COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots: Who is eligible and how to get one

Time & Date

Thursday, June 2, 2022

Update: The new Pfizer (bivalent) booster
UT Health Physicians will soon be offering the new Pfizer (bivalent) booster vaccine for our patients.
To learn about scheduling your new Pfizer (bivalent) booster check back here or sign up to receive UT Healthier News.

Primary Series
Your primary series doses depend on your age, your health status, what vaccine you first received, and when you first got vaccinated. A person is considered “up-to-date” once they have completed a COVID-19 vaccine primary series and received the most recent booster dose recommended for you by the CDC.
Review the CDC’s webpage and recommendation chart to understand how to stay up-to-date with your COVID-19 vaccines.

Booster Shots
The CDC recommends COVID-19 boosters for everyone ages 5 years and older.
View this CDC chart to learn: Who should get a booster? When to get a booster? Which booster you should get? 
View the chart >

Mixing and Matching Vaccine Brands
18 years and older: may get a different brand for a booster than they got for their primary series, as long as it is Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.
12 years and older may only get the updated (bivalent) mRNA (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) booster. They can no longer get an original (monovalent) mRNA booster.
5 through 11 years who got a Pfizer-BioNTech primary series must also get Pfizer-BioNTech for a booster.
Novavax is not authorized for use as a booster dose at this time.

Vaccine and Booster Shot Recommendations for Immunocompromised Individuals
Those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised (have a weakened immune system) are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 illness and death. Their immune response to the COVID-19 vaccination may not be as strong as in people who are not immunocompromised. To stay up-to-date, the CDC recommends:
Learn more about the CDC vaccine and booster recommendations for moderately or severely immunocompromised people.

Where can I learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and booster schedules?
Detailed information about COVID-19 booster shots and third dose recommendations is available on the CDC’s website.