New Updates:
Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Updated Bivalent Vaccine Booster
On Sept. 1, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters.
Both updated bivalent boosters are formulated to combat the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the Omicron variant. The Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster is available for individuals 12 years and older at least 2 months after receiving their most recent monovalent booster dose or completing their primary series. The Moderna bivalent booster is available for adults ages 18 years and older at least 2 months after receiving their most recent booster dose or completing their primary series.
Search Vaccinate.Virginia.gov to make your free vaccination appointment. Check this website for more information from VDH on when bivalent boosters will be available.
Pediatric (6m — 4/5y) Vaccine Update
The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for children aged 6 months through 4/5 years are now available in Virginia.
Vaccines for this age group may be available at local health departments and partnering healthcare providers, including pediatrician and family practice offices, hospitals, federally qualified health centers, and pharmacies (3 years of age and older). Parents should contact their healthcare provider to determine if they are offering vaccines and when appointments will be available for their child. Parents may also search Vaccinate.Virginia.gov for appointments at other venues.
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Which COVID-19 vaccines are available in Virginia?
Dose |
Pfizer-BioNTech[Español] |
Moderna[Español] |
Johnson & Johnson (Janssen)[Español] |
Novavax[Español] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Vaccine Series The initial vaccine schedule |
Ages 6 months through 4 years
Two shots 3 weeks* apart, followed by a third shot at least 8 weeks after the second dose. |
Ages 6 months and older
Two shots, 4 weeks* apart |
Ages 18 years and older
One shot |
Ages 12 years and older
Two shots, 3 weeks* apart |
| Ages 5 years and older
Two shots, 3 weeks* apart |
||||
| Additional (3rd) Primary Series Dose Recommended for some people with weakened immune systems |
If immunocompromised:
Ages 5 years and older At least 4 weeks after the primary series |
If immunocompromised:
Ages 6 months and older At least 4 weeks after the primary series |
If immunocompromised:
Ages 18 years and older An mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) administered at least 4 weeks after the primary dose |
A third primary dose is not currently recommended. |
| Booster Dose Recommended for some people after completing a primary series |
If immunocompromised:
Ages 5-11 years Monovalent booster: Ages 12 years and older Bivalent booster: |
If immunocompromised:
Ages 12 years and older Bivalent booster: |
If immunocompromised:
Bivalent booster: |
If immunocompromised:
Bivalent booster: |
| If not immunocompromised:
Ages 5-11 years Monovalent booster: At least 5 months after Pfizer primary series Ages 12 years and older Bivalent booster: |
If not immunocompromised:
Ages 12 years and older Bivalent booster: |
If not immunocompromised:
Ages 18 years and older Bivalent booster: |
If not immunocompromised:
Bivalent booster: At least 2 months after the Novavax primary series |
*Healthcare providers may recommend an extended interval of 3-8 weeks for Pfizer and Novavax and 4-8 weeks for Moderna, based on the individual's age and health conditions.
For people who previously received a monovalent booster dose(s), the new bivalent booster dose is administered at least 2 months after the last monovalent booster dose.
COVID-19 Vaccines for Children
The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective at preventing severe illness and death. CDC recommends everyone ages 6 months and older get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic causes significant disruptions for families and children, and vaccination can help minimize disruptions (such as staying home after an exposure) and decrease the likelihood of spreading the virus.
Considerations to get your children vaccinated
Although children and adolescents may have a milder illness than adults, they are still at risk of becoming severely ill. Children with a COVID-19 infection have had serious illness, been hospitalized, or have even died.
Children infected may also develop complications or long-term illness, such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) or Long COVID. MIS-C is a condition where different body parts become inflamed. Long COVID is when individuals develop symptoms such as fatigue, chest pain, headaches, or shortness of breath that last for weeks or months.
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Vaccines recommendations
COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for everyone ages 6 months and older in the United States for the prevention of COVID-19. Children who have already had a COVID-19 infection still benefit from vaccination because it provides stronger and broader protection against the virus and its potential long-term effects.
Children ages 6 months through 5 years who receive the Moderna vaccine will need 2 doses for the primary series with 4 to 8 weeks between the first and second dose.
Children ages 6 months through 4 years who receive the Pfizer vaccine will need 3 doses for the primary series with 3 to 8 weeks between Dose 1 and Dose 2 and at least 8 weeks between Dose 2 and Dose 3.
Children ages 5 through 17 years will need 2 doses of the Pfizer vaccine separated by 3 to 8 weeks or children ages 6 through 17 years will need 2 doses of the Moderna vaccine separated by 4 to 8 weeks.
An extended interval between doses is an option for individuals 6 months of age and older based on an individual’s risks and benefits (including the rare risk of myocarditis). They can talk with a healthcare or vaccine provider about the timing of the second dose in the primary series.
People ages 6 months and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised should get a third (additional) primary dose of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, 4 weeks after their second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
People ages 5 years and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised should get a third (additional) primary dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, 4 weeks after their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
Talk to your child’s healthcare provider about the best timing of your child’s second dose, additional primary dose, or booster dose.
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Booster recommendations
After completing the primary series, it is important that children stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccines by receiving booster doses when eligible in order to maintain adequate protection.
