What You Need to Know

• COVID-19 vaccines help our bodies develop immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 without us having to get the illness.
• Different types of vaccines work in different ways to offer protection.
• None of the COVID-19 vaccines can give you COVID-19.
• Bringing new vaccines to the public involves various steps, all which must be followed before they are made available for use.

COVID-19 vaccines help our bodies develop immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 without us having to get the illness.

Different types of vaccines work in different ways to offer protection. But with all types of vaccines, the body is left with a supply of “memory” T-lymphocytes as well as B-lymphocytes that will remember how to fight that virus in the future.

It typically takes a few weeks after vaccination for the body to produce T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes. Therefore, it is possible that a person could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination and then get sick because the vaccine did not have enough time to provide protection.

Sometimes after vaccination, the process of building immunity can cause symptoms, such as fever. These symptoms are normal signs the body is building immunity.

Currently, there are three main types of COVID-19 vaccines that are approved or authorized for use in the United States: mRNA, viral vector, and protein subunit. Each type of vaccine prompts our bodies to recognize and help protect us from the virus that causes COVID-19.

None of these vaccines can give you COVID-19.

• Vaccines do not use any live virus.
• Vaccines cannot cause infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 or other viruses.

They do not affect or interact with our DNA.

• These vaccines do not enter the nucleus of the cell where our DNA (genetic material) is located, so it cannot change or influence our genes.

mRNA vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna)

To trigger an immune response, many vaccines put a weakened or inactivated germ into our bodies. Not mRNA vaccines. Instead, mRNA vaccines use mRNA created in a laboratory to teach our cells how to make a protein—or even just a piece of a protein—that triggers an immune response inside our bodies. This immune response, which produces antibodies, is what helps protect us from getting sick from that germ in the future.

Protein subunit vaccines (Novavax)

Protein subunit vaccines contain pieces (proteins) of the virus that causes COVID-19. These virus pieces are the spike protein. The vaccine also contains another ingredient called an adjuvant that helps the immune system respond to that spike protein in the future. Once the immune system knows how to respond to the spike protein, the immune system will be able to respond quickly to the actual virus spike protein and protect you against COVID-19.

Viral vector vaccines (Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen)

Viral vector COVID-19 vaccines use a modified version of a different virus (a vector virus) to deliver important instructions to our cells.

Developing COVID-19 Vaccines

While COVID-19 vaccines were developed rapidly, all steps have been taken to ensure their safety and effectiveness. Bringing a new vaccine to the public involves many steps including:

• vaccine development,
• clinical trials,
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorization or approval.

As vaccines are distributed outside of clinical trials, monitoring systems are used to make sure that COVID-19 vaccines are safe.

Initial Development

New vaccines are first developed in laboratories. Scientists have been working for many years to develop vaccines against coronaviruses, such as those that cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is related to these other coronaviruses. The knowledge that was gained through past research on coronavirus vaccines helped speed up the initial development of the current COVID-19 vaccines.

Clinical Trials

After initial laboratory development, vaccines go through three phases of clinical trials to make sure they are safe and effective. No trial phases have been skipped.

The clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines have involved tens of thousands of volunteers of different ages, races, and ethnicities.

Clinical trials for vaccines compare outcomes (such as how many people get sick) between people who are vaccinated and people who are not. Results from these trials have shown that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, especially against severe illness, hospitalization, and death.

Authorization or Approval

Before vaccines are made available to people in real-world settings, FDA assesses the findings from clinical trials. Initially, they determined that COVID-19 vaccines met FDA’s safety and effectiveness standards and granted those vaccines Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs). The EUAs allowed the vaccines to be quickly distributed for use while maintaining the same high safety standards required for all vaccines.

FDA has granted full approval for some COVID-19 vaccines. Before granting approval, FDA reviewed evidence that built on the data and information submitted to support the EUA. This included:

• preclinical and clinical trial data and information,
• as well as details of the manufacturing process,
• vaccine testing results to ensure vaccine quality, and
• inspections of the sites where the vaccine is made.

These vaccines were found to meet the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality FDA requires of an approved product.

Tracking Safety Using Vaccine Monitoring Systems

Hundreds of millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history.

Several monitoring systems continue to track outcomes from COVID-19 vaccines to ensure their safety. Some people have no side effects. Many people have reported common side effects after COVID-19 vaccination, like pain or swelling at the injection site, a headache, chills, or fever. These reactions are common and are normal signs that your body is building protection.

Reports of serious adverse events after vaccination are rare. CDC and FDA continue to closely monitor several reporting systems, like the

• Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS),
• Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), and
• v-safe, which help look for safety issues now that the vaccines are being given to patients in real-world settings across the country.

CDC provides timely updates on selected serious adverse events reported after COVID-19 vaccination.

• For some immunocompromised children aged 5–11 years old, CDC now recommends an additional dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to complete the primary series – a total of three doses.
• CDC now recommends booster shots at 5 months after the completion of the primary series of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for those aged 12 and older.

Approved or Authorized Vaccines

Three COVID-19 vaccines are authorized or approved for use in the United States to prevent COVID-19. Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna (COVID-19 mRNA vaccines) are preferred. You may get Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccinein some situations.

¹If you had a severe allergic reaction after a previous dose or if you have a known (diagnosed) allergy to a COVID-19 vaccine ingredient, you should not get that vaccine. If you have been instructed not to get one type of COVID-19 vaccine, you may still be able to get another type.

²CDC has updated itsrecommendations for COVID-19 vaccines with a preference for mRNA(Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) vaccines. Learn more about the updatedguidance on the use of Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine.

