 vaccinations that were administered.
Learn more about these Selected Adverse Events Reported after COVID-19 Vaccination.
Which adverse events are considered “serious?”
By regulation, an adverse event is defined as serious if it involves any of the following outcomes:
- Death
- A life-threatening adverse event
- A persistent or significant disability or incapacity
- A congenital anomaly or birth defect
- Hospitalization, or prolongation of existing hospitalization
CDC and FDA monitor the safety of vaccines after they are approved. If a problem is found with a vaccine, CDC and FDA will inform health officials, healthcare providers, and the public.