CDC recommends that people ages 5 years and older receive one updated (bivalent) booster if it has been at least 2 months since their last COVID-19 vaccine dose, whether that was:
People who have gotten more than one original (monovalent) booster are also recommended to get an updated (bivalent) booster.
COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States are effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and dying. As with other vaccine-preventable diseases, you are protected best from COVID-19 when you stay up to date with the recommended vaccinations, including recommended boosters.
Four COVID-19 vaccines are approved or authorized in the United States:
The updated (bivalent) boosters are called “bivalent” because they protect against both the original virus that causes COVID-19 and the Omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5.
Previous boosters are called “monovalent” because they were designed to protect against the original virus that causes COVID-19. They also provide some protection against Omicron, but not as much as the updated (bivalent) boosters.
The virus that causes COVID-19 has changed over time. The different versions of the virus that have developed over time are called variants. Learn more about variants of the COVID-19 virus.
Two COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers, Pfizer and Moderna, have developed updated (bivalent) COVID-19 boosters.
You are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines if you have completed a COVID-19 vaccine primary series and received the most recent booster dose recommended for you by CDC.
COVID-19 vaccine recommendations are based on three things:
People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised have different recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines.
You are still up to date if you receive all COVID-19 vaccine doses recommended for you and then become ill with COVID-19. You do not need to be immediately revaccinated or receive an additional booster.
If you recently had COVID-19, you may consider delaying your next vaccine dose (whether a primary dose or booster) by 3 months from when your symptoms started or, if you had no symptoms, when you first received a positive test.
Reinfection is less likely in the weeks to months after infection. However, certain factors, such as personal risk of severe disease, or risk of disease in a loved one or close contact, local COVID-19 Community Level, and the most common COVID-19 variant currently causing illness, could be reasons to get a vaccine sooner rather than later.
COVID-19 vaccine dosage is based on age on the day of vaccination, not on size or weight. Children get a smaller dose of COVID-19 vaccine than teens and adults based on their age group.
3–8 weeks after 1st dose
More details: Getting your 2nd dose
At least 8 weeks after 2nd dose
Up to Date: 2 weeks after 3rd dose, since a booster is not recommended for this age group at this time
More details: Staying up to date
3–8 weeks after 1st dose
More details: Getting your 2nd dose
At least 2 months after 2nd dose or last booster, children age 5 years can only get a Pfizer-BioNTech booster, and children ages 6–11 years can get a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna booster.
Up to Date: Immediately after you have received the most recent booster recommended for you
More details: Staying up to date
3–8 weeks after 1st dose
More details: Getting your 2nd dose
At least 2 months after 2nd dose or last booster
Up to Date: Immediately after you have received the most recent booster recommended for you
More details: Staying up to date
4–8 weeks after 1st dose
More details: Getting your 2nd dose
Children 5 years of age can get a Pfizer-BioNTech booster at least 2 months after their 2nd dose. (Children 6 months to 4 years are not recommended for a booster.)
Up to Date: Children 6 months to 4 years of age are up to date two weeks after completing the 2nd dose of their primary series. Children 5 years of age who received a Moderna primary series are up to date immediately after they have received the most recent booster recommended for them.
More details: Staying up to date
4–8 weeks after 1st dose
More details: Getting your 2nd dose
At least 2 months after 2nd primary series dose
Up to Date: Immediately after you have received the most recent booster recommended for you
More details: Staying up to date
Novavax is not authorized as a booster dose at this time.
3-8 weeks after 1st dose
More details: Getting your 2nd dose
At least 2 months after 2nd primary series dose
Up to Date: Immediately after you have received the most recent booster recommended for you
More details: Staying up to date
3–8 weeks after 1st dose
More details: Getting your 2nd dose
At least 2 months after 2nd primary series dose or last booster
Up to Date: Immediately after you have received the most recent booster recommended for you
More details: Staying up to date
4–8 weeks after 1st dose
More details: Getting your 2nd dose
At least 2 months after 2nd primary series dose or last booster
Up to Date: Immediately after you have received the most recent booster recommended for you
More details: Staying up to date
3–8 weeks after 1st dose
More details: Getting your 2nd dose
At least 2 months after 2nd primary series dose
A monovalent Novavax booster is available in limited situations
More details: Novavax booster
Up to Date: Immediately after you have received the most recent booster recommended for you
More details: Staying up to date
At least 2 months after 2nd primary series dose
A monovalent J&J/Janssen booster is available in limited situations.
More details: J&J/Janssen booster
Up to Date: Immediately after you have received the most recent booster recommended for you
More details: Staying up to date
Getting your 2nd dose: Talk to your healthcare or vaccine provider about the timing for the 2nd dose in your primary series.
Staying up to date: If you have completed your primary series, but are not yet eligible for a booster, you are also considered up to date.
Novavax booster: You may get a monovalent Novavax booster if you are unable or unwilling to receive a Pfizer or Moderna updated (bivalent) COVID-19 booster and you meet the following requirements:
CDC does not recommend mixing products for your primary series doses. If you received Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Novavax for the first dose of your primary series, you should get the same product for all following primary series doses.
The following information applies to boosters for people ages 5 and older. Children under age 5 years are not recommended to receive a booster at this time.
Children age 5 years old are only currently recommended to receive the updated (bivalent) Pfizer-BioNTech booster, and they can get this booster whether they received the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna primary series.
Children age 5 years old can no longer get an original (monovalent) mRNA (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) booster.
People ages 6 years and older can get a different product for their updated (bivalent) booster than they received for their primary series or last booster. People ages 6 years and older can no longer get an original (monovalent) mRNA (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) booster.
To find COVID-19 vaccine locations near you: Search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233.
Specific recommendations for people vaccinated outside the United States depend on whether:
These recommendations apply only to people who are not moderately or severely immunocompromised.
Vaccines approved or authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently include:
Vaccines listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO) currently include those that are listed above and the following:
CDC does not recommend mixing different COVID-19 vaccines for the primary series, but CDC is aware that mixing COVID-19 vaccines for the primary series is increasingly common in many countries outside the United States. Therefore, people who receive a mixed primary series, meaning two different COVID-19 vaccines, have completed the series.
If you are not yet eligible for a booster, you are considered up to date. Otherwise, stay up to date by getting the booster recommended for you as soon as a booster is recommended for you based on your age and the appropriate time has passed since completing the primary series.
The white CDC COVID-19 vaccination cards are issued only to people vaccinated in the United States. CDC recommends that people vaccinated outside of the United States keep their documentation of being vaccinated in another country as proof of vaccination. CDC does not keep vaccination records nor determine how vaccination records are used. People can update their records with vaccines they received while outside of the United States by:
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccination cards.
For Healthcare Workers: Learn more about the recommendations for people vaccinated outside of the United States.
Use of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States: Interim Clinical Considerations
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