³You should get your second shot as close to the recommended 3-week or 4-week interval as possible. You should not get the second dose early.

There are many benefits of getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

• COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States are safe and are effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and even dying.
• Getting children and teens vaccinated against COVID-19 can help keep them from getting very sick if they do get COVID-19.
• Vaccinating children can also help relieve the strain on families by providing greater confidence in children participating in childcare, school, and other activities.
• COVID-19 vaccines can offer added protection to people who had COVID-19, including protection against being hospitalized from a new infection, especially as variants continue to emerge.
• As with vaccines for other diseases, people are protected best when they stay up to date with the recommended number of doses and boosters, when eligible.

A Safer, More Reliable Way to Build Protection

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is a safer, more reliable way to build protection than getting sick with COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccination helps protect you by creating an antibody response without you having to experience potentially severe illness or post-COVID conditions.

Getting Sick

• Getting sick with COVID-19 can cause severe illness or death, even in children, and we can’t reliably predict who will have mild or severe illness.
• You may have long-term health issues after having COVID-19. Even people who do not have symptoms when they are first infected can have these ongoing health problems, also known as long COVID or post-COVID conditions.
• These complications can appear after mild or severe COVID-19, or after multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).

Symptoms associated with COVID-19 vaccination vs infection

Protection from COVID-19

While people can get some protection from having COVID-19, the level and length of that protection varies, especially as COVID-19 variants continue to emerge.

• Immunity (protection) from infection can vary depending on how mild or severe someone’s illness was and their age.
• Immunity from infection decreases over time.

Importantly, there is still no antibody test available that can reliably determine if a person is protected from further infection.

About Variants

Many viruses are constantly changing, including the virus that causes COVID-19. These changes occur over time and can lead to the emergence of variants that may have new characteristics, including different ways of spreading.

Children, Teens, or Adults Who Have Already Had COVID-19 Should Still Get Vaccinated

Data from ongoing studies show evidence that people can get added protection by getting vaccinated after having been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Even if you have had COVID-19, you should still get vaccinated.

For anyone who has been infected with COVID-19, their next dose can be delayed 3 months from when symptoms started or, if they did not have symptoms, when they received a positive test. This possible delay can happen with a primary dose or a booster dose.

COVID-19 Vaccines Are Effective

COVID 19-vaccines are effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and even dying.

CDC recommends everyone ages 6 months and older stay up to date with their vaccines, which includes everyone 5 years and older getting boosters if eligible, for the best protection against COVID-19.

People who have certain medical conditions or who are taking medications that weaken their immune system are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 illness and death. Additionally, their immune response to COVID-19 vaccination may not be as strong as in people who are not immunocompromised. People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised have specific recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters.

Read more about risk factors for severe COVID-19 in children published in Pediatrics, childhood COVID-19-related hospitalizations published in MMWR, and weekly summaries of COVID-19 hospitalization data through COVID-NET.

COVID-19 vaccines were first authorized for emergency use in the U.S. in December 2020. Studies following the use of the vaccines showed approximately 90% protection against symptomatic infection, severe illness, and death. By July 2021, we saw decreased vaccine effectiveness against infection as new variants emerged, and CDC put forward recommendations to continue masking, even for people who had received a primary series. Over the ensuing months and in the context of updated vaccine booster recommendations, more than 20 ACIP meetings have publicly reviewed data on vaccine effectiveness and have provided real-time data demonstrating COVID-19 vaccines and boosters remain highly protective against severe illness and death. Importantly, the rates of COVID-19–associated hospitalizations and deaths are substantially higher among unvaccinated adults than among those who have received a primary series and those who are up to date with recommended COVID-19 vaccination, particularly among adults aged ≥65 years. Protection provided by the current vaccines against symptomatic infection and transmission is less than that against severe disease and diminishes over time, especially against the currently circulating variants. For this reason, it is important to stay up to date, especially as new vaccines become available.

COVID-19 Vaccines Are Safe for Children and Adults

While COVID-19 vaccines were developed quickly, all steps have been taken to ensure their safety and effectiveness.

• COVID-19 vaccines were developed using science that has been around for decades.
• Before COVID-19 vaccines were recommended, scientists conducted clinical trials with thousands of children and adults and found no serious safety concerns.
• Hundreds of millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intensive safety monitoring program in U.S. history.
• Serious side effects that could cause a long-term health problem are rare following any vaccination, including COVID-19 vaccination.
• The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks.

Research for mRNA technology

Researchers have been studying and working with mRNA vaccines for decades.

• In fact, mRNA vaccines have been studied before for flu, Zika, rabies, and cytomegalovirus (CMV).
• Beyond vaccines, cancer research has also used mRNA to trigger the immune system to target specific cancer cells.

How mRNA COVID-19 vaccines work

• First, mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are given in the upper arm muscle or upper thigh, depending on the age of who is getting vaccinated.
• After vaccination, the mRNA will enter the muscle cells. Once inside, they use the cells’ machinery to produce a harmless piece of what is called the spike protein. The spike protein is found on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19. After the protein piece is made, our cells break down the mRNA and remove it, leaving the body as waste.
• Next, our cells display the spike protein piece on their surface. Our immune system recognizes that the protein does not belong there. This triggers our immune system to produce antibodies and activate other immune cells to fight off what it thinks is an infection. This is what your body might do if you got sick with COVID-19.
• At the end of the process, our bodies have learned how to help protect against future infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. The benefit is that people get this protection from a vaccine, without ever having to risk the potentially serious consequences of getting sick with COVID-19. Any side effects from getting the vaccine are normal signs the body is building protection.

