Are You Up to Date on Your COVID-19 Vaccination?

To be up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines means you have received all doses in the primary series and all boosters recommended for you.

A booster shot is an additional dose of a vaccine. It’s given to someone whose immune response from their last dose has weakened over time. For example, you’ve likely had a booster shot of a tetanus vaccine as part of your regular immunizations.

By getting a booster shot, you remind your body how to fight a disease. And your immune system gears up to protect you if you are exposed to that disease.

Booster shots for COVID-19

It is possible for someone to test positive for COVID-19 after being vaccinated. However, vaccines still offer the best protection against severe illness.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized booster doses for all four COVID-19 vaccines available in the U.S. The booster shots are not new vaccines. They refer to an additional dose of the existing COVID-19 vaccines. The dose for a booster may be smaller than the original dose, depending on the person’s age.

Recommendations for booster shots depend on several factors:

• Which vaccines the person has already received
• The person’s age
• Whether the person is immunocompromised, meaning they have:
  • Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
  • Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
  • Received CAR-T-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant within the last two years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
  • Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (some examples include DiGeorge syndrome and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
  • Advanced or untreated HIV infection
  • Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune system

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a new tool available to help you determine when or if you, or your child, can get one or more COVID-19 boosters. You can find the tool on their website. 

Read more information about the COVID-19 vaccines.