COVID-19 Vaccines for People Who Are Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised
Related Pages
On June 27, 2024, the CDC Director adopted the ACIP’s recommendations for use of 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccines in people ages 6 months and older as approved or authorized by FDA. The 2024–2025 vaccines are expected to be available in fall 2024. This page will be updated at that time to align with the new recommendations. Learn more: www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s-t0627-vaccine-recommendations.html
What You Need to Know
- CDC recommends the 2023–2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax to protect against serious illness from COVID-19. Everyone aged 6 months and older who is moderately or severely immunocompromisedneeds at least1 dose of a 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 vaccine.
- Talk to your healthcare provider about getting additional doses of updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine if you are moderately or severely immunocompromised.
- If you are aged 65 years and older and received 1 dose of any updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine, you should receive 1 additional dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine at least 2 months after your last recommended updated dose.
- If you are aged 6 months-64 years, you may receive 1 additional dose of an updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine at least 2 months after your last recommended updated dose.
- Talk to your healthcare provider about whether further additional doses are needed.
Recommendations For People Aged 6 Months and Older
People Who Have Not Had Any Previous COVID-19 Vaccines (Not vaccinated)
People aged 6 months and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised and not vaccinated should get 2 or 3 doses of the same brand of updated COVID-19 vaccine. They also may be able to get additional doses. None of the recommended updated COVID-19 vaccines is preferred over another.
People Aged 6 Months and Older
1st Dose
Pfizer-BioNTech
UPDATED VACCINE
2nd Dose
Pfizer-BioNTech
UPDATED VACCINE
3 weeks after 1st dose
3rd Dose
Pfizer-BioNTech
UPDATED VACCINE
At least 8 weeks after 2nd dose for children aged 6 months to 4 years. At least 4 weeks for people of all other ages.
Note: People who are immunocompromised may receive Moderna vaccines after the first or second Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine insome situations.
Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Overview
People Aged 6 Months and Older
1st Dose
Moderna
UPDATED VACCINE
2nd Dose
Moderna
UPDATED VACCINE
4 weeks after 1st dose
3rd Dose
Moderna
UPDATED VACCINE
At least 4 weeks after 2nd dose
Note: People who are immunocompromised may receive Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines after the first or second Moderna vaccine insome situations.
Moderna Vaccine Overview
People Aged 12 Years and Older
1st Dose
Novavax
UPDATED VACCINE
2nd Dose
Novavax
UPDATED VACCINE
3 weeks after 1st dose
Novavax Vaccine Overview
Read more:COVID-19 vaccination schedule for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised
To find COVID-19 vaccine locations near you:Searchvaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233.
People Who Got Previous COVID-19 Vaccines
People aged 6 months and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromisedand got COVID-19 vaccinesbefore September 12, 2023, should get1 or2 doses of updated COVID-19 vaccine, depending on your age and the number of doses you got previously.
Pfizer-BioNTech
People Aged 6 Months – 11 years
2nd Dose
Pfizer-BioNTech
UPDATED VACCINE
3 weeks after 1st dose
3rd Dose
Pfizer-BioNTech
UPDATED VACCINE
At least 8 weeks after 2nd dose for children aged 6 months to 4 years.
At least 4 weeks for people of all other ages.
Note: People who are immunocompromised may receive Moderna vaccines after the first or second Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine insome situations.
1 Dose
Pfizer-BioNTech
UPDATED VACCINE
At least 8 weeks after last dose for children aged 6 months to 4 years.
At least 4 weeks for people of all other ages.
1 Dose
Pfizer-BioNTech
UPDATED VACCINE
At least 8 weeks after last dose
(Children aged 5 years –11 years can getPfizer-BioNTechorModerna.)
Pfizer-BioNTech
People Aged 12 years and Older
2nd Dose
Pfizer-BioNTech
UPDATED VACCINE
3 weeks after lastdose
3rd Dose
Pfizer-BioNTech
UPDATED VACCINE
At least 4 weeks after last dose
Note: People who are immunocompromised may receive Moderna vaccines after the first or second Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine insome situations.