Vaccines help prepare the body to fight foreign invaders (pathogens such as bacteria or viruses), to prevent infection. All vaccines introduce into the body a harmless piece of a particular bacteria or virus, triggering an immune response. Most vaccines contain a weakened or killed bacteria or virus. However, scientists have developed a new type of vaccine that uses a molecule called messenger RNA (or mRNA for short) rather than part of an actual bacteria or virus. Messenger RNA is a type of RNA that is necessary for protein production. In cells, mRNA uses the information in genes to create a blueprint for making proteins. Once cells finish making a protein, they quickly break down the mRNA. mRNA from vaccines does not enter the nucleus and does not alter DNA.

mRNA vaccines work by introducing a piece of mRNA that corresponds to a viral protein, usually a small piece of a protein found on the virus’s outer membrane. (Individuals who get an mRNA vaccine are not exposed to the virus, nor can they become infected by the vaccine.) Using this mRNA blueprint, cells produce the viral protein. As part of a normal immune response, the immune system recognizes that the protein is foreign and produces specialized proteins called antibodies. Antibodies help protect the body against infection by recognizing individual viruses or other pathogens, attaching to them, and marking the pathogens for destruction. Once produced, antibodies remain in the body, even after the body has rid itself of the pathogen, so that the immune system can quickly respond if exposed again. If a person is exposed to a virus after receiving mRNA vaccination for it, antibodies can quickly recognize it, attach to it, and mark it for destruction before it can cause serious illness.

Like all vaccines in the United States, mRNA vaccines require authorization or approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before they can be used. Currently vaccines for COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, are the only authorized or approved mRNA vaccines. These vaccines use mRNA that directs cells to produce copies of a protein on the outside of the coronavirus known as the “spike protein”. Researchers are studying how mRNA might be used to develop vaccines for additional infectious diseases.

Research for protein subunit technology

Protein subunit vaccines have been used for years.

• More than 30 years ago, a hepatitis B vaccine became the first protein subunit vaccine to be approved for use in people in the United States.
• Another example of other protein subunit vaccines used today include whooping cough vaccines.

How protein subunit COVID-19 vaccines work

• Protein subunit COVID-19 vaccines are given in the upper arm muscle. After vaccination, nearby cells pick up these proteins.
• Next, our immune system recognizes that these proteins do not belong there. Another ingredient in the vaccine, the adjuvant, helps our immune system to produce antibodies and activate other immune cells to fight off what it thinks is an infection. This is what your body might do if you got sick with COVID-19.
• At the end of the process, our bodies have learned how to help protect against future infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. The benefit is that people get this protection from a vaccine, without ever having to risk the potentially serious consequences of getting sick with COVID-19. Many side effects from getting the vaccine are normal signs the body is building protection.

Research for viral vector technology

For decades, hundreds of scientific studies of viral vector vaccines have been done and published around the world.

• Some vaccines recently used for Ebola outbreaks have used viral vector technology.
• Several studies have focused on viral vector vaccines against other diseases such as Zika, flu, and HIV.
• Besides being used in vaccines, viral vectors have also been studied for gene therapy, to treat cancer, and for molecular biology research.

How viral vector COVID-19 vaccines work

• Viral vector COVID-19 vaccines are given in a muscle in the upper arm. The vector virus in the vaccine is not the virus that causes COVID-19, but a different, harmless virus. It enters the muscle cells and uses the cells’ machinery to produce a harmless piece of what is called a spike protein. The spike protein is found on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19. After the spike protein piece is made, our cells break down the vector virus and remove it.
• Next, our cells display the spike protein on their surface. Our immune system recognizes that the spike protein does not belong there. This triggers our immune system to produce antibodies and activate other immune cells to fight off what it is an infection. This response is similar to what your body does if you get sick with COVID-19, but is temporary.
• At the end of the immune building process, our bodies have learned how to help protect against future infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. People get this protection from a vaccine, without ever having to risk the potentially serious consequences of getting sick with COVID-19. Any side effects from getting the vaccine are normal signs the body is building protection.

What You Need to Know

• COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
• Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in US history.
• CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and older and boosters for everyone 5 years and older, if eligible.

Hundreds of Millions of People Have Safely Received a COVID-19 Vaccine

More than 624 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been given in the United States from December 14, 2020, through October 6, 2022. To view the current total number of COVID-19 vaccinations that have been administered in the United States, please visit the CDC COVID Data Tracker.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. COVID-19 vaccines were evaluated in tens of thousands of participants in clinical trials. The vaccines met the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality needed to support emergency use authorization (EUA).

The Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen and Novavax COVID-19 vaccines will continue to undergo the most intensive safety monitoring in US history. This monitoring includes using both established and new safety monitoring systems to make sure that COVID-19 vaccines are safe.

Common Side Effects

Some people have side effects after getting their COVID-19 vaccine, while others might have no side effects. Side effects may affect the ability to do daily activities, but they should go away within a few days. Learn more about common side effects after COVID-19 vaccination.

Adverse Events (Serious Safety Problems) Are Rare

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. An adverse event can be caused by the vaccine or can be caused by a coincidental event 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 four serious types of adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination, with evidence that suggests, although rare, a link to certain types of COVID-19 vaccinations that were administered. They are:

Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is a severe type of allergic reaction with symptoms such as hives, difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, or significant swelling of the tongue or lips. Anaphylaxis after COVID-19 vaccination is rare.

Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS)

Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) is a rare but serious adverse event that causes blood clots or issues with clotting. TTS after COVID-19 vaccination is rare.

Myocarditis and Pericarditis

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.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS)

Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is a rare disorder where the body’s immune system damages nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. GBSafter COVID-19 vaccination is rare. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and adverse events, including GBS.

Reports of Death Are Rare

Reports of death after COVID-19 vaccination are rare. FDA requires healthcare providers to report any death after COVID-19 vaccination to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), even if it’s unclear whether the vaccine was the cause. Reports of adverse events to VAERS following vaccination, including deaths, do not necessarily mean that a vaccine caused a health problem. CDC and FDA review reports of death following COVID-19 vaccination and update information as it becomes available. Learn more about adverse events, including reports of death, after COVID-19 vaccination.

Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks

Serious side effects that could cause a long-term health problem are extremely rare following any vaccination, including COVID-19 vaccination. The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks.

CDC continues to closely monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. Everyone who receives a COVID-19 vaccine can also participate in safety monitoring by enrolling themselves -or their children or dependents 6 months and older in a smartphone-based system called v-safe and completing health check-ins after COVID-19 vaccination.

Have you experienced a side effect following COVID-19 vaccination?

Please report it to VAERS. In addition, enrolling yourself or your dependent in v-safeallows you to easily report to CDC how you are feeling after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

Everyone 6 Months and Older Should Get a COVID-19 Vaccine

COVID-19 vaccination has many benefits and is an important tool to help protect you from severe illness, hospitalization, and death.

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine after having COVID-19

Even if you or your child have had COVID-19, you should still get yourself or your child vaccinated.

• Getting a COVID-19 vaccine after having COVID-19 provides added protection against the virus that causes COVID-19.
• 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.
• If you were given monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma while sick with COVID-19 you do not need to wait to get vaccinated.

When you can wait

If you recently had COVID-19, you may consider delaying your next vaccine dose (primary dose or booster) by 3 months from when:

• your symptoms started,
• you first received a positive test if you had no symptoms.

Getting COVID-19 again soon after just having had COVID-19 can happen but is not common in the weeks to months after you had it.

Reasons to get a vaccine sooner rather than later include:

• your own personal risk of having severe health concerns,
• your local COVID-19 community level, and
• the most common COVID-19 variant currently causing illness

When you should wait

If you have COVID-19

People who have COVID-19 and are in isolation, should wait to get vaccinated until:

• Symptoms are gone (if you had symptoms) and
• Your isolation guidelines have been met.

If you have multisystem inflammatory syndrome

Children and adults who have (or have recently had) multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS), should wait to get vaccinated until:

• Recovering from being sick and
• It has been 90 days since the date of diagnosis of MIS-A or MIS-C.

Talk to your doctor if you have questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

Before the Vaccination

If you do not regularly take over-the-counter medications, you should not take them before you get a COVID-19 vaccination.

It is not known how over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, such as ibuprofen, aspirin, or acetaminophen, might affect how well the vaccine works. You may be able to take these types of medications to reduce fever or pain after you get your vaccine to relieve any pain or discomfort resulting from possible side effects.

If you regularly take over-the-counter medications, you should keep taking them before you get vaccinated.

Taking one of the following medications regularly is not, on its own, a reason to avoid getting your COVID-19 vaccination:

• Over-the-counter medications (non-prescription)
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (naproxen, ibuprofen, aspirin, etc.)
• Acetaminophen (Tylenol, etc.)
• Biologics or biologic response modifiers that treat autoimmune diseases
• Chemotherapy or other cancer treatment medications
• Antiviral medication
• Antibiotics
• Statins
• Blood pressure medications/antihypertensives (amlodipine, lisinopril, etc.)
• Diuretics
• Thyroid medications
• Antidepressants
• Metformin
• Diabetic medications
• Insulin
• Steroids (prednisone, etc.)

This is not a complete list. These are some examples of common medications.

If you have questions about medications that you are taking, talk to your healthcare or vaccination provider.

If you are taking medications that suppress the immune system, you should talk to your healthcare provider about what is currently known about COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness. Ask about the best timing for you to get your vaccine.

Get a COVID-19 vaccine with your routine medical procedures and screenings

You can combine most procedures, screenings, and vaccinations at the same appointment when you get your COVID-19 vaccination. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions.

Children, teens, and adults may get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines, including a flu vaccine, at the same time.

Preparing children and teens for vaccination

If you are getting your child or teen vaccinated learn how you can support them and talk to them about what to expect. The experience of getting a COVID-19 vaccine will be very similar to that of getting routine vaccines.

Requesting accommodations at COVID-19 vaccination sites

• When making an appointment or arriving for vaccination, you can let staff and/or volunteers know you or your child might need some accommodations.
• People with disabilities can use the COVID-19 Vaccine Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL) to get help with COVID-19 vaccinations.

If you have allergies related to vaccines

Talk to your doctor if you:

• have had a severe allergic reaction to a previous dose to learn if you should get a different type of COVID-19 vaccine,
• are allergic to polyethylene glycol (PEG) and you should not get Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine,
• are allergic to polysorbate and you should not get Novavax or J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine
• if you are allergic to other types of vaccines or injectable medications for other diseases.

