Below are answers to commonly asked questions about COVID-19 vaccination.
No. Currently, CDC recommends one updated COVID-19 booster dose:
CDC recommends everyone stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines for their age group:
To find a COVID-19 vaccination location near you, search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829 (for English), or 882862 (for Spanish), or call 1-800-232-0233. Then, call or visit the vaccine provider’s website to make an appointment.
CDC will continue to provide updated information and guidance as it becomes available, based on the best available science.
Yes, you are fully vaccinated even if you haven’t gotten your booster yet. The definition of fully vaccinated does not include a COVID-19 booster. Fully vaccinated, however, is not the same as having the best protection. People are best protected when they stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, which includes getting a booster when eligible.
Yes. You are up to date if you have completed a COVID-19 vaccine primary series and received the most recent booster dose recommended for you by CDC.
Adults and children may have some side effects from a COVID-19 vaccine, including pain, redness or swelling at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea. Serious side effects are rare, but may occur.
Yes. COVID-19 boosters are the same ingredients (formulation) as the current COVID-19 vaccines.
Yes. COVID-19 vaccines are working well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death. However, public health experts are seeing reduced protection over time [1 MB, 68 pages] against mild and moderate disease, especially among certain populations.
People (except those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised) who first received a J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine and got it again for their booster may also receive a booster of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna). Get the mRNA booster at least 2 months after the most recent J&J/Janssen booster.
Use CDC’s COVID-19 Booster Tool to learn if and when you can get boosters to stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines.
Scientists are monitoring how long COVID-19 vaccine protection lasts. COVID-19 vaccines work well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death. However, public health experts are seeing decreases in the protection COVID-19 vaccines provide over time, especially for certain groups of people. Due to this, CDC recommends everyone stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines for their age group:
Learn more about COVID-19 booster recommendations, including recommendations for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.
CDC continues to review evidence and updates guidance as new information becomes available.
The number of vaccine doses you need to complete your primary series depends on which vaccine you receive.
*Talk to your healthcare or vaccine provider about the timing for the second dose in your primary series. You should not get the second dose early.
People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may have a different immune response following COVID-19 vaccination. Please see specific COVID-19 vaccination guidance for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.
No. If you receive your second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at any time after the recommended date, you do not have to restart the vaccine series. This guidance might be updated as more information becomes available.
Learn more about staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines.
An employer may require that their workers be vaccinated. Check directly with your employer to see if they have any vaccination requirements or rules that apply to you.
Your provider cannot give you a dose of vaccine that does not follow its specific vaccine product guidelines and requirements. All COVID-19 vaccine providers in the United States must be enrolled in the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program. To participate in this program, vaccine providers sign an agreement that states they will only administer COVID-19 vaccines in accordance with program requirements and recommendations including those of CDC, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Your provider can refer to the CDC Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States for specific information on administration of COVID-19 vaccines. These guidelines are based on safety and efficacy data and are updated as new information becomes available.
Results from recent research studies show that people who menstruate may observe small, temporary changes in menstruation after COVID-19 vaccination, including:
Despite these temporary changes in menstruation, there is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause fertility problems.
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccination for people who would like to have a baby.
The COVID-19 vaccines for children have the same active ingredients as the vaccines given to adults. However, children receive a smaller and more age-appropriate dose that is right for them. The smaller doses were rigorously tested and found to create the needed immune response for each age group. Making it important for your child to get the vaccine made for their age group.
Parents and caregivers should get their child vaccinated as soon as vaccines are available to them. Getting vaccinated provides the best protection against serious illness if a child gets infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Since there is no way to tell in advance how children, who are not moderately or severely immunocompromised, or those who may be immunocompromised. A child can be immunocompromised and still healthy, will be affected by COVID-19 it’s important to get them vaccinated as soon as possible to protect them against severe illness. To find your child a COVID-19 vaccine or booster near you: Search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233.
