• The vaccine remains the best tool for preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19 and reducing the spread of the virus, including disease caused by Delta and other variants.
• Nearly all cases of severe illness, hospitalization, and death continue to occur among those not yet vaccinated.
• After a thorough review of safety data, the Food and Drug Administration’s approval (FDA) granted the first COVID-19 vaccine full approval based on clinical testing. The FDA’s approval provides even more evidence that the vaccines are safe.
• If you are fully vaccinated and become infected with the virus, the vaccine can protect you from becoming seriously ill.
• If you have any questions about the effectiveness of the vaccine, the most trusted source of information is your health care provider.

• A “booster dose” is an additional dose of a vaccine that is given to someone who presumably built enough protection after vaccination, but then that protection may decrease over time.
• Booster doses are recommended for everyone age 5 years and older. All boosters may be given 2 months after getting their primary series or their last booster dose.
• Updated formulas of both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 boosters are now available.
• These new boosters contain an updated formula that both boosts immunity against the original coronavirus strain and also protects againist the newer Omicron variants that account for most of the current cases.
• Moderna’s updated booster shot is recommended for everyone ages 6 and older.
• Pfizer’s updated COVID-19 booster shot is recommended for everyone ages 5 and older.
• People who have had more than one original booster are also recommended to get an updated booster.
• If you received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, an additional vaccine is recommended for adults ages 18 years and older who were vaccinated 2 or more months ago.
• Updated boosters are intended to provide optimal protection aganist the virus and address decreasing vaccine effectiveness over time.
• Everyone’s immunity decreases over time whether you were infected with the virus, or you recieved a vaccine to protect you from the virus.
• Everyone’s immunity decreases over time whether you were infected with the virus, or you received a vaccine to protect you from the virus.
• Booster doses are common for many vaccines. Researchers who developed the COVID-19 vaccines continue to watch closely for signs of decreasing immunity. They watch for how well the vaccines protect against new mutations of the virus, and how that data differs across age groups and risk factors.
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue work to understand how COVID-19 changes over time, and they will continue to monitor and make updates to the recommendations they publish to help people stay safe.

• The vaccine is free, safe, and effective.
• The vaccine is now available for young children ages 6 months and up. Children should get vaccinated as soon as possible. Eligible children can now receive a Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your children’s health care provider about which one is available in your health centers. Source: Public Health Communications Collaborative
• The vaccine is very safe to give to children. After getting the COVID-19 vaccine, children may have some side effects similar to adults and with other vaccines. These are normal signs that the body is building protection and will go away in a few days.
• More than 27 million children in the United States have received a COVID vaccine. It has been thoroughly tested, and its safety and effectiveness data has been closely reviewed by scientists and medical experts. Thousands of children participated in the clinical trials.
• Children receive a smaller dose of COVID-19 vaccine than teens and adults. Talk to your health care provider to learn the specific dosing schedule for your child.
• By getting your children vaccinated, you can protect your children from more contagious forms of the virus which can be serious in children leading to hospitalization and/or long-lasting COVID-19 symptoms.
• Vaccination can help children stay in school safely, reconnect with friends, and get the education they deserve.
• Like adults, children should continue to wear a mask in public indoor settings or when interacting in crowded areas, even outdoors, and when around people who don’t live in their household.
• Talk to your health care provider on how you can best protect your children from COVID-19, their risks for getting the virus, and if they are able to get the vaccine.
• Children 6 months and older should receive the flu vaccine and other vaccines on their regular schedule as recommended by the CDC. It is safe to get a COVID-19 vaccine along with any other routine vaccine including the flu vaccine.
• Many kids are behind on their regular vaccinations due to missed checkups during the pandemic. Getting more than one vaccine per visit lets them catch up on vaccinations.

• If you are unvaccinated, talk with your health care provider to discuss ways to stay safe and healthy and to reduce your risk of getting COVID-19.
• Always follow the advice of your health care provider because there is a lot of misinformation which can put you at higher risk of becoming ill from the virus.
• If you are not fully vaccinated, you should wear a mask in indoor public places. If possible, maintain 6 feet of distance between you and people who do not live in your home.
• Do things to ensure you are staying safe:Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Avoid crowds and spaces with poor ventilation
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Monitor your health daily. Be alert for symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath.
• Get a flu shot or other vaccines you may need as soon as you can. You can get the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time.
• If you have a condition that prevents you from getting the vaccine at this point, it is recommended you get the vaccine as soon as you’re medically able.

• You need to be aware that there is a lot of misinformation shared on social media and on the Internet about COVID-19 and the vaccine.
• Stop and investigate the source of the information you read and trust and ask your health care provider about it.
• Community health centers have administered millions of vaccines and health center staff can help you find trusted information.

