Vaccine Dose Part 2

Available vaccines
There are several COVID-19 vaccines available. The vaccines that you can get depends on your age. Children should get the vaccine that is recommended for them on the day they get the vaccine. If they move into a different age group during their series, they should get the vaccine recommended for that older age group for all following doses. Refer to CDC: Stay Up to Date with Your COVID-19 Vaccines Including Boosters.
Adults age 18 and older
• Adults age 18 and older should get two doses of either the Pfizer, Moderna, or Novavax vaccine. You should get the same type of vaccine for both doses. This is the primary vaccine series*.
o The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is also available and is a one-dose vaccine. However, it is only recommended in limited situations. Talk to your health care provider about the potential risks of this vaccine.
• The two doses of vaccine should be separated by three to eight weeks** depending on which vaccine you get. Your provider will let you know what timing is recommended for you and can help you schedule your second shot while getting your first.
• Adults are also recommended to a get booster shot at least 2 months after their primary series or last booster. It can be either the updated (bivalent) Pfizer or Moderna booster vaccine.
• In limited situations, there is an option for adults age 18 and older to get the Novavax monovalent booster if they cannot or will not get a bivalent booster, have completed their primary series, and have not received a previous booster(s).
• Refer to who should get a booster shot below for more information.
Children and teens age 12 through 17 years
• Children and teens age 12 through 17 years should get two doses of the Pfizer, Moderna or Novavax vaccine. You should get the same type of vaccine for both doses. This is the primary vaccine series*.
o The two doses of vaccine should be separated by three to eight weeks** depending on which vaccine your child gets. Your provider will let you know what timing is recommended for your child and can help you schedule your second shot while getting your first.
• Children 12 through 17 years should get an updated (bivalent) booster shot. Refer to who should get a booster shot below for more information.
Children age 5 through 11 years
• Children age 5 through 11 years should get two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for their age group. You should get the same type of vaccine for both doses. This is the primary vaccine series*.
• The two doses of vaccine should be separated by three to eight weeks** depending on which vaccine your child gets. Your provider will let you know what timing is recommended for your child and can help you schedule your second shot while getting your first.
• Children 5 through 11 years old should get an updated (bivalent) booster shot at least two months after they have completed their primary vaccine series. Refer to who should get a booster shot below for more information.
• The vaccines for this age group are a smaller dose than the vaccines for older children and adults.
Children age 6 months through 4 years
• Children age 6 months through 4 years should get three doses of the Pfizer vaccine for 6 month through 4 year-olds or two doses of the Moderna vaccine for 6 month through 5 year-olds. Children should get the same type of vaccine for all doses of their primary vaccine series.
o The Pfizer primary vaccine series is three doses. The second dose is given three to eight weeks** after the first dose and the third dose is given eight weeks after the second dose.
o The Moderna primary vaccine series is two doses. The second dose is given four to eight weeks** after the first dose.
o Your provider can help you schedule all recommended doses while getting your first.
• The vaccines for this age group are a smaller dose than the vaccines for older children and adults.
• Booster doses are not yet recommended for this age group.
*CDC recommends that people with certain immunocompromising conditions (a weak immune system) get an additional dose of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) as part of their primary vaccine series.
**Talk to your health care provider about the timing between doses in your primary series. New research suggests that people age 6 months through 64 years, particularly males age 12 to 39 years, may benefit from getting their second dose eight weeks after the first dose. A longer time between the first and second doses may increase the effectiveness of these vaccines, and minimize the small risk of heart problems, including myocarditis and pericarditis. Some people should still get their second doses at three or four weeks, such as people younger than 5 years or older than 65 years, people at higher risk of severe disease, and anyone needing to develop protection quickly because of high levels of COVID-19 in their community.