Who Can Receive the COVID-19 Vaccines and Boosters?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) recommend that all people who are eligible for a COVID-19 primary vaccination¹ and booster vaccination should receive it.² Booster injections can be mixed and matched (that is, if you got the primary vaccine series with one type, you can get your booster with another type).

People who should get vaccinated include:

• Immunocompromised people.³
• People with underlying health conditions.
• People who have already had COVID-19 illness one or more times.
• People who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or who might become pregnant in the future.
• People who are receiving other vaccinations at the same time, which is now shown to be safe.
• Children age 5 years and older and teens.
• People who were vaccinated in another country but who did not get a COVID-19 vaccine that is authorized or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or that is listed for emergency use by World Health Organization.

Who Should Wait to Be Vaccinated Against COVID-19?

• People with COVID-19 illness should wait to be vaccinated until they have recovered from their illness and have met the criteria for discontinuing isolation.
• People who have had a known COVID-19 exposure should wait to be vaccinated until their quarantine period has ended to avoid potentially exposing healthcare personnel and others during the vaccination visit. 

Who Should Not Be Vaccinated Against COVID-19?

• People who have a document severe allergic reaction or an immediate allergic reaction to an ingredient in a COVID-19 vaccine should not receive that type. A severe allergy requires medical attention and intervention (such as an EpiPen). An immediate reaction happens within 4 hours after getting vaccinated and could include symptoms such as hives, swelling, and wheezing (respiratory distress).
• Such people may receive another type of COVID-19 that does not contain the ingredient they are allergic to. The ingredients are different between the three approved vaccines, so most people who have a severe or immediate allergy can get at least one of the vaccines. 

Who is Eligible to Receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine as a Primary Vaccine Series?

• The Pfizer-BioNTech primary series vaccine is fully approved by the FDA as follows: 
  • Ages: 16 years and over.
  • Timing: 2 injections given 21 days apart.
  • Dose: 30 micrograms of mRNA per injection.
  • The fully approved vaccine is now marketed as Comirnaty® (co-MER-na-tee) for this age group.
  • Information current as of August 23, 2021. 
    
    
• The Pfizer-BioNTech primary series vaccine is FDA approved under an Emergency Use Authorization as follows:
• Ages: 12 to 15 years.
• Timing: 2 injections given 21 days apart.
• Dose: 30 micrograms of mRNA per injection.
• Information current as of May 10, 2021.
• Ages 5 to 11 years.
• Timing: 2 injections given 21 days apart.
• Dose: 10 micrograms of mRNA per injection.
• Information current as of October 29, 2021.
  
  
• The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is FDA approved under an Emergency Use Authorization for an additional third injection for people who are immunocompromised (as of August 12, 2021). 
  • Age: 12 years and over.
  • Timing: One injection at least 28 days after the second primary injection. 
  • Dose: 30 micrograms of mRNA.
  • Immunocompromised includes people who have:
  • Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood.
  • Received an organ transplant and are taking medication to suppress the immune system.
  • Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medication to suppress the immune system.
  • Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome or Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome).
  • Advanced or untreated HIV infection.
  • Been receiving active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress their immune response.

Who is Eligible to Receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine as a Booster?

• The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is approved under an Emergency Use Authorization as a booster.
  • Age: 18 years and over (as of November 19, 2021) and 16 to 17 years (as of December 9, 2021). 
  • Timing: 1 injection given at least 6 months after the second primary vaccine injection (for general population) or at least 6 months after the third primary injection (for immunocompromised patients who received a third primary vaccine dose).
  • Dose: 30 micrograms of mRNA.

Who is Eligible to Receive the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine as a Primary Vaccine Series?

• The Moderna primary series vaccine is approved under an Emergency Use Authorization (as of December 18, 2020). 
  • Age: 18 years and over.
  • Timing: 2 injections given 28 days apart.
    Dose: 100 micrograms of mRNA per injection.
    
    
• The Moderna vaccine is FDA approved under an Emergency Use Authorization for an additional third injection for people who are immunocompromised (as of August 12, 2021). 
  • Age: 18 years and over.
  • Timing: One injection at least 28 days after the second primary injection. 
  • Dose: 50 micrograms of mRNA.
  • Immunocompromised: Defined the same way as for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Who is Eligible to Receive the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine as a Primary Vaccine?

• As of December 16, 2021, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people choose the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines over the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for both primary vaccination and booster injections.⁴ 
  • This recommendation is based on extensive follow-up tracking of side effects in people who received the different vaccines.
  • The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is associated with a very small but real risk of serious side effects or death from thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (blood clots with low platelets).⁵
    
• The Johnson & Johnson primary vaccine is still approved under an Emergency Use Authorization (as of December 18, 2020) 
  • Age: 18 years and over (for anyone who does not wish to get an mRNA vaccine).
  • Timing: 1 injection.
  • Dose: 5×10¹⁰ particles of modified (non-infectious) adenovirus viral vector per injection.
• Immunocompromised people should not receive an additional primary dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. They should receive a booster shot instead.