Yes. mRNA vaccines, such as the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, still create an immune response inside your body, but they work a little differently than other vaccines. This type of vaccine is new, but research and development on it has been under way for decades. The mRNA vaccines do not contain any live virus. The COVID-19 vaccines work by teaching our immune system to recognize cells that do not belong there and to respond to get rid of them. When an immune response begins, antibodies are produced.

Yes. Based on data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy, CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccination for all people who are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to get pregnant now or in the future. Data show that pregnant and recently pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill if infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant people, and the highly contagious Delta variant makes it even more important for eligible people to get vaccinated.
There is no evidence to show that getting a vaccine increases the risk of miscarriage. There is also no evidence that fertility problems are a side effect of any vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccines. There has been extensive safety monitoring of the COVID-19 vaccines, including analysis of vaccination during pregnancy.

Antibodies made after a pregnant person received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine have been found in umbilical cord blood, which means that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy might help protect babies against COVID-19. Recent reports have shown that breastfeeding people who have received mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have antibodies in their breast milk, which could help protect their babies.

It is more important than ever to protect against influenza, which, like COVID-19, is a respiratory illness. Vaccination for the flu is critical to help reduce the overall impact of respiratory illnesses on the general population and lower the resulting burden on the healthcare system during the pandemic. You can get the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time.

Yes. Even if your children previously had or currently has COVID-19, it is recommended that they still get vaccinated and get the additional protection of the vaccine. For children who have been infected with COVID-19, their next dose can be delayed 3 months from when symptoms started or, if they did not have symptoms, when they received a positive test result.

Children ages six months and older can now receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are available to children. COVID-19 vaccine dosage is based on age on the day of vaccination, not on size or weight. Children receive a smaller, age-appropriate dose. An easy-to-read COVId-19 vaccine dosage schedule can be found here and talk to your health care provider to learn more about when to schedule your child’s COVID-19 vaccine

No. None of the COVID-19 vaccines cause you to test positive for the virus.

COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing most infections. However, like other vaccines, they are not 100% effective. A vaccine breakthrough infection happens when a fully vaccinated person gets infected with SARS-Co-2. People with vaccine breakthrough infections may spread COVID-19 to others. Even if you are fully vaccinated, if you live in an area with high transmission of COVID-19, you – as well as your family and community – will be better protected if you wear a mask when you are in indoor public places. This is particularly important in cases where people do not develop enough immunity because they have or have had other medical conditions.

The COVID-19 vaccine is given in a series of doses. A booster is an additional dose of the vaccine. Additional doses are available for everyone ages 5 years and older.

• All boosters may be given 2 months after getting their primary series of their booster dose
• Updated formulas of both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 boosters are now available.
• These new boosters contain an updated bivalent formula that both boosts immunity against the original coronavirus strain and also protects against the newer Omicron variants that account for most of the current cases.
  • Moderna’s updated booster shot is recommend for everyone ages six and older.
  • Pfizer’s updated COVID-19 booster shot is recommended for everyone ages five and older.
  • People who have had more than one orignial booster are also recommended to get an updated booster.
  • If you received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, an additional vaccine is recommended for adults ages 18 years and older who were vaccinated 2 or more months ago.

Sources: CDC and Public Health Communications Collaborative

Yes, the CDC recommends that everyone age 5 and older should get an updated COVID-19 booster to stay up-to-date on vaccinations. People who completed their primary series or received one or two boosters should get an updated booster dose at least two months after their last shot.

For maximum effectiveness of the updated booster dose, individuals who recently had COVID-19 may consider delaying any COVID-19 vaccination, including the updated booster dose, by 3 months from the start of their symptoms or positive test.

• A booster dose is given after a complete vaccine series to provide additional protection against a vaccine’s effectiveness that may have decreased over time, while an additional dose is given to people with compromised immune systems to improve their response to the initial vaccine series. 
• The CDC recommends that immunocompromised people who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine get an additional dose at least 28 days after their second shot. Data show that an additional dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines helps to increase protection for this group. 
• Patients who are immunocompromised should consult with their health care provider to discuss additional precautions and any questions they have about protecting themselves from COVID-19.

Vaccines are sometimes given in a series of doses to help develop the body’s immune response against the virus. All three vaccines, including the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, continue to protect against serious illness and death. Additional doses of the vaccine have been approved and these will be made available as soon as possible.

Anyone can submit a report to the CDC’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System known as VAERS. VAERS tracks all submitted information about adverse reactions. Adverse reactions are monitored closely. Some people may have mild side effects like soreness in the arm where the shot was given. This is an indication that the vaccine is working. These are normal and should go away in a few days. They are not adverse reactions.

No. While you may have some short-term antibody protection after recovering from COVID-19, we don’t know how long this protection lasts. Vaccination is the best protection, and it is safe. People who get COVID-19 can have serious illnesses, and some have debilitating symptoms that persist for months.