Everyone ages 12 years and older who completed the Moderna, Novavax, J&J, or Pfizer primary series, should receive an updated bivalent booster dose at least 2 months after the last dose in the primary series. For people who previously received a monovalent booster dose(s), the bivalent booster dose is administered at least 2 months after the last monovalent booster dose.
Everyone ages 5 through 11 years who received the Pfizer primary series, should get a Pfizer monovalent booster dose at least five (5) months after the last dose in their primary series.
Everyone ages 5 through 11 years who received the Pfizer primary series and who is moderately or severely immunocompromised should get a Pfizer monovalent booster dose at least three (3) months after the last dose in their primary series.
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Side effects in infants, toddlers, and children
Side effects in infants and toddlers were usually mild in severity and resolved within a few days. Commonly reported side effects in the youngest age groups were pain or tenderness at the injection side, fatigue, irritability and drowsiness. Fevers were also reported.
Side effects seen in young children after vaccination against COVID-19 are similar to those in adolescents and young adults.
Side effects in children ages 5 through 11 years were more commonly reported after the second dose and included headache, arm pain, and tiredness. Fever was also commonly reported in children ages 12 through 17 years.
There is no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 vaccines impact children's growth or development, including impacts on brain development, bone development, or future fertility.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Top Frequently Asked Questions about the COVID-19 vaccine
If your child is 3 years or older, you may take them to a pharmacy to receive the COVID vaccine, as long as the pharmacy carries the vaccine for your child’s age. Pharmacists are not able to vaccinate children less than 3 years of age. It is also up to the pharmacist on duty to decide what age they feel comfortable vaccinating. Not all pharmacists are willing to vaccinate down to 3 years old. It is recommended to call prior to your appointment to verify that the pharmacist will be able to vaccinate your child. For your child who is younger than 3 years, please check with your healthcare provider to see if they offer the vaccine.
No. All COVID-19 vaccines work well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death, even against newer omicron variants. However, public health experts are starting to see reduced protection, especially among certain populations, against mild and moderate disease. CDC and VDH recommend staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations for maximum protection.
An additional primary series dose is a COVID-19 vaccine dose administered to someone with a moderately or severely weakened immune system because their initial immune response after completing the primary vaccine series may have been insufficient to provide them with strong protection.
A booster dose is a COVID-19 vaccine dose administered to someone who initially had good protection from the primary vaccine series, but this protection may have weakened over time.
No, they do not. There is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause fertility problems, in women or men. If you are trying to become pregnant now or want to get pregnant in the future, you can and should receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Yes. COVID-19 vaccines are beneficial and safe for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding. COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all people 6 months and older, including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future. There is no evidence of miscarriages, stillbirths, or preterm births linked to the vaccines.
Getting COVID-19 during pregnancy is associated with severe illness, death, or pregnancy complications. Pregnant people can lower the risk of these events by getting vaccinated. Getting vaccinated during pregnancy may also protect infants aged less than 6 months from getting very sick. This is important because COVID-19 vaccines are not currently planned for this age group.
Yes. Common side effects include mild symptoms that should go away in a few days. They include redness, pain, or swelling on the arm where you got the shot. They also include a mild fever, chills, headache, or feeling tired.
Severe allergic reactions after getting a COVID-19 vaccine are rare. Call 9-1-1 or seek immediate medical care if you have symptoms. Vaccination sites are ready to help people who have immediate allergic reactions. Stay at the vaccination site for at least 15 minutes after getting the vaccine.
Serious side effects that could cause a long-term health problem are extremely unlikely following any vaccination, including COVID-19 vaccination. If adverse effects occur, they generally happen within six weeks of receiving a vaccine dose. The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks. To let CDC know about any side effects, you can sign up for a free, secure smartphone tool at v-safe after vaccination health checker [Español].
Have more questions? Visit our Searchable FAQs [Español] to find your answer!
Every vaccine goes through the same steps to make sure it is safe and effective. The COVID-19 vaccines were developed more quickly than usual because the financial part of that process was sped up to help us fight this virus.
- Phase 1: Study the safety and look for common reactions, using 20-100 volunteers.
- Phase 2: Study the effectiveness, by looking for how effective it is and by looking for the right dose using several hundred volunteers.
- Phase 3: Study safety and effectiveness, by comparing people who got the vaccines with people who did not, using thousands of volunteers.
- Phase 4: Even after vaccines have been offered to the public, continue to study safety and effectiveness including long-term benefits and side effects.
- Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) [Español] is used by the FDA during a public health emergency. This means that the FDA has looked at the data about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine and, although it is NOT fully approved, allows it to be used while they continue to look at the data.
- A full FDA approval means that the vaccine can be used even when there is not a public health emergency. To get this approval, the manufacturer must provide more detailed data that is collected for a longer time.
- After the FDA authorizes or fully approves the vaccine, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) makes recommendations for how that vaccine should be used.
How vaccines work?
When bacteria or viruses enter our bodies, they attack and multiply. This invasion is called an infection. The immune system fights back to protect the body’s cells. To help train your immune system to protect you from disease, we use vaccines. Vaccines do this by:
- Imitating an infection
- Helping the body’s immune system
- Teaching the body to “remember” how to fight the bacteria or virus in the future
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