• If you had an immediate allergic reaction (a reaction that started within 4 hours of getting vaccinated) to a COVID-19 vaccine, but the reaction was not considered severe by a medical professional, you can receive another dose of the same vaccine under certain conditions. Your doctor may refer you to an allergy and immunology specialist for more care or advice.
• If you have had an immediate allergic reaction—even if it was not severe—to a vaccine or injectable therapy for another disease, you should discuss this with your doctor to determine which COVID-19 vaccine is best for you.

If you have allergies not related to vaccines

You should get vaccinated if you have allergies that are not related to vaccines or injectable medications such as food, pet, venom, environmental, or latex allergies. People with a history of allergies to medications taken by mouth or a family history of severe allergic reactions can also get vaccinated.

At the Vaccination Site

• You should receive a paper or electronic version of a fact sheet that tells you more about the COVID-19 vaccine you or your child received. Each approved and authorized COVID-19 vaccine has its own fact sheet that contains information to help you understand the risks and benefits of that vaccine.
• There is no charge for your COVID-19 vaccine. Your COVID-19 vaccine is free. COVID-19 vaccines are paid for with taxpayer dollars and are given free of charge to all people living in the United States, regardless of health insurance or immigration status. If anyone asks you to pay for a COVID-19 vaccine, it’s a scam.

After Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine

• Stay on site to be monitored for at least 15 minutes.
• Make sure your vaccination provider updates your vaccination card (or gives you one if this is your first dose).
• Stay up to date with the recommended COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.
• You may experience side effects after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
• Adverse effects (serious safety problems) and severe allergic reactions are rare.
• To report any side effects, you can sign up for v-safe. V-safe is a smartphone-based tool that provides quick and confidential health check-ins via text messages and web surveys so you can quickly and easily share with CDC how you or your dependent feel after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

Adults ages 18 years and older

Pfizer-BioNTech

AGE GROUP

18 YEARS AND OLDER

Up to Date: Immediately after you have received the most recent booster recommended for you

Moderna

AGE GROUP

18 YEARS AND OLDER

Up to Date: Immediately after you have received the most recent booster recommended for you

Novavax

AGE GROUP

18 YEARS AND OLDER

Novavax is not authorized as a booster dose at this time.

Up to Date: Immediately after you have received the most recent booster recommended for you

Johnson & Johnson's Janssen

AGE GROUP

18 YEARS AND OLDER

Up to Date: Immediately after you have received the most recent booster recommended for you

Getting your 2nd dose

Talk to your healthcare or vaccine provider about the timing for the 2nd dose in your primary series.

• People ages 6 months through 64 years, and especiallymales ages 12 through 39 years, may consider getting the 2nd primary Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Novavax 8 weeks after the 1st dose.
  • A longer time between the 1st and 2nd primary doses may increase how much protection the vaccines offer, and further minimize the rare risk of myocarditis and pericarditis.
• Anyone wanting protectiondue to high levels of community transmission, people ages 65 years and older, or people who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19, should get the second dose of:
  • Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine 3 weeks (or 21 days) after the first dose.
  • Moderna COVID-19 vaccine 4 weeks (or 28 days) after the first dose.
  • Novavax COVID-19 vaccine 3 weeks (or 21 days) after the first dose.

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.

The virus that causes COVID-19 changes over time. Keep your protection against COVID-19 up to date by getting a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster dose.

The bivalent COVID-19 vaccines include a component of the original virus strain to provide broad protection against COVID-19 and a component of the omicron variant to provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant. These are called bivalent COVID-19 vaccines because they contain these two components. A bivalent COVID-19 vaccine may also be referred to as “updated” COVID-19 vaccine booster dose.

COVID-19 vaccines can help protect against severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. As the virus changes and your immunity naturally decreases over time, you may lose some of that protection.

What bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters has FDA authorized?

The FDA authorized bivalent formulations of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines for use as a single booster dose at least two months after completing primary or booster vaccination.

The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent is authorized for use as single booster dose in individuals 6 years of age and older.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent is authorized for use as a single booster dose in individuals 5 years of age and older.

Am I eligible for an updated (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccine booster?

Eligibility for a booster depends on:

• Your age
• When you completed your primary vaccination
  OR
• When received your most recent booster dose of a monovalent COVID-19 vaccine

If eligible, consider getting a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster dose.

A single booster dose with an updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccine provides broad protection against COVID-19 and is expected to provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by the currently circulating Omicron variant.

If you are eligible for an updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster, the updated booster dose that you receive does not need to be from the same manufacturer that made the vaccine that you received for your primary vaccination or previous booster with a monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.

• COVID-19 can make children and teens of any age very sick and can sometimes require treatment in a hospital. Some children and teens have even died from COVID-19.
• The benefit of COVID-19 vaccines, like other vaccines, is that those vaccinated get protection without risking the potentially serious consequences of getting sick with COVID-19.
• Help protect children from severe disease, hospitalization, or death by getting them vaccinated against COVID-19.

Help Protect Your Child

COVID-19 vaccination is an important tool to help protect everyone 6 months and older from COVID-19 and its complications.

Getting children and teens vaccinated against COVID-19 can help keep them from getting really sick if they do get COVID-19. Vaccinating children can also help relieve the strain on families by providing greater confidence in children participating in childcare, school, and other activities.

After vaccination, continue to follow all current prevention measures recommended by CDC and based on latest COVID-19 Community Level data. Learn more about protecting your family from COVID-19. 

