COVID vaccines are our best hope to move beyond the COVID pandemic. Nearly all kids age 6 months and older are eligible for COVID vaccines and a booster dose if it has been at least 2 months since they got their last primary series dose or primary booster.
The
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend COVID vaccines for everyone age 6 months and older. The vaccine equips your child's immune system to recognize and resist the virus. This protects them and everyone around them from serious disease and hospitalization from COVID.
Parents should not wait to get their child or teen vaccinated against COVID. More contagious variants of the virus are spreading and infecting more people.
Do kids still need the primary series—or can they just get the updated booster?
The primary series provides a base of protection against severe disease, including hospitalizations and death. If your child is 6 months old or older, they need to get all recommended doses of COVID vaccine.
Did your child receive three doses of the original vaccine (Pfizer)? A booster dose of the updated (bivalent) vaccine is recommended if it has been at least two months since they received their third dose.
Recommended dose & type of the vaccine based on age
For COVID vaccines, the size of the dose and type of vaccine depend on a child's age. Babies and young children get a
smaller dose than older children and teens.
Two COVID vaccines (mRNA vaccines from Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna) are available for kids age 6 months and older. A third COVID vaccine (protein subunit vaccine from Novavax) is authorized for kids age 12 years and older.
See the chart below for details on how many doses kids need based on their age. Parents should note that additional
doses may be recommended if a child has certain medical conditions or takes medicines that weaken the immune system.
If your child has a medical condition or takes medicines that affect their immune system, ask your pediatrician whether your child's recommended schedule is different. If you are unsure about the timing of your child's vaccinations, do not hesitate to ask your pediatrician!
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine |
|
Moderna vaccine |
|
Novavax vaccine |
Dose 1 |
Dose 2 |
Dose 3 | |
Dose 1 |
Dose 2 |
Dose 3 | |
Dose 1
|
Dose 2
|
Dose 3 |
6 months – 4 years old* |
3-8 weeks after dose 1 |
Bivalent dose at least 8** weeks after dose 2 |
|
6 months – 5 years old |
4-8 weeks after dose 1 |
Bivalent booster at least 2 months after last dose | |
|
|
|
5 – 11 years old
|
3-8 weeks after dose 1 |
Bivalent booster at least 2 months after last dose
| |
6 – 11 years old |
4-8 weeks after dose 1 |
Bivalent booster at least 2 months after last dose
| |
|
|
|
12 – 17 years old |
3-8 weeks after dose 1 |
Bivalent booster at least 2 months after last dose
| |
12 – 17 years old |
4-8 weeks after dose 1 |
Bivalent booster at least 2 months after last dose
| |
12 – 17 years old |
3-8 weeks after dose 1 |
Pfizer or Moderna bivalent booster at least 2 months after last dose
|
*Children ages 6 months through 4 years who got 3 doses of the primary vaccine from Pfizer should get a an updated (bivalent) booster dose at least 2 months after their third dose.
** Children age 6 months through 4 years who received the updated (bivalent) third dose from Pfizer do not require a fourth booster dose at this time.
Source:
AAP Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine Dosing Quick Reference Guide,
https://aap.org/CovidVaccineGuide
Do kids need to wait to get the vaccine if they had COVID?
Talk to your pediatrician about the best timing for vaccination following infection. If your child has an active COVID-19 infection or had COVID between doses, they should wait to get vaccinated until they've recovered and are no longer contagious.
Children who recently had COVID can consider delaying a COVID-19 vaccine by up to 3 months. This is because there is a lower risk of getting sick with COVID again during that time. But it is important to note that with the recent variants, some people have gotten COVID again within 3 months.
People still should get all recommended doses even if they had COVID. This is because COVID vaccines have been shown to provide the strongest, broadest and most long-lasting protection, both in people who have and who have not had COVID infection previously. People who are not vaccinated and become infected also may be at higher risk of long-term effects from their infection (known as
long COVID or
post-COVID conditions).
One thing is certain: COVID-19 vaccines are preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death for
billions of people who've received them already. We are relieved that almost all children and teens can get the vaccines, so they can enjoy their communities safely.
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