Updated (Bivalent) COVID-19 Booster

Everyone 6 years and older should get 1 updated (bivalent) Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of whether they’ve received any original COVID-19 vaccines.

Some people may get additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines:

• People aged 65 years and older may get 1 additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine 4 or more months after the 1st updated COVID-19 vaccine.
• People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may get 1 additional dose of updated COVID-19 vaccine 2 or more months after the 1st updated COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your healthcare provider about additional updated doses.

Staying up to date on vaccines, including boosters, is the most effective way to prevent serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. While vaccine protection decreases over time, boosters restimulate the immune system and increase vaccine efficacy again. Boosters are an important defense, even if you’ve already had COVID.

• Who should get the new booster?    

Everyone 6 years and older should get 1 updated Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of whether they’ve received any original COVID-19 vaccines.

Some people may get additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines:

• People aged 65 years and older may get 1 additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine 4 or more months after the 1st updated COVID-19 vaccine.
• People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may get 1 additional dose of updated COVID-19 vaccine 2 or more months after the 1st updated COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your healthcare provider about additional updated doses.

• When and where can I get a vaccine?  

Doses are available now. You can get boosters where you received previous vaccines, including doctor’s offices, hospitals, pharmacies, and community health clinics. FRVax.com will continue to provide information on local vaccine clinics and opportunities to receive doses.

• Am I considered “up to date” without a booster?

Everyone aged 6 years and older

You are up to date when you get 1 updated Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

Children aged 6 months—5 years who got the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine

You are up to date if you are:

• Aged 6 Months—4 years and you get 3 COVID-19 vaccine doses, including at least 1 updated COVID-19 dose.
• Aged 5 years and you get at least 1 updated COVID-19 vaccine dose.

Children aged 6 months—5 years who got the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine

You are up to date when you get 2 Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses, including at least 1 updated COVID-19 vaccine dose.

People who are unable or choose not to get a recommended mRNA vaccine

You are up to date when you get the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine doses approved for your age group.

• If I need a booster shot, does that mean that the vaccines aren’t working?

No. COVID-19 vaccines are working well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death, even against the widely circulating variants. However, public health experts are starting to see reduced protection, especially among certain populations, against mild and moderate disease. People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised have specific COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, including recommendations for a booster. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.