Impact of COVID-19 in Children and Teens

Just like adults, children and teens of all ages can:

• Get very sick from COVID-19
• Have both short- and long-term health problems
• Spread COVID-19 to others

There is no way to tell in advance how children or teens will be affected by COVID-19. Those with underlying medical conditions or who have a weakened immune system are more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. Some examples of conditions that can make children more likely to get severe COVID-19 include:

• Asthma or chronic lung disease
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Sickle cell disease

However, those without underlying medical conditions can also experience severe illness and be hospitalized. In fact, approximately 1 in 3 children younger than 18 years old hospitalized with COVID-19 have no underlying conditions.

Vaccination Helps Prevent Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) Associated with COVID-19

Children and teens who get COVID-19 can develop serious complications, such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). MIS-C is a condition where different body parts become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, thousands of cases of MIS-C have been reported. Children ages 5 through 11 years are most frequently affected by MIS-C, with almost half of all reported cases occurring in children in this age group. In addition, Hispanic or Latino and non-Hispanic Black children are disproportionately affected by MIS-C.

COVID-19 vaccination reduced the likelihood of MIS-C in children ages 12 through 18 years by 91%. Data from July to December 2021 show that 95% of children ages 12 through 18 years hospitalized with MIS-C were not vaccinated. CDC is collecting data on how well COVID-19 vaccination works against MIS-C in younger children. As more children under 12 years old get vaccinated, CDC will be able to analyze and share those data.

Children and Teens Can Experience Ongoing Health Problems after COVID-19

After getting COVID-19, children and teens can also experience a wide range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems. These include physical and mental health complications that may occur four or more weeks after initial infection. These complications can appear after mild or severe COVID-19, or after MIS-C.

Children and Teens Who Have Already Had COVID-19 Should Still Get Vaccinated

Ongoing study of data show evidence that people can get added protection by getting vaccinated after having been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Even if a child has had COVID-19, they should still get vaccinated. For children who have been infected with COVID-19, their next dose can be delayed 3 months from when symptoms started or, if they did not have symptoms, when they received a positive test. This possible delay can happen with a primary dose or a booster dose.

• For some immunocompromised children aged 5–11 years old, CDC now recommends an additional dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to complete the primary series – a total of three doses.
• CDC now recommends booster shots at 5 months after the completion of the primary series of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for those aged 12 and older.

Accurate vaccine information is critical and can help stop common myths and rumors. It can be difficult to know which sources of information you can trust.

Below are myths and facts about COVID-19 vaccination in children ages 5 through 11 years.

MYTH: The COVID-19 vaccine for children is not safe.

FACT: The COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 5 to 11 years has undergone thorough evaluations by both FDA and CDC. COVID-19 vaccines have and will continue to undergo the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history.

The COVID-19 vaccine for children is safe and effective. It has undergone rigorous review, and now has been authorized by FDA and recommended by CDC for children between the ages of 5 to 11 years, after thorough testing for safety in thousands of children. COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 through 11 years were developed and tested in the same way as adult COVID-19 vaccines. In clinical trials, vaccine side effects were mild and similar to those seen in adults and with other vaccines recommended for children. The most common side effect was a sore arm. These side effects may affect your child’s ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. Some people have no side effects and severe allergic reactions are rare.

MYTH: It is safer for my child to build immunity by getting infected with COVID-19 than to build immunity by getting the vaccine.

FACT: Getting children ages 5 years and older vaccinated against COVID-19 is the best way to protect them from COVID-19.

No one should try to expose themself or others to COVID-19 on purpose. Children’s risk of COVID-19 infection is similar to adults. When children get COVID-19, they may be sick for several days and miss school and other opportunities for learning and play with others. Children who are not vaccinated and get COVID-19 may also be at risk for prolonged post-COVID-19 conditions, hospitalization, multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), or death. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is over 90% effective at preventing COVID-19 in children ages 5 through 11 years. Getting children 5 years and older vaccinated can help protect them from getting COVID-19, as well as keep them in school and group activities by helping stop the spread of COVID-19 in their community.

Children may have side effects after getting vaccinated, which are similar to those they may experience after getting routine vaccinations. These side effects are normal signs that their body is building protection. Any side effects should go away in a few days. In rare situations, COVID-19 vaccination might result in more serious side effects, such as a severe allergic reaction or myocarditis and pericarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle). Learn more about possible side effects.

MYTH: COVID-19 vaccines cause fertility and other reproductive issues.

FACT: There is no evidence that any of the COVID-19 vaccines cause fertility problems in women or men.

There is no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, can cause female or male fertility problems. There is no evidence that vaccine ingredients or antibodies developed following COVID-19 vaccination will cause any problems with becoming pregnant in the future. Similarly, there is no evidence that the COVID-19 vaccine affects puberty.

Professional medical organizations serving people of reproductive age, including adolescents, emphasize that there is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccination causes a loss of fertility. These organizations also recommend COVID-19 vaccination for both men and women who want to have a baby in the future.

MYTH: Because children are not seriously harmed by COVID-19, getting vaccinated is not worth the risk.

FACT: The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination for children ages 5 through 11 years outweigh the known and potential risks.

Getting a COVID-19 vaccination can protect your child 5 years and older from getting COVID-19. It can also protect your child from severe disease, hospitalizations, or developing long-term complications if they do get COVID-19.

In the COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials that were conducted with thousands of children, no serious safety concerns were identified after vaccination, and side effects were mild and did not have any lasting effects. Some children will not have any side effects and serious side effects are rare.

