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Latest CDC guidance
Updated booster vaccines targeting the latest COVID-19 variants are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for age 5 and older at least 2 months after completion of their primary series or latest monovalent booster dose. Appointments for those ages 5-11 may be limited.
Choose the best option for your needs
Getting vaccinated at CVS Pharmacy®
- More than 9,000 locations
- Can vaccinate age 5 and up in most states
- Vaccination performed by a certified immunizer3
- Privacy curtain setting
Flu and COVID-19 are two different viruses and require two different vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends both vaccines and says it’s safe to receive them at the same time. 6
What is a bivalent booster, and why should I get one?
The updated booster targets Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, and the original strain of the COVID-19 virus, in a single shot. It can help provide protection for you, your family and friends.
When can I get a bivalent booster?
The bivalent vaccines have been authorized for use as a single booster dose at least two months after primary or booster vaccination. Also, the CDC has said that COVID-19 vaccinations may be co-administered with the flu vaccination.
What are my choices for a bivalent booster?
The COVID-19 booster is authorized for use as a single booster dose for everyone age 5 or older. A patient can choose to receive either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech booster, regardless of which company’s primary dose series or booster vaccine they received previous.
CDC recommended COVID-19 vaccination schedule
For both non-immunocompromised and moderately to severely immunocompromised patients
Updated as of October 14, 2022. Refer to the CDC website for the most up-to-date COVID-19 vaccine information
Pfizer-BioNTech general vaccine schedule for non-immunocompromised patients
Ages 6 months to 4 years
- First Dose
- Second Dose7
21 days after first dose - Third Dose
At least 56 days after second dose
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine schedule for moderately to severely immunocompromised patients
Ages 6 months to 4 years
- First Dose
- Second Dose7
21 days after first dose - Third Dose
At least 56 days after second dose
Moderna general vaccine schedule for non-immunocompromised patients
Ages 6 months to 5 years
- First Dose
- Second Dose7
28 days after first dose
Children age 5 are recommended to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster at least 2 months after second dose.
Moderna vaccine schedule for moderately to severely immunocompromised patients
Ages 6 months to 5 years
- First Dose
- Second Dose7
28 days after first dose - Third Dose
At least 28 days after second dose
Children age 5 are recommended to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster at least 2 months after third dose.
Johnson & Johnson (Janssen)9 general vaccine schedule for non-immunocompromised patients
We're here to help with your COVID-19 needs
You can easily get:
- No-cost at-home test kits and in-store testing11
- Treatments including in-clinic, virtual care and prescription
- Your vaccine records when you sign in to your account
Why get the COVID-19 vaccine from CVS Health®?
- CVS Health has administered over 59 million COVID-19 vaccines to date
- We have years of experience safely administering vaccines, such as those for flu, shingles and pneumonia
- We offer easy and convenient online scheduling options so you can schedule both required doses at the same time
COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions
The FDA has rigorous scientific and regulatory processes in place to facilitate development and ensure the safety, effectiveness and quality of COVID-19 vaccines. As of August 23, 2021, the FDA has issued full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use with individuals ages 16 and over, and as of January 31, 2022 has issued full approval for the Moderna vaccine for use in individuals ages 18 and over.
The previously issued Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) for COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech (for ages 6 months to 15 years), Moderna (for ages 6 months to 17 years) and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen remain in effect. An EUA gives the FDA authority to allow unapproved medical products to be used in emergencies when no approved alternatives are available. Other COVID-19 vaccines are in development and will be reviewed by the FDA under EUA. Find the current status of the vaccine approvals and EUAs. Find the current status of the vaccine approvals and EUAs.
CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic are receiving supply on a rolling basis and appointments are made available at CVS.com and via the CVS Pharmacy app, as well as through MinuteClinic.com.
CVS.com and the CVS Pharmacy app will be updated to reflect active vaccinating CVS Pharmacy locations and MinuteClinic.com for MinuteClinic locations, as inventory arrives.
Yes. Patients may visit CVS.com or the CVS Pharmacy app to schedule an appointment for an updated COVID-19 booster. Patients will also have the option to schedule other vaccines during an appointment, including flu.