3rd Dose
Pfizer-BioNTech
UPDATED VACCINE
At least 4 weeks after last dose
1 Dose
Pfizer-BioNTech
Moderna
or Novavax
UPDATED VACCINE
At least 8 weeks after last dose
Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Overview
Moderna
People Aged 6 Months – 11 years
2nd Dose
Moderna
UPDATED VACCINE
4 weeks after 1st dose
3rd Dose
Moderna
UPDATED VACCINE
At least 4 weeks after 2nd dose
Note: People who are immunocompromised may receive Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines after the first or second Moderna vaccine insome situations.
1 Dose
Moderna
UPDATED VACCINE
At least 4 weeks after last dose
1 Dose
Moderna
UPDATED VACCINE
At least 8 weeks after last dose
(Children aged 5 years – 11 years can get Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech.)
Moderna
People Aged 12 Years and Older
2nd Dose
Moderna
UPDATED VACCINE
4 weeks after lastdose
3rd Dose
Moderna
UPDATED VACCINE
At least 4 weeks after lastdose
Note: People who are immunocompromised may receive Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines after the first or second Moderna vaccine insome situations.
3rd Dose
Moderna
UPDATED VACCINE
At least 4 weeks after last dose
1 Dose
Pfizer-BioNTech
Moderna
or Novavax
UPDATED VACCINE
At least 8 weeks after last dose
Moderna Vaccine Overview
Novavax
People Aged 12 Years and Older
1 Dose
Pfizer-BioNTech
Moderna
or Novavax
UPDATED VACCINE
At least 8 weeks after last dose
Novavax Vaccine Overview
Johnson and Johnson’s Janssen
People Aged 18 Years and Older
1 Dose
Pfizer-BioNTech
Moderna
or Novavax
UPDATED VACCINE
At least 8 weeks after last dose
J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is no longer available for use in the United States as of May 6, 2023.
People Who May Get an Additional Updated COVID-19 Vaccine
People aged 6 months and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromisedmay getadditional updated COVID-19 vaccine doses 2 or more months after the last recommended COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your healthcare provider for more information.
COVID-19 Vaccines: 2023-2024 Updated, Bivalent, and Original
2023–2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines
As of October 3, 2023, the 2023-2024 updated Novavax vaccine was recommended by CDC for use in the United States.
As of September 12, 2023,the2023–2024 updated Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were recommended by CDC for use in the United States.
The 2023–2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines more closely target the XBB lineage of the Omicron variant. We anticipate the updated vaccines will be better at fighting currently circulating variants.
2022–2023 Bivalent vaccines
As of September 11, 2023, the bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are no longer available for use in the United States.
The 2022–2023 bivalent vaccines were designed to protect against both the original virus that causes COVID-19 and the Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5. Two COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, had developed bivalent COVID-19 vaccines.
Original vaccines
As of April 18, 2023, the original Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are no longer available for use in the United States.
As of May 6, 2023, J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is no longer available for use in the United States.
Previous COVID-19 vaccines were called “original” because they were designed to protect against the original virus that causes COVID-19.
Who Is Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised?
Some people areimmunocompromised(have a weakened immune system) due to a medical condition or because they received medications or treatments that suppress the immune system. You can self-attest to your moderately or severely immunocompromised status, which means you do not need any documentation of your status to receive COVID-19 vaccines you might be eligible to receive.
Getting Vaccines If You Recently Had or Currently Have COVID-19
If you recently had COVID-19, you still need to stay up to date with your vaccines, but youmayconsider delaying your vaccine by 3 months.
Reinfection is less likely in the weeks to months after infection. However, certain factors could be reasons to get a vaccine sooner rather than later, such as:
- personal risk of severe disease,
- risk of disease in a loved one or close contact,
- local COVID-19 hospital admission level,
- and the most commonCOVID-19 variantcurrently causing illness.
People Who Were Vaccinated Outside of the United States
Learn more about the recommendations forpeople vaccinated outside of the United States.
For Healthcare and Public Health Professionals
- Use of COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Authorized or Approved in the United States