Unlike the mild side effects that some may experience after vaccination, children who get infected with COVID-19 are at risk of getting very sick. As of October 2021, children ages 5 through 11 years have experienced more than 8,300 COVID-19 related hospitalizations and nearly 100 deaths from COVID-19. In fact, COVID-19 ranks as one of the top 10 causes of death for children aged 5 through 11 years. Additionally, children can experience both short and long-term conditions after infection. Children who get infected with COVID-19 can also develop post-COVID conditions that can last for several weeks or longer and can also develop serious complications like multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C)—a condition where different body parts become inflamed.  From April 2020 to October 2021, more than 2,300 cases of MIS-C have been reported in children ages 5 through 11 years.

Get vaccinated. Get your smartphone. Get started with v-safe.

Use your smartphone to tell CDC how you, or your dependent, feel after getting any dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Your participation in v-safe helps us monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for everyone.

What is v-safe?

V-safe provides personalized and confidential health check-ins via text messages and web surveys so you can quickly and easily share with CDC how you, or your dependent, feel after getting a COVID-19 vaccine. This information helps CDC monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in near real time.

V-safe features:

• Enrolling is fast and easy! Sign up during the waiting period after you get any dose of COVID-19 vaccine or at any time after vaccination
• Add a dependent and complete health check-ins on their behalf
• Enter and report how you, or your dependent, feel after first, second,additional, andbooster doses
• Available in multiple languages including English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese

Please note:

• V-safe is not an official record of being vaccinated against COVID-19
• V-safe does not give medical advice
• V-safe cannot schedule COVID-19 vaccination appointments

Enroll in v-safe

You can enroll in v-safe after any dose of COVID-19 vaccine by using your smartphone and going to vsafe.cdc.gov. Have your vaccination record card available to help you remember which vaccine you received and when.

Add a Dependent in v-safe

You can add any dependent (family member, friend, or individual who relies on you for support) who is vaccinated in v-safe.

Children under age 16 years must be added to a parent or guardian’s v-safe account. You can add a dependent to your existing account or create a new account if you don’t have one yet. All v-safe communications will be sent to the parent’s or guardian’s smartphone.

Creating an account to add a dependent does not require that you enter your own vaccination information or complete health check-ins for yourself.

What Happens After I Enroll?

During the first week after each vaccination, v-safe will send you a text message each day to ask how you are feeling. After that, you will receive occasional health check-ins. Depending on your answers, someone from CDC may call to get more information.

You can opt out at any time.

Your personal information in v-safe is protected so it’s safe and private*.

Will I Ever be Contacted by v-safe Staff?

If you enroll in v-safe and report that you are pregnant at the time of vaccination or after vaccination, the CDC COVID-19 Pregnancy Registry staff* may contact you.

If you have symptoms or health problems that concern you at any time following COVID-19 vaccination, please contact your healthcare professional.

Updated (Bivalent) Boosters

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.

Two COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers, Pfizer and Moderna, have developed updated (bivalent) COVID-19 boosters.

When Are You Up to Date?

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:

1. Your age
2. The vaccine you first received, and
3. The length of time since your last dose

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.

Choosing Your COVID-19 Booster Shot

Three COVID-19 vaccines are authorized or approved for use in the United States to prevent COVID-19. Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna (COVID-19 mRNA vaccines) are preferred. You may get Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine in some situations.

Who Can Get a Booster Shot

^*Although mRNA vaccines are preferred, J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine may be considered in some situations.

Mixing COVID-19 Vaccine Products

Do Not Mix Primary Series

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.

Mixing Boosters

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

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

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.

Boosters

Do I need a COVID-19 vaccine booster?

Yes. Recent data suggest COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness at preventing infection or severe illness wanes over time, especially for certain groups of people, such as people ages 65 years and older and people with immunocompromise.

The emergence of COVID-19 variants further emphasizes the importance of vaccination, boosters, and prevention efforts needed to protect against COVID-19.

Data show that an mRNA booster increases the immune response, which improves protection against getting a serious COVID-19 infection.

CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines for everyone ages 6 months and older, and boosters for everyone 5 years and older, if eligible.

If we need a booster, are the vaccines working?

Yes. COVID-19 vaccines are working well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death. However, public health experts are seeing reduced protection over time against mild and moderate disease, especially among certain populations.

Do boosters use the same ingredients as existing vaccines?

Yes. COVID-19 boosters are the same ingredients (formulation) as the current COVID-19 vaccines.

What are the risks to getting a booster?

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.

Am I still considered “fully vaccinated” if I don’t get a booster?

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.

Does the definition of “up to date” include boosters?

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.

If I have received a J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine and a J&J/Janssen COVID-19 booster, are additional boosters recommended?

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 4 months after the most recent J&J/Janssen booster.

• One CDC study found that adults who received the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine as both their primary and booster had lower levels of protection against COVID-19-associated emergency department and urgent care visits during Omicron compared to adults who received an mRNA COVID-19 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.

What You Need to Know

• If you are moderately or severely immunocompromised (have a weakened immune system), you are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 illness and death. Additionally, your immune response to COVID-19 vaccination may not be as strong as in people who are not immunocompromised.
• You are protected best when you stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines.
  • CDC recommends everyone ages 5 years and older get an updated (bivalent) COVID-19 booster to help restore protection that has decreased since your last vaccine.
• 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.
• You can self-attest to your moderately or severely immunocompromised status, which means you do not need any documentation of your status in order to receive COVID-19 vaccine doses you might be eligible to receive.
• You may also be eligible for Evusheld, a medicine given by your healthcare provider every six months to help prevent you from getting COVID-19.