The updated COVID-19 booster vaccine will be administered as a single dose at least two months following the completion of the primary dose series or at least two months after having received the previously available monovalent booster vaccine. (Ages 5+ for Pfizer-BioNTech and ages 12+ for Moderna)
People who have completed any COVID-19 vaccine primary vaccination series or any number of prior COVID-19 vaccine monovalent booster doses will be able to receive a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster dose, if eligible based on age and interval since last dose.
No. Per guidance from the FDA and CDC, the bivalent COVID-19 booster may only be administered two months after a patient completes their initial primary series or two months after the patient’s most recent monovalent booster dose. Per FDA authorization, the previously available monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorized as booster doses for individuals 5 years of age and older. The updated booster cannot be used for the primary series at this time.
Yes. At this time the updated booster is available at no cost to any eligible patient either through insurance or if uninsured.
A bivalent vaccine is created to generate an immune response against two different antigens, or viruses. In this case, the updated vaccine includes an mRNA component of the original strain to provide an immune response that is broadly protective against COVID-19 and an mRNA component in common between the omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5 lineages to provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant.
Moderna booster shots for eligible individuals 18+ and Pfizer-BioNTech booster shots for eligible individuals 5+ are available at select CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic locations.
A parent or legal guardian must complete the online registration on the CVS website or Minuteclinic.com for minors up to age 17. Teens 16 and older do not need to be accompanied by an adult to their vaccination appointment, unless required by local or state law.
Patients interested in receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 booster are strongly encouraged to make an appointment on the CVS website or MinuteClinic website. Advanced scheduling is recommended for patients looking to receive a COVID-19 vaccine from a specific manufacturer to ensure that it is available at the clinic of their choice. At this time, each participating CVS Pharmacy is offering either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, not both.
Yes. According to the CDC, children may receive the seasonal flu vaccine at the same time they are receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. There is no need to stagger vaccinations. Additionally, if a child has already received a flu shot, they can receive their COVID-19 vaccine at any time. We are awaiting CDC guidance for the coadministration of the flu and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines for children age 4 and under.
The Delta variant causes more infections and spreads faster than the original SARS-CoV-2 strain of the virus that causes COVID-19. The Omicron variant likely will spread more easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, but how easily Omicron spreads compared to Delta remains unknown. The CDC expects that anyone with Omicron infection can spread the virus to others, even if they are vaccinated or don’t have symptoms.
Vaccines remain the best way to reduce your risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. Current vaccines are expected to protect against severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths due to infection with the Omicron variant. However, breakthrough infections in people who are fully vaccinated are likely to occur. With other variants, like Delta, vaccines have remained effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalizations, and death. The recent emergence of Omicron further emphasizes the importance of vaccination and boosters.
Masks offer protection against all variants. CDC continues to recommend wearing a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high community transmission, regardless of vaccination status.
For more information, visit the CDC’s page on variants.
When patients make an appointment for their initial shot online or through the CVS App, they are prompted to schedule an appointment for their second dose at the same time (if receiving Moderna or Pfizer). The second dose is scheduled within the appropriate timeframe, allowing enough time for a potential reschedule of the appointment, if needed. CVS Health has implemented a detailed tracking system to make sure we know who received which vaccine and to help ensure they get the second dose of the same vaccine, if needed. We are also able to accommodate an extended interval between doses of the primary series for the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, following recommendations by the CDC for certain populations. Find CDC recommendations for dosing intervals. Patients who wish to extend the interval between their first and second dose based on the new guidance may do so by contacting their local CVS Pharmacy team. Upon receiving their first dose, patients are provided with a vaccine card with all relevant vaccination information. Detailed reporting will be shared with state, local or territorial public health authorities.
New data indicate that some people ages 12 through 64 years—and especially males ages 12 through 39 years—would benefit from getting their second mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose eight (8) weeks after receiving their first dose. Extending the time interval between primary mRNA COVID-19 vaccine doses from the FDA-approved or authorized three (3) weeks (Pfizer-BioNTech) or four (4) weeks (Moderna) to eight (8) weeks may help increase how long protection lasts against COVID-19.
It’s important to note this update does not apply to everyone. The 3-week or 4-week interval is still recommended for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, adults ages 65 years and older, and others who may need early protection due to concern about an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 or high levels of community transmission. People ages 12 years and older who are moderate or severely immunocompromised should receive three doses in their mRNA primary vaccine series and should receive a booster dose with an mRNA vaccine at least three (3) months after completing their third primary series dose.
