People with COVID-19 who have symptoms should wait to be vaccinated until they have recovered from their illness and have met the criteria for discontinuing isolation; those without symptoms should also wait until they meet the criteria before getting vaccinated. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine after you recover from COVID-19 infection provides added protection to your immune system.
Initial booster shots are recommended for those who are:
- 12 and older and completed their primary vaccination series of Pfizer at least 5 months ago
- 18 and older and completed their primary vaccination series of Moderna at least 5 months ago or completed their primary vaccination of Johnson & Johnson at least 2 months ago
See additional recommendations for people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised. A second booster dose has been authorized for certain people at increased risk of severe disease.
The recommended vaccination schedule from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is available here.