COVID-19 Vaccine Fact Sheets
FDA Approval
Pediatric Vaccine
Booster Doses
WHO CAN GET A BOOSTER?
Everyone age 5 and older is eligible to get a COVID-19 booster dose.
- Moderna recipients age 18 and older should get a booster at least 5 months after second shot.
- Pfizer recipients age 5 and older should get a booster at least 5 months after second shot.
- Johnson & Johnson recipients age 18 and older should get a Pfizer or Moderna booster at least 2 months after initial shot.
Adults age 50 and older and some immunocompromised individuals are now eligible to get a second Pfizer or Moderna booster dose at least 4 months after their first booster (whether they received a Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson booster). Older adults—especially those with underlying medical conditions—and people with compromised immune systems are at higher risk of severe COVID-19, and are among those most likely to benefit from the additional protection of a second booster shot.
The CDC recommends that people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine get the Pfizer or Moderna booster. The CDC advises people who got a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine to get the same booster as their initial vaccine, but allows them to mix and match (i.e., get a different COVID-19 booster than their initial vaccine) depending on preference or availability—with the exception of children and adolescents age 5-17 who are only eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine.
The emergence of the Omicron variant and subvariant underscores the importance of vaccination, boosters, and preventive efforts to protect against COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccines continue to be highly effective in reducing risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death. CDC recommendations on booster doses are based on the latest data, which show that booster doses significantly increase protection from the Omicron variant, with the goal of ensuring that people have optimal protection against COVID-19 infection, severe illness, and death.
Updated May 20, 2022