There is no federal legal requirement for a parent, guardian, or caregiver to consent for COVID-19 or any other vaccination. However, depending on each state or local law, this does not mean that consent is not required for select age groups. State or local laws and policies, as well as vaccine provider policies, around minor consent for vaccination have existed for a long time and will also apply to COVID-19 vaccination of children.
No. COVID-19 vaccines that are currently available do not use the live virus that causes COVID-19. These vaccines work by using a harmless piece of spike protein from the virus causing COVID-19 to teach the body how to fight the virus that causes it. The body then gets rid of the harmless spike protein within a few days after vaccination.
Vaccine ingredients vary by manufacturer. None of the vaccines contain eggs, gelatin, latex, or preservatives. All COVID-19 vaccines are free from metals, such as iron, nickel, cobalt, lithium, and rare earth alloys. They are also free from manufactured products such as microelectronics, electrodes, carbon nanotubes, and nanowire semiconductors. None of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized or approved in the United States contain any live virus.
To learn more about the ingredients in authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccines, see
Although COVID-19 vaccines were developed quickly, research and development on vaccines like these have been underway for decades. All vaccine development steps were taken to ensure COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness, including:
Learn more about developing COVID-19 vaccines.
Yes, COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to get pregnant now, as well as people who might become pregnant in the future. People with COVID-19 during pregnancy are more likely to deliver a preterm (earlier than 37 weeks) or stillborn infant and may also be more likely to have other pregnancy complications.
COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy helps:
Learn more about vaccination considerations and the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccinations for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
If you are pregnant and have received a COVID-19 vaccine, we encourage you to enroll in v-safe, CDC’s smartphone-based system that provides personalized health check-ins after vaccination. A v-safe pregnancy registry has been established to gather information on the health of pregnant people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
COVID-19 can make children and teens very sick and sometimes requires treatment in a hospital. Getting eligible children and teens vaccinated against COVID-19 can help keep them from getting really sick if they do get COVID-19, including protecting them from short and long-term complications and hospitalization. Vaccinating children can also help keep them in school or daycare and safely participating in sports, playdates, and other group activities.
The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks. CDC recommends everyone stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines for their age group:
Learn 6 Things About the COVID-19 Vaccine for Children.
Use CDC’s COVID-19 Booster Tool to learn if and when your child or teen can get boosters to stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines.
You should get a COVID-19 vaccine even if you already had COVID-19.
Getting a COVID-19 vaccine after you recover from COVID-19 infection provides added protection against COVID-19. You may consider delaying your vaccine by 3 months from when your symptoms started or, if you had no symptoms, when you received a positive test.
People who already had COVID-19 and do not get vaccinated after their recovery are more likely to get COVID-19 again than those who get vaccinated after their recovery.
Learn more about the benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
No. You should wait to be vaccinated until after you complete your isolation period. People who have symptoms will end isolation at a different time than people who do not have symptoms. This also applies to people who have been vaccinated but get COVID-19 before getting any additional or booster doses. Additionally, you may consider delaying your next vaccine (primary dose or booster) by 3 months from when your symptoms started or, if you had no symptoms, when you received a positive test.
People who have had a known COVID-19 exposure should not seek vaccination until their quarantine period has ended to avoid potentially exposing healthcare personnel and others during the vaccination visit. This recommendation to wait also applies to people with a known COVID-19 exposure who have received their first dose and need additional or booster doses.
Learn more about how to stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines.
Yes, depending on your age, for your primary series you can choose which type of COVID-19 vaccine to get. If you are getting a COVID-19 booster, depending on your age and which type of COVID-19 vaccine you have already had, you may be able to choose which type of COVID-19 vaccine booster to get.
Learn more about which vaccine is available by age and how to stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccination.
There is no recommended waiting period between getting a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines. You can get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines, including a flu vaccine, at the same visit. Experience with other vaccines has shown that the way our bodies develop protection, known as an immune response, and possible side effects after getting vaccinated are generally the same when given alone or with other vaccines.
COVID-19 vaccination significantly lowers your risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death if you get infected. Compared to people who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations, unvaccinated people are more likely to get COVID-19, much more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19, and much more likely to die from COVID-19.
