For your primary vaccine series, you should get the same kind of vaccine for both doses to be as protected as possible. In exceptional situations when the primary series cannot be determined or is not available, a different vaccine may be used. Please speak to your healthcare provider if such a situation occurs.

The CDC has approved mix and match booster doses. This means that a person can receive a booster of a COVID-19 vaccine that is different than the COVID-19 vaccine they received for their primary series or initial booster. If you are age 5-17, you must receive the Pfizer booster as it is the only vaccine approved for this age group. For primary and booster vaccination, people should receive an age-appropriate mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna). The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is authorized for anyone age 18 and older if no other approved vaccine is available.

See additional recommendations for people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised. A second booster dose is recommended for certain people at increased risk of severe disease.