Additional Primary Shot and Booster Shot for Some Immunocompromised People

After completing the primary series, some moderately or severely immunocompromised people should get an additional primary shot.

Everyone 16 years and older, including immunocompromised people, should get a booster shot. If you are eligible for an additional primary shot, you should get this dose first before you get a booster shot.

Who Is Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised?

People are considered to be moderately or severely immunocompromised (have a weakened immune system) due to several types of conditions and treatments. Examples include:

• Tumors or cancers of the blood with or without active cancer treatment
• Received an organ or islet transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Received chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy (a treatment to help your immune system attach to and kill cancer cells) or received a stem cell transplant (within the last 2 years)
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as common variable immunodeficiency disease, severe combined immunodeficiency, DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection
• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress the immune response
• Talk to your healthcare provider about COVID-19 vaccination and your medical condition.

If you are moderately or severely immunocompromised or severely allergic to COVID-19 vaccines, you may be eligible for Evusheld, a medicine given every six months by your healthcare provider to help prevent you from getting COVID-19. Talk to your healthcare provider to find out if this option is right for you.

Can you mix and match the vaccines for your additional primary shot?

No, the vaccine used for the additional primary shot should be same as the vaccine used for the primary vaccine series. If the mRNA vaccine product given for the first two doses is not available or is unknown, either mRNA COVID-19 vaccine product may be administered.

What are the benefits of an additional primary shot for people who are immunocompromised who received an mRNA COVID-19 primary vaccine series?

An additional primary shot may prevent serious and possibly life-threatening COVID-19 in people who may not have responded to their two-dose mRNA COVID-19 vaccine primary series. The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) have been shown to prevent COVID-19 following the two-dose series. Limited information suggests that immunocompromised people who have low or no protection after two shots of mRNA vaccines may have an improved immune (antibody) response after an additional primary dose of the same vaccine.

What are the risks of vaccinating individuals with an additional primary shot?

There is limited information about the risks of receiving an additional primary shot of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. The safety, efficacy, and benefit of the additional primary dose in immunocompromised people continues to be evaluated. So far, reactions reported after the additional primary shot of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine are similar to that of the two-dose primary series: fatigue and pain at the injection site were the most commonly reported side effects, and overall, most symptoms were mild to moderate.

As with the two-dose primary series, serious side effects are rare, but may occur.

What is the difference between an additional primary shot and a booster shot?

An additional primary dose is administered to people with moderately or severely compromised immune systems. The additional primary dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is intended to improve immunocompromised people’s response to their vaccine primary series. A booster shot is administered when a person has completed their vaccine primary series to enhance or restore protection against COVID-19 which may have decreased over time.

Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle.

Pericarditis is inflammation of the outer lining of the heart.

• In both cases, the body’s immune system causes inflammation in response to an infection or some other trigger. Learn more about myocarditis and pericarditis. Both myocarditis and pericarditis have the following symptoms:
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Feelings of having a fast-beating, fluttering, or pounding heart

Myocarditis and pericarditis have rarely been reported. When reported, the cases have especially been in adolescents and young adult males within several days after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna).

• More often after the second dose
• Usually within a week of vaccination
• Most patients with myocarditis or pericarditis who received care responded well to medicine and rest and felt better quickly.
• Patients can usually return to their normal daily activities after their symptoms improve.
• Those who have been diagnosed with myocarditis should consult with their cardiologist (heart doctor) about return to exercise or sports.

Seek medical care if you or your child have any of the specific or general symptoms of myocarditis or pericarditis especially if it’s within a week after COVID-19 vaccination.

Healthcare Providers: For additional recommendations and clinical guidance, visit Clinical Considerations: Myocarditis after mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines.

Should I Still Get Myself or My Child Vaccinated?

Yes. CDC continues to recommend that everyone ages 6 months and older get vaccinated for COVID-19. The known risks of COVID-19 illness and its related, possibly severe complications, such as long-term health problems, hospitalization, and even death, far outweigh the potential risks of having a rare adverse reaction to vaccination, including the possible risk of myocarditis or pericarditis.

If you have already gotten the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, or if your child has already gotten the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, it’s important to get the second dose unless a vaccination provider or your doctor tells you not to get it.

If you have concerns about COVID-19 vaccination, talk with your healthcare provider or your child’s doctor, nurse, or clinic.

If you have any health problems after vaccination, report them to VAERS.

Vaccines are the best way to protect yourself from COVID-19. But some people have concerns about rumored side effects. This includes whether the vaccines affect fertility. Getting COVID-19 can temporarily affect fertility. But there’s no evidence that vaccines against the disease do.

In a large study, researchers probed the links between COVID-19 vaccines, infection, and fertility. They followed more than 2,000 women. All were trying to conceive without fertility treatments.

Researchers asked whether the women or their partners had gotten a COVID-19 vaccine. They also asked whether either partner had ever tested positive for COVID-19 and when. Researchers followed up every eight weeks for a year or until the women became pregnant.

Getting vaccinated did not lower the odds of conceiving. This was true for both male and female partners. Past COVID-19 infection also did not affect the overall odds of conceiving during the study. But the team did find that pregnancy was less likely if the male partner had tested positive for COVID-19 within 60 days.

“Our study shows for the first time that COVID-19 vaccination in either partner is unrelated to fertility among couples trying to conceive through intercourse,” says Dr. Amelia Wesselink of Boston University, who led the study.

Studies have found that getting COVID-19 while pregnant can pose dangers to both mother and child. Experts recommend that anyone who is pregnant or trying to become pregnant get a COVID-19 vaccine.