Staying Up to Date
COVID-19 vaccines work well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Those who are unvaccinated remain at the highest risk for these serious outcomes of COVID-19.
You are best protected when you are up to date on your vaccines. Being up to date means that you have received all doses in the primary series and at least one booster dose when you are eligible.
Being up to date is important because studies show protection against COVID-19 infection decreases over time. This means that people who have not received a booster dose are more likely to get sick with COVID-19 and possibly spread it to others.
The recommendations for booster doses are different depending on your age, your health status, what vaccine you first received, and when you first got vaccinated.
Vaccine Recommendations for Everyone Ages 5 Years and Older
| Vaccine Brand for Primary Series |
Pfizer-BioNTech |
Pfizer-BioNTech |
Pfizer-BioNTech |
Moderna |
Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (J&J)***
|
| Age (in years) |
5-11 |
12-17 |
18+ |
18+ |
18+ |
| Number of Doses in Primary Series |
Two doses, at least 3 weeks apart** |
Two doses, 3–8 weeks apart** |
Two doses, 3–8 weeks apart** |
Two doses, 4–8 weeks apart** |
One dose |
|
Additional Dose Recommendation for Immunocompromised
|
Yes, see below |
Yes, see below
|
Yes, see below |
Yes, see below
|
Yes, see below
|
|
Booster Dose Recommendation
|
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at least 5 months after primary series
|
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at least 5 months after primary series
|
Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine at least 5 months after primary series
|
Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine at least 5 months after primary series |
Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine at least 2 months after primary series
|
|
Second Booster Dose Recommendation
|
Not at this time
|
Moderately or severely immunocompromised: Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at least 4 months after first booster
|
50+: Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine at least 4 months after first booster
18-49 & moderately or severely immunocompromised: Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine at least 4 months after first booster
|
50+: Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine at least 4 months after first booster
|
50+: Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine at least 4 months after first booster
18-49 & received J&J as both primary series dose and booster dose: BioNTech or Moderna vaccine at least 4 months after first booster
|
|
Fully Vaccinated*
|
14 days after second dose (primary series)
|
14 days after second dose (primary series)
|
14 days after second dose (primary series) |
14 days after second dose (primary series)
|
14 days after your vaccine
|
|
Up to date
|
Immediately after first booster dose
|
Immediately after getting all recommended boosters
|
Immediately after getting all recommended boosters |
Immediately after getting all recommended boosters
|
Immediately after getting all recommended boosters
|
* For someone who is moderately or severely immunocompromised, being fully vaccinated also means having received an additional vaccine dose. See below.
** Talk to your healthcare or vaccine provider about the timing for the second dose in your primary series.
- People ages 12 through 64 years, and especially males ages 12 through 39 years, may consider getting the second dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) 8 weeks after the first dose. A longer time between the first and second doses may increase how much protection the vaccines offer, and further minimize the already rare risk of heart problems, including myocarditis and pericarditis.
- People ages 5 through 11 years, people ages 65 years and older, people more likely to get very sick from COVID-19, or anyone wanting protection due to high levels of community transmission should get the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine 3 weeks (or 21 days) after the first dose, or the second dose of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine 4 weeks (or 28 days) after the first dose.
*** Although mRNA vaccines are preferred, J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine may be considered in some situations.