Find the new data on dosage intervals for primary COVID-19 vaccine series.
On December 16, 2021, the CDC issued guidance expressing a clinical preference for individuals to receive an mRNA vaccine (e.g., vaccines manufactured by Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech).
The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are offered in select CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic locations.
Pediatric doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are available at select CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic locations. We recommend parents and guardians check the CVS website to find locations near them with available appointments.
At this time, our CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic locations that are offering the COVID-19 vaccine have either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Patients are able to see which CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic locations have which vaccine and appointment availability on the CVS website or MinuteClinic website before scheduling, which is recommended especially when looking for an appointment for children ages 12–15 that require the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Our online scheduling tool will only display appointments at locations that have the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine once the patient’s age is provided.
Yes, a parent or legal guardian must complete the online registration on the CVS website for minors seeking the COVID-19 vaccine. An adult must accompany children ages 12–15 to the appointment at CVS Pharmacy, but does not need to accompany teens ages 16 and older, unless required by local or state law.
CVS Health immunizers include pharmacists, pharmacy interns and trained pharmacy technicians, as well as other qualified health care professionals depending on each state’s specific regulations. All CVS Health immunizers are certified according to company requirements, trained in the administration of immunizations, and hold an active CPR certification.
At this time, our CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic locations that are currently offering the COVID-19 vaccine to eligible populations have either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Patients will be able to see which CVS Pharmacy or MinuteClinic location has which vaccine and appointment availability on the CVS website or MinuteClinic website before scheduling. Depending on which vaccine you receive, you will be prompted to schedule a second dose if needed.
The FDA has authorized three COVID-19 vaccines which have been shown to be safe and effective as determined by data from the manufacturers and findings from large clinical trials. This data demonstrates that the known and potential benefits of this vaccine outweigh the known and potential harms of becoming infected with COVID 19. CVS Health is only administering vaccines that have been authorized for use by the FDA and our COVID-19 vaccination services are being conducted in compliance with CDC guidance for safe delivery of vaccines.
According to the CDC, you may have some side effects following the COVID-19 vaccine but are generally mild and resolve on their own. Common side effects include pain and swelling on the arm where you got the shot, and fever, chills, tiredness and headache throughout the rest of your body.
CVS Health immunizers are trained in the safe administration of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use by the FDA, including identifying and treating allergic reactions. The vaccination procedures include a patient screening checklist to assess the risk of reaction. All patients are monitored for 15 minutes after administration of the injection, or longer for people with a history of severe allergic reactions. Our immunizers are equipped with appropriate medications, such as epinephrine and antihistamines. Further information on COVID-19 Vaccines and allergic reactions can be found here.
Yes. As of September 2021, the CDC is strongly recommending that people who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant receive the COVID-19 vaccination. The CDC recommendations align with those from professional medical organizations serving people who are pregnant, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine along with many other professional medical organizations. When unvaccinated pregnant people contract COVID-19, they may experience severe disease and higher rates of hospitalization, ICU admission and death than non-pregnant people. More information about COVID-19 vaccines while pregnant, breastfeeding or planning to become pregnant is available here.
The safety data shows no adverse complications in pregnancy related to the COVID-19 vaccination, including no association with having a miscarriage or impacts on fertility. More information about COVID-19 vaccines while pregnant, breastfeeding or planning to become pregnant is available here.
Yes, when scheduling an appointment on the CVS website, patients are given a choice of where they’d like to schedule their two appointments (if required).
Patients receive email and text confirmations for each scheduled dose, as well as reminders that are sent 7 days and 2 days out, and a check-in reminder 15 mins prior to each appointment.
To change or cancel your appointment, please refer to the link in your confirmation text message or email. If you're changing a COVID-19 second dose appointment, remember, it’s mandatory that the second dose is received within the appropriate time frame in order to be fully vaccinated.
At this time, you may only access your own vaccination records or those of your minor children. Any patient age 18 or older must create their own account to access their vaccination records.
