Updated Dec. 28, 2022
Find Out How Many Doses You Need to Stay Up to Date
You are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines when you have received all doses necessary to complete your primary series and all boosters that are recommended for you. The overview below explains how many doses you need and when to get them based on your age and the vaccine you get, or use CDC’s booster tool to find out exactly what you need. If you have a moderately to severely compromised immune system, see If You Are Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised.
Fact Sheet: How Many Doses Do I Need?
Adults 18 and Older
Pfizer-BioNTech
Primary Series
2 monovalent doses 3 – 8 weeks apart
Booster(s)
Bivalent Pfizer or Moderna at least 2 months after second dose or last booster
Moderna
Primary Series
2 monovalent doses 4 – 8 weeks apart
Booster(s)
Bivalent Pfizer or Moderna at least 2 months after second dose or last booster
Novavax
Primary Series
Should be used only for those people who have never had a COVID-19 vaccine; 2 doses, 3 – 8 weeks apart
Booster(s)
Bivalent Pfizer or Moderna at least 2 months after second dose or last booster, or in limited situations, Novavax at least 6 months after second dose
Johnson & Johnson (Janssen)*
Primary Series
1 dose
Booster(s)
Bivalent Pfizer or Moderna at least 2 months after first (primary) dose or last booster; Johnson & Johnson may be considered in limited situations at least 2 months after primary dose
*The FDA announced further limitations on the authorized use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on May 5, 2022 after determining that the risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) warranted limiting use of the vaccine. The CDC also supports these recommendations. Learn more about when the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is recommended.
Youth 12 – 17
Pfizer-BioNTech
Primary Series
2 monovalent doses 3 – 8 weeks apart
Booster(s)
Bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna at least 2 months after second dose or last booster
Moderna
Primary Series
2 monovalent doses 4 – 8 weeks apart
Booster(s)
Bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna at least 2 months after second dose
Novavax
Primary Series
Should be used only for those people who have never had a COVID-19 vaccine; 2 doses, 3-8 weeks apart
Booster(s)
Bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna at least 2 months after second dose
The Novavax vaccine is not authorized for use as a booster dose for this age group.
Babies and Children Under 11
Pfizer-BioNTech
Primary Series
Age 5 – 11 years: 2 monovalent doses 3 – 8 weeks apart
Age 6 months – 4 years: 3 doses; first and second doses are monovalent vaccines given 3 – 8 weeks apart and third dose is a bivalent vaccine given at least 8 weeks after second dose
Booster(s)
Age 6 – 11 years: Bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna at least 2 months after last dose
Age 5 years: Bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech least 2 months after last dose
Age 6 months – 4 years: Boosters are not recommended for children who received a three-dose primary series of Pfizer (regardless of whether monovalent or bivalent vaccine was used for the third dose)
Moderna
Primary Series
Age 6 months – 11 years: 2 monovalent doses 4 – 8 weeks apart
Booster(s)
Age 5 – 11 years: Bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna at least 2 months after last monovalent dose
Age 6 months – 4 years: Bivalent Moderna at least 2 months after last monovalent dose
If You Are Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised
People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised should follow a separate schedule for their COVID-19 vaccine primary series and booster doses. People with a weakened immune system may be at greater risk for severe COVID-19 illness and their immune response to the vaccine may not be as strong as in other people. The overview below explains how many doses you need and when to get them based on your age and the vaccine you get, or use CDC’s booster tool to find out exactly what you need.
What Does it Mean to be Immunocompromised?
Individuals who meet the following criteria may benefit from additional doses of the vaccines:
- Age 6 months and older
- Currently receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or blood cancers
- Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
- Received a stem cell transplant within the last two years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
- Have moderate to severe primary immunodeficiency such as DiGeorge syndrome or Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome
- Advanced or untreated HIV infection
- Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress the immune response
If you received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, your second dose of vaccine should be an mRNA vaccine. This is different from the booster recommendation.
Please speak with your provider about your health conditions and to determine if an additional dose is appropriate for you.
Fact Sheet: How Many Doses Do I Need?
Pre-teens, Teens and Adults
Pfizer-BioNTech
Primary Series
Ages 12+: 3 monovalent doses with second dose 3 weeks after first dose and third dose at least 4 weeks after second dose
Booster(s)
Ages 12+: Bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna at least 2 months after third dose or last booster
Moderna
Primary Series
Ages 12+: 3 monovalent doses with second dose 4 weeks after first dose and third dose at least 4 weeks after second dose
Booster(s)
Ages 12+: Bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna at least 2 months after third dose or last booster
Novavax
Primary Series
Ages 12+: Should only be used for those people who have never had a COVID-19 vaccine; 2 doses with second dose 3 weeks after first dose
Booster(s)
Ages 12+: Bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna at least 2 months after second dose or in limited situations, individuals ages 18 and older may receive the Novavax vaccine at least 6 months after their primary series
Johnson & Johnson (Janssen)*
Primary Series
Ages 18+ should receive 2 doses: first dose is Johnson & Johnson, second dose should be either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna at least 4 weeks after first dose
Booster(s)
Bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna at least 2 months after second dose; Johnson & Johnson may be considered in limited situations
*The FDA announced further limitations on the authorized use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on May 5, 2022, after determining that the risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) warranted limiting use of the vaccine. The CDC also supports these recommendations. Learn more about when the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is recommended.
Babies and Children Under 11
Pfizer-BioNTech
Primary Series
Age 5 – 11 years: 3 monovalent doses with second dose given 3 weeks after first dose and third dose at least 4 weeks after second dose
Age 6 months – 4 years: 3 doses; first and second doses are monovalent vaccines given 3 weeks apart and third dose is a bivalent vaccine is given at least 8 weeks after second dose
Booster(s)
Ages 6 – 11 years: Bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna at least 2 months after the final primary dose
Age 5: Bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech at least 2 months after the final primary dose
Age 6 months – 4 years: Boosters are not recommended for children who received a three-dose primary series of Pfizer (regardless of whether monovalent or bivalent vaccine was used for the third dose)
Moderna
Primary Series
Ages 6 – 11 years: 3 monovalent doses with second dose given 4 weeks after first dose and third dose given at least 4 weeks after second dose
Age 6 months – 5 years: 3 monovalent doses with second dose given 4 weeks after first dose and third dose given at least 4 weeks after second dose
Booster(s)
Age 5 – 11 years: Bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna at least 2 months after the final primary dose
Age 6 months – 4 years: Bivalent Moderna at least two months after third dose
Which Vaccines You Can Get for Primary Series and Booster Doses
CDC does not recommend mixing and matching vaccines when receiving your primary series. You may choose a different vaccine for your booster. CDC recommends that people who are getting a booster dose get either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna (mRNA COVID-19 vaccines). Individuals may choose the Novavax vaccine for their primary series, and, in some cases they may be eligible to receive Novavax as a booster dose. Novavax and the mRNA vaccines are preferred over Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine in most circumstances. Learn more
If You Have Had COVID-19
If you have recently had COVID-19, you may consider delaying receiving your vaccine (primary dose or booster) by three months from when your symptoms started or after receiving a positive test result if you had no symptoms.