COVID-19 Booster Recommendations
Current Booster Recommendations by Age Group
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all persons aged ≥5 years should receive a bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccine booster dose at least 2 months after completing their primary series or after receiving a monovalent booster dose to improve protection against COVID-19, particularly for those at increased risk for severe illness and death 1, 2
- Children aged 5 years should receive a Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster ≥2 months after primary series or monovalent booster 3
- Children aged 6-11 years should receive either Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster ≥2 months after primary series or monovalent booster 1
- Adolescents aged 12-17 years should receive either Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster ≥2 months after primary series or monovalent booster 4
- Adults aged ≥18 years should receive either Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster ≥2 months after primary series or monovalent booster 1
- For adults who cannot or will not receive mRNA vaccines, the Novavax monovalent booster may be used if they completed any FDA-approved or FDA-authorized primary series, have not received any booster doses, and are unable or unwilling to receive an mRNA vaccine 4
Special Considerations
- Immunocompromised individuals may benefit from additional protection with Evusheld (tixagevimab and cilgavimab) administered every 6 months to supplement vaccine-conferred protection 5
Timing Considerations
- Persons who recently had a SARS-CoV-2 infection may consider delaying a booster dose by 3 months from symptom onset or positive test result (if asymptomatic) 1, 4
- Bivalent booster doses are authorized ≥2 months after the last primary series or monovalent booster dose 3
- The Novavax monovalent booster is authorized ≥6 months after the last primary series dose 4