Like all vaccines, COVID-19 vaccines are not 100% effective at preventing infection. Some people who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations will get COVID-19 breakthrough infection. However, staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccinations means that you are less likely to have a breakthrough infection and, if you do get sick, you are less likely to get severely ill or die. Staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccination also means you are less likely to spread the disease to others and increases your protection against new variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
If you have lost your CDC COVID-19 Vaccination card or don’t have a copy of it, contact your vaccination provider directly to request a new vaccination card. They may be able to reissue a CDC COVID-19 Vaccination card.
CDC does not provide the white CDC COVID-19 Vaccination card to people and does not maintain vaccination records. CDC distributes the white CDC COVID-19 Vaccination cards to vaccination providers and only a vaccination provider can give you this card.
Generally, if you are up to date on your COVID-19 vaccinations, you do not need to wear a mask in outdoor settings. Check your local COVID-19 Community Level for recommendations on when to wear a mask indoors and additional precautions you can take to protect yourself from COVID-19. If you are immunocompromised or more likely to get very sick from COVID-19, learn more about how to protect yourself.
If you have a condition or are taking medications that weaken your immune system, your immune response to COVID-19 vaccination may not be as strong as in people who are not immunocompromised. Check your county’s COVID-19 Community Level for recommendations on whether you should wear a mask and additional actions you can take to protect yourself from COVID-19. You may choose to wear a mask at any time based on your own level of comfort and personal risk.
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.
It depends on a number of factors. Learn more about Vaccination Received Outside the United States.
The white CDC COVID-19 vaccination cards are only issued to people vaccinated in the United States. However, there are several ways you can update your records with vaccines you received while outside the United States. Learn more about Vaccination Received Outside the United States.
CDC does not keep vaccination records or determine how vaccination records are used. To update your records with vaccines you received while outside of the United States, you may:
The white CDC COVID-19 vaccination cards are only issued to people vaccinated in the United States. However, there are several ways you can update your records with vaccines you received while outside the United States. Learn more about Vaccination Received Outside the United States.
If you have received all recommended doses of a COVID-19 vaccine that has been authorized or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or is listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO), then you are considered to be fully vaccinated. This currently includes the following vaccines:
If you received a COVID-19 vaccine that is not authorized or approved by FDA or listed for emergency use by WHO, you may start over with an FDA-authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. Please note that no data are available on the safety or effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination after receiving a non-FDA-authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. Wait at least 28 days after you received the last dose of the non-FDA-authorized or approved vaccine before receiving an FDA-authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine.
Visit the clinical considerations webpage for more information.
While COVID-19 vaccines were developed rapidly, all steps were taken to make sure they are safe and effective:
Learn more about developing COVID-19 vaccines.
You can get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines, including a flu vaccine, at the same visit. Experience with other vaccines has shown that the way our bodies develop protection, known as an immune response, and possible side effects after getting vaccinated are generally the same when given alone or with other vaccines. Learn more about the timing of other vaccines.
Yes, you should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19 because:
Evidence is emerging that people get better protection by being fully vaccinated compared with having had COVID-19. One study showed that unvaccinated people who already had COVID-19 are more than 2 times as likely than fully vaccinated people to get COVID-19 again.
If you were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you should wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure what treatments you received or if you have more questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
If you or your child has a history of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults or children (MIS-A or MIS-C), consider delaying vaccination until you or your child have recovered from being sick and for 90 days after the date of diagnosis of MIS-A or MIS-C. Learn more about the clinical considerations for people with a history of multisystem MIS-C or MIS-A.
Experts are still learning more about how long vaccines protect against COVID-19. CDC will keep the public informed as new evidence becomes available.
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No. People with COVID-19 who have symptoms should wait to be vaccinated until they have recovered from their illness and have met the criteria for discontinuing isolation; those without symptoms should also wait until they meet the criteria before getting vaccinated. This guidance also applies to people who get COVID-19 before getting their second dose of vaccine.
