On June 27, 2024, the CDC Director adopted the ACIP’s recommendations for use of 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccines in people ages 6 months and older as approved or authorized by FDA. The 2024–2025 vaccines are expected to be available in fall 2024. This page will be updated at that time to align with the new recommendations. Learn more: www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s-t0627-vaccine-recommendations.html

Vaccines for Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised People

What to know

  • CDC recommends the 2023–2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines—Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax—to protect against serious illness from COVID-19. Everyone aged 6 months and older who is moderately or severely immunocompromised needs at least 1 dose of a 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 vaccine.

Recommendations for people aged 6 months and older

People Who Have Not Had Any Previous COVID-19 Vaccines (Not Vaccinated)

People aged 6 months and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised and not vaccinated should get 2 or 3 doses of the same brand of updated COVID-19 vaccine. They also may be able to get additional doses. None of the recommended updated COVID-19 vaccines is preferred over another.

Pfizer-BioNTech

1st Dose
  • Pfizer-BioNTech (updated vaccine)
2nd Dose
  • Pfizer-BioNTech (updated vaccine)
  • 3 weeks after 1st dose
3rd Dose
  • Pfizer-BioNTech (updated vaccine)
  • At least 8 weeks after 2nd dose for children aged 6 months to 4 years.
  • At least 4 weeks for people of all other ages.

Note: People who are immunocompromised may receive Moderna vaccines after the first or second Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in some situations.

Moderna

1st Dose
  • Moderna (updated vaccine)
2nd Dose
  • Moderna (updated vaccine)
  • 4 weeks after 1st dose
3rd Dose
  • Moderna (updated vaccine)
  • At least 4 weeks after 2nd dose

Note: People who are immunocompromised may receive Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines after the first or second Moderna vaccine in some situations.

Novavax (People aged 12 years and older)

1st Dose
  • Novavax (updated vaccine)
2nd Dose
  • Novavax (updated vaccine)
  • 3 weeks after 1st dose
Keep Reading: Overview of COVID-19 Vaccines

People Who Got Previous COVID-19 Vaccines

People aged 6 months and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised and got COVID-19 vaccines before September 12, 2023, should get 1 or 2 doses of updated COVID-19 vaccine, depending on your age and the number of doses you got previously.

Pfizer-BioNTech (People Aged 6 months - 11 years)

One Previous Dose

2nd Dose
  • Pfizer-BioNTech (updated vaccine)
  • 3 weeks after 1st dose
3rd Dose
  • Pfizer-BioNTech (updated vaccine)
  • At least 8 weeks after 2nd dose for children aged 6 months to 4 years.
  • At least 4 weeks for people of all other ages.

Note: People who are immunocompromised may receive Moderna vaccines after the first or second Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in some situations.

Two Previous Doses

1 Dose
  • Pfizer-BioNTech (updated vaccine)
  • At least 8 weeks after last dose for children aged 6 months to 4 years.
  • At least 4 weeks for people of all other ages.

Three or More Previous Doses

1 Dose
  • Pfizer-BioNtech (updated vaccine)
  • At least 8 weeks after last dose.
  • Children aged 5 years - 11 years can get Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.

Pfizer-BioNTech (People Aged 12 years and Older)

One Previous Dose

2nd Dose
  • Pfizer-BioNTech (updated vaccine)
  • 3 weeks after last dose.
3rd Dose
  • Pfizer-BioNTech (updated vaccine)
  • At least 4 weeks after last dose.

Note: People who are immunocompromised may receive Moderna vaccines after the first or second Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in some situations.

Two Previous Doses

3rd Dose
  • Pfizer-BioNTech (updated vaccine)
  • At least 4 weeks after last dose.

Three or More Previous Doses

1 Dose
  • Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Novavax (updated vaccine)
  • At least 8 weeks after last dose.

Moderna (People Aged 6 months - 11 Years)

One Previous Dose

2nd Dose
  • Moderna (updated vaccine)
  • 4 weeks after 1st dose.
3rd Dose
  • Moderna (updated vaccine)
  • At least 4 weeks after 2nd dose.

Note: People who are immunocompromised may receive Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines after the first or second Moderna vaccine in some situations.

Two Previous Doses

1 Dose
  • Moderna (updated vaccine)
  • At least 4 weeks after last dose.

Three or More Previous Doses

1 Dose
  • Moderna (updated vaccine)
  • At least 8 weeks after last dose.
  • Children aged 5 years - 11 years can get Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech.

Moderna (People Aged 12 Years and Older)

One Previous Dose

2nd Dose
  • Moderna (updated vaccine)
  • 4 weeks after last dose.
3rd Dose
  • Moderna (updated vaccine)
  • At least 4 weeks after last dose.

Note: People who are immunocompromised may receive Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines after the first or second Moderna vaccine in some situations.

Two Previous Doses

3rd Dose
  • Moderna (updated vaccine)
  • At least 4 weeks after last dose.

Three or More Previous Doses

1 Dose
  • Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Novavax (updated vaccine)
  • At least 8 weeks after last dose.

Novavax (People Aged 12 Years and Older)

One or More Previous Doses

1 Dose
  • Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Novavax (updated vaccine)
  • At least 8 weeks after last dose.

Johnson and Johnson's Janssen (People Aged 18 Years and Older)

One or More Previous Doses

1 Dose
  • Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Novavax (updated vaccine)
  • At least 8 weeks after last dose.

J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is no longer available for use in the United States as of May 6, 2023.

People who may get an additional updated COVID-19 vaccine

People aged 6 months and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may get additional updated COVID-19 vaccine doses 2 or more months after the last recommended COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your healthcare provider for more information.

COVID-19 vaccines: 2023-2024 updated, bivalent, and original

2023–2024 Updated COVID-19 Vaccines

As of October 3, 2023, the 2023-2024 updated Novavax vaccine was recommended by CDC for use in the United States.

As of September 12, 2023, the 2023–2024 updated Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were recommended by CDC for use in the United States.

The 2023–2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines more closely target the XBB lineage of the Omicron variant. We anticipate the updated vaccines will be better at fighting currently circulating variants.

2022–2023 Bivalent Vaccines

As of September 11, 2023, the bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are no longer available for use in the United States.

Original vaccines

As of April 18, 2023, the original Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are no longer available for use in the United States.

As of May 6, 2023, J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is no longer available for use in the United States.

Who is moderately or severely immunocompromised?

Some people are immunocompromised (have a weakened immune system) due to a medical condition or because they received medications or treatments that suppress the immune system. You can self-attest to your moderately or severely immunocompromised status, which means you do not need any documentation of your status to receive COVID-19 vaccines you might be eligible to receive.

Getting vaccines if you recently had or currently have COVID-19

If you recently had COVID-19, you still need to stay up to date with your vaccines, but you may consider delaying your vaccine by 3 months.

Reinfection is less likely in the weeks to months after infection. However, certain factors could be reasons to get a vaccine sooner rather than later, such as:

  • personal risk of severe disease,
  • risk of disease in a loved one or close contact,
  • local COVID-19 hospital admission level, and
  • the most common COVID-19 variant currently causing illness.

People who were vaccinated outside of the United States

Learn more about the recommendations for people vaccinated outside of the United States.

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Content Source:
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD)