The CDC’s recommendations allow for adults 18 years and older to receive a different updated vaccine than their original vaccine.
Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance
Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent illness and reduce the risk of severe disease and hospitalization. When you get vaccinated, you also protect people around you, including those who are at higher risk of complications for respiratory illnesses.
- The CDC recommends that EVERYONE ages 6 months and older get a dose of the updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine.
- Children ages 6 months to 4 years may need more than one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to be up to date. See specific recommendations on the CDC website.
- People who are greater than 65 years or moderately or severely immunocompromised should get an additional dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine 6 months after they receive the first dose.
We encourage patients to contact your local pharmacies to get vaccinated. They administer the same vaccines as in our clinics. Local pharmacies may not administer to infants and toddlers. Please contact your child’s pediatrician’s office if you are having trouble.
To find a local pharmacy for COVID-19 vaccines, you can go to vaccines.gov or call 1-800-232-0233. Many primary care and specialty offices across Mass General Brigham will offer COVID-19 vaccines at regularly scheduled office visits. Most of our clinics do not offer vaccine-only appointments.
About the current FDA-emergency use authorized COVID-19 vaccines
Allergies
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and fertility
The CDC, our pediatricians and our OBGYNs recommend that people who are pregnant, planning to get pregnant, or breastfeeding get vaccinated for COVID-19. Please see the complete recommendations here.
Children
The CDC recommends that children ages 6 months and older receive the updated COVID-19 vaccine. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are approved and recommended for patients in this age group.
Please see full details on the CDC website. If you have questions about your child’s vaccine, please contact your pediatrician’s office.
Where can I get more information?
- Benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine
- COVID-19 vaccine in Massachusetts
- COVID-19 vaccine in New Hampshire
- Food and Drug Administration: Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
- Food and Drug Administration: Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
- COVID-19 Novavax Vaccination
- Understanding mRNA COVID-19 vaccines
- COVID-19 Testing | Mass General Brigham
Updated December 20, 2024