People who have had a known COVID-19 exposure should not seek vaccination until their quarantine period has ended to avoid potentially exposing healthcare personnel and others during the vaccination visit. This recommendation also applies to people with a known COVID-19 exposure who have received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine but not their second.
Related pages:
Vaccine ingredients vary by manufacturer. None of the vaccines contain eggs, gelatin, latex, or preservatives. All COVID-19 vaccines are free from metals such as iron, nickel, cobalt, lithium, and rare earth alloys. They are also free from manufactured products such as microelectronics, electrodes, carbon nanotubes, or nanowire semiconductors.
To learn more about the ingredients in authorized COVID-19 vaccines, see
We don’t know how long protection lasts for those who are vaccinated. What we do know is that COVID-19 has caused very serious illness and death for a lot of people. If you get COVID-19, you also risk giving it to loved ones who may get very sick.
People with moderately to severely compromised immune systems should receive an additional primary dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine after the initial 2 doses.
Learn more about population immunity.
Learn about COVID-19 vaccine booster shots.
Related pages:
If you need a new vaccination card, contact the vaccination provider site where you received your vaccine. Your provider should give you a new card with up-to-date information about the vaccinations you have received.
If the location where you received your COVID-19 vaccine is no longer operating, contact your state or local health department’s immunization information system (IIS) for assistance.
CDC does not maintain vaccination records or determine how vaccination records are used, and CDC does not provide the CDC-labeled, white COVID-19 vaccination record card to people. These cards are distributed to vaccination providers by state and local health departments. Please contact your state or local health department if you have additional questions about vaccination cards or vaccination records.
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Yes. All currently authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and CDC does not recommend one vaccine over another. The most important decision is to get a COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible. Widespread vaccination is a critical tool to help stop the pandemic.
People should be aware that a risk of a rare condition called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) has been reported following vaccination with the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. TTS is a serious condition that involves blood clots with low platelet counts. This problem is rare, and most reports were in women between 18 and 49 years old. For women 50 years and older and men of any age, this problem is even more rare. There are other COVID-19 vaccine options available for which this risk has not been seen (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna).
Learn more about your COVID-19 vaccination, including how to find a vaccination location, what to expect at your appointment, and more.
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After you are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, take these steps to protect yourself and others:
People with underlying medical conditions can receive a COVID-19 vaccine as long as they have not had an immediate or severe allergic reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine or to any of the ingredients in the vaccine. Vaccination is an important consideration for adults of any age with certain underlying medical conditions because they are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
Related pages:
Yes, COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or who might become pregnant in the future. You might want to have a conversation with your healthcare provider about COVID-19 vaccination. While such a conversation might be helpful, it is not required before vaccination. Learn more about vaccination considerations for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
If you are pregnant and have received a COVID-19 vaccine, we encourage you to enroll in v-safe, CDC’s smartphone-based tool that provides personalized health check-ins after vaccination. A v-safe pregnancy registry has been established to gather information on the health of pregnant people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
Related pages:
The number of doses needed depends on which vaccine you receive. To get the most protection:
If you receive a vaccine that requires two doses, you should get your second shot as close to the recommended interval as possible. However, your second dose may be given up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose. You should not get the second dose earlier than the recommended interval.
People with moderately to severely compromised immune systems should receive an additional primary dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine after the initial 2 doses.
Learn about COVID-19 vaccine booster shots.
Related pages:
COVID-19 vaccination can help protect your child from getting COVID-19. Although fewer children have been sick with COVID-19 compared to adults, children can be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, can get sick from COVID-19, and can spread the virus that causes COVID-19 to others. Getting your child vaccinated helps to protect your child and your family. Vaccination is now recommended for everyone 12 years and older. Currently, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is the only one available to children 12 years and older.
COVID-19 vaccines have been used under the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history, including studies in children 12 years and older. Your child cannot get COVID-19 from any COVID-19 vaccine. Like adults, children may have some side effects after COVID-19 vaccination. These side effects may affect their ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days.
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