Check your email for the COVID-19 vaccination record if both the following conditions apply:
- The minor was vaccinated at CVS Pharmacy®
- An email address was provided at scheduling/check-in
A record of the vaccination should have been immediately sent to that address. It would have been sent from the email address Pharmacy@Notification.CVSHealth.com with a subject line of “For Your Records.”
- Sign in to your CVS account or create an account if you do not have one. (You may first have to verify your identity if you have not done so in the past.)
- Go to:
- Pharmacy
- Pharmacy Settings
- Manage Family Members
- Add a person
- To add your minor, we first need to locate their pharmacy records by using their patient information or a prescription number.
- Quick tip: The prescription (Rx) number can be found on any prescription bottle, as well as on the vaccination confirmation email referenced in the previous question (“How do I view my minor child’s vaccination records?”) with the subject line “For your records.”
- Once the pharmacy records are found, you will be asked to confirm that you are the parent or legal guardian.
- Once you confirm: Success! Your minor child’s Rx records are now available for viewing online.
If you’re trying to view your minor child’s vaccination record, view or create an account at Care.CVS.com.
- Log in with your CVS account details
- You may be asked to verify your identity before you can view your child’s record
- Once you have logged in and verified your identity, visit “Vaccinations” on the webpage.
More than 1,100 MinuteClinic locations offer either the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (including doses for children ages 18 months to 11 years and booster doses for individuals 5 years and older) or the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (including booster doses) to individuals 12 years and older.
Disclaimers:
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1 FOR COVID-19 VACCINE COST: The COVID-19 vaccine is currently available at select CVS Pharmacy® locations and is no cost with most insurance plans or for those uninsured.
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2 FOR $5 OFF $20 COUPON: Offer available September 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022 while supplies last. Appointments scheduled online will receive the coupon after vaccination. Limit one per customer per vaccine visit. For vaccines that require two doses, the coupon will be given with vaccine series completion. Merchandise coupon redeemable at CVS Pharmacy® and Longs Drugs® for one-time use. Terms and conditions apply. See coupon for details. $5 savings applied to total qualifying minimum purchase of $20 (after other coupons and discounts are applied). Reward cannot be earned in Arkansas, New Jersey, or New York. Coupon shall not be issued at MinuteClinic® locations in Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Coupon cannot be issued or redeemed at CVS Pharmacy at Target or CVS Pharmacy at Schnucks® locations. ExtraCare® card required to receive savings.
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3 FOR VACCINE ADMINISTRATION GUIDELINES: All CVS Health certified immunizers are trained in the administration of vaccines and hold an active CPR certification.
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4 FOR MINUTECLINIC AVAILABILITY: Vaccine available at select MinuteClinic® locations.
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5 FOR PHYSICIAN ASSOCIATES: In select states. Visit MinuteClinic.com for details.
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6 FOR FLU AND COVID-19 VACCINE: Flu and COVID vaccines available when a certified immunizer is on duty. Age restrictions apply. Available at most CVS Pharmacy® and MinuteClinic® locations. No-cost flu and COVID-19 vaccines with most insurance plans. COVID-19 vaccine is no-cost for those uninsured.
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7 FOR SECOND PRIMARY DOSE: An 8-week interval may be optimal for some people age 12 and older, especially for males ages 12 to 39. A shorter interval (3 weeks for Pfizer-BioNTech; 4 weeks for Moderna) between the first and second doses remains the recommended interval for people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised; adults age 65 and older; and others who need rapid protection due to increased concern about community transmission or risk of severe disease.
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8 FOR FIRST BOOSTER DOSE: Any COVID-19 vaccine can be used for the booster dose in people age 18 and older, though Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna are preferred. For people ages 5-17, only Pfizer-BioNTech can be used. People under 5 should not receive a booster dose. Immunocompromised patients age 5-11 who are eligible to receive a booster sooner than 5 months from completion of their primary series will be required to schedule digitally or via our call center 1-800-746-7287.
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9 FOR JOHNSON & JOHNSON (JANSSEN): The Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine is not available at CVS Pharmacy® or MinuteClinic®.
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10 FOR ADDITIONAL DOSE: Only Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine should be used.
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11 FOR NO-COST TESTING: No cost with most insurance; please check with your insurer for details. Patients without insurance can receive no-cost testing at many CVS Pharmacy® locations through the federal government’s Increasing Community Access to Testing Program.