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covid vaccine
Everyone ages 6 months and older should get the 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine. This includes people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine before and people who have had COVID-19.
- Getting the 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine is important because:
- Protection from the COVID-19 vaccine decreases with time.
- COVID-19 vaccines are updated to give you the best protection from the currently circulating strains.
- Getting the 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine is especially important if you:
- Never received a COVID-19 vaccine
- Are ages 65 years and older
- Are at high risk for severe COVID-19
- Are living in a long-term care facility
- Are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant, or might become pregnant in the future.
- Want to lower your risk of getting Long COVID
Keep in mind
Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is a safer, more reliable way to build protection than getting sick with COVID-19.
When are you up to date?
Children ages 6 months–4 years
- Your child is up to date when they have received all recommended doses, including at least 1 dose of the 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine.
If your child previously had:Your child should get:
0 doses (was never vaccinated)2 doses of the 2024–2025 Moderna vaccine
OR
3 doses of the 2024–2025 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine
1 or more doses of Moderna vaccine1 dose of the 2024–2025 Moderna vaccine
1 dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine2 doses of the 2024–2025 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine
2 or more doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine1 dose of the 2024–2025 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine
Children ages 5–11 years
- You are up to date when you have received:
- 1 dose of the 2024–2025 Moderna OR
- 1 dose of the 2024–2025 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
People ages 12 years and older
- You are up to date when you have received:
- 1 dose of the 2024–2025 Moderna COVID-19 vaccine OR
- 1 dose of the 2024–2025 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
If you are ages 65 years and older, an additional COVID-19 vaccine dose—beyond what is listed above—is NOT currently recommended unless you are moderately or severely immunocompromised.
People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised
There are different recommendations if you are moderately or severely immunocompromised; see Vaccines for Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised People.
People who recently had COVID-19
- People who recently had COVID-19 may delay getting a COVID-19 vaccine for 3 months.
- The risk of getting COVID-19 is less likely in the weeks to months following a SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- Certain factors could be reasons to get a vaccine sooner rather than later, such as:
- Personal risk of severe COVID-19
- Risk of COVID-19 in a family or household member or other close contact
- Local levels of COVID-19 illness
Source CDC.gov