CDC recommends 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 6 months and older
On September 11, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved and authorized the use of updated COVID-19 mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna. The updated COVID-19 vaccine is also known as the 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccine.
On September 12, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that everyone 6 months or older get a 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccine, either Pfizer or Moderna.
Contact your healthcare provider or visit vaccinate.virginia.gov to find a vaccine appointment.
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COVID-19 VACCINES
Everyone Aged 6 Months and Older is Eligible to Receive a 2023–2024 COVID-19 Vaccine
The 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Novavax) have been updated to target the Omicron XBB.1.5 variant.
Everyone aged 5 years and older should get 1 dose of a 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccine.
Children aged 6 months to 4 years need multiple doses to be up to date. The total number of 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccines needed will be based on number of doses previously received and type of vaccine.
People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised should get at least 1 dose of a 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccine and may receive additional doses.
People aged 65 years and older who received 1 dose of a 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccine should get an additional dose.
For more information on staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, visit the CDC website. Contact your healthcare provider or visit vaccinate.virginia.gov to find a vaccine appointment.
COVID-19 VACCINES FOR CHILDREN
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.
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.
Talk to your child’s healthcare provider about keeping them up to date with COVID-19 vaccine.
Most side effects following COVID-19 vaccination are minor. These include pain, redness, and swelling where vaccine was given. Fever, muscle aches, headache, chills, or tiredness are also common. These usually resolve within a few days. Severe reactions, like anaphylaxis, are rare.
For more information see CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccine Safety in Children and Teens.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Top Frequently Asked Questions about the COVID-19 vaccine
If your child is aged 3 years or older, you may take them to a pharmacy to receive the COVID-19 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 or local health department to see if they offer the vaccine.
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. Learn more on the CDC webpage
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 can 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. Learn more on the CDC webpage
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. Learn more on the CDC webpage.
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 report them to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).
Yes. You can get a COVID-19 vaccine and most other vaccines on the same day, as well as within 14 days. This includes the flu, pneumococcal, Tdap, and shingles vaccine. For more information, please visit the CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Homepage.
People who previously received a vaccination for mpox (JYNNEOS), particularly adolescent or young adult males, might consider waiting 4 weeks before receiving a dose of any COVID-19 vaccine because of the unknown risk for myocarditis and pericarditis after JYNNEOS administration.
Have more questions? Visit our Searchable FAQs [Español] to find your answer!
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE COVID-19 VACCINES
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.
Scientists and researchers work on formulas that will become a vaccine. Before it’s ever given to people, it goes through extensive lab testing.
Clinical trials test safety, dosage, and effectiveness. Vaccines have to pass three phases before they can be offered to the general public.
- 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.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews the data from the trials and decides whether to authorize or approve it.
- 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.
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
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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