get your booster, first or second dose!
Find out about vaccines for children, now starting at age 6 months
On June 18, the CDC recommended COVID-19 vaccines for all children ages 6 months through 5 years.
On May 19, the CDC recommended a booster shot for 5- to 11- year olds who completed their primary vaccine series at least five months ago. It also strengthened its recommendation for second boosters: People age 12 and older who are immunocompromised and people age 50 and older should receive a second booster dose at least four months after their first booster. Learn more.
Vaccines are the best tool to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Vaccines help your body fight off the virus. When you are vaccinated you are less likely to get sick and less likely to transmit the virus to others. Anyone who is not vaccinated is still vulnerable to experiencing the worst of COVID-19 and can continue spreading the virus. The more people who get vaccinated the more protected we all are against COVID-19.
COVID-19 booster shots are free, safe and widely available in Vermont. Even though COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective, a booster dose gives your body the most protection possible against COVID-19. This is especially important as the world continues to face new variants and subvariants of the virus that causes COVID-19. Read What You Need to Know About Variants for more information.
See Frequently Asked Questions
Vermont's Commissioner of Health, Mark Levine, MD, addresses common questions about the COVID-19 vaccine.
About the Vaccines
The Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are available in Vermont. Data from clinical trials and in the real world has shown that all three COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
These vaccines all first received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and continue to be safe. EUA is a way for vaccines and other medicines to be approved in a public health emergency. After proving the vaccines are safe and effective, they can be used while long-term studies continue. Learn more about Emergency Use Authorization and watch a video on what EUA is.
On August 23, 2021 the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive full approval from the FDA for people age 16 and older. It is available under EUA for people 5 to 15 years old and for a third dose in certain people with weakened immune systems. The Pfizer vaccine was the first vaccine to receive EUA, which is why it is the first to have enough data to receive full approval.
On January 31, 2022 the Moderna vaccine received full approval from the FDA for people 18 and older.
When a vaccine receives the FDA’s full approval, it’s no different than the vaccine people have been getting for months. It just means that there is even more data proving that it works and is safe. FDA approval requires a rigorous and structured review process, and it means that a vaccine has cleared every level of review. Compared to EUA, FDA approval of vaccines requires even more data on safety, manufacturing and effectiveness over longer periods of time and includes real-world data.
Learn more about the vaccines below, including how many doses to be fully vaccinated, how they work, how well they work, side effects, ingredients, and who they are and are not recommended for.