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. For booster vaccination, CDC recommends eligible people age 5 and older receive an age-appropriate, updated Pfizer or Moderna vaccine that offers better protection against variants. The monovalent Novavax booster and the Johnson & Johnson primary and booster vaccinations are authorized for people 18 and older in limited situations.

See additional recommendations for people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.