Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:Who is Eligible for a COVID-19 Booster Shot

October 25, 2021
This message includes updates on the COVID-19 response from CDC. The COVID-19 Outbreak is a rapidly evolving situation and information will be updated as it becomes available.



Who is Eligible for a COVID-19 Booster Shot

Certain people are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster shot, including those who received Moderna and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccines. Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose. CDC’s recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots.

For individuals who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, the following groups are eligible for a booster shot at 6 months or more after their initial series:

65 years and older
Age 18+ who live in long-term care settings
Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions
Age 18+ who work or live in high-risk settings

For the nearly 15 million people who got the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, booster shots are also recommended for those who are 18 and older and who were vaccinated two or more months ago.

Additional populations may be recommended to receive a booster shot as more data become available.
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Holiday Celebrations

There are several ways to enjoy holiday traditions and protect your health. Because many generations tend to gather to celebrate holidays, the best way to minimize COVID-19 risk and keep your family and friends safer is to get vaccinated if you’re eligible.

Safer holiday tips include:

Wear a mask in public indoor settings if you are not fully vaccinated, have a weakened immune system, or if you are in an area with substantial to high transmission.
Avoid crowded, poorly ventilated spaces.
If you are sick or have symptoms, don’t host or attend gatherings.
Delay travel until you are fully vaccinated. If you are considering traveling for a holiday or event, visit CDC’s Travel page to help you decide what is best for you and your family.
Get tested if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have a close contact with someone who has COVID-19.

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COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens

Getting a COVID-19 vaccination can help protect your child from getting COVID-19. They can also help keep your child from getting seriously sick even if they do get COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccines have been used under the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history, which includes studies in adolescents.

Children and adolescents receive the same dosage of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as adults and will need a second shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine 3 weeks after their first shot.

Help protect your whole family by getting yourself and your children 12 years and older vaccinated against COVID-19. To find a COVID-19 vaccine: Search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations near you.

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How to Use the COVID Data Tracker

Watch this new video to learn more about COVID Data Tracker, CDC’s home for COVID-19 data, including cases and deaths, hospitalizations, variants, vaccination progress, and more. COVID Data Tracker combines county, state, national, and global data from across the COVID-19 response in a series of interactive dashboards in one easy-to-use location.
Anyone can use COVID Data Tracker to follow COVID-19 pandemic trends and to access data on COVID-19 in your community.



COVID Data Tracker Weekly Review

Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 helps protect people from getting sick or severely ill from COVID-19. New data show that COVID-19-associated hospitalization rates were higher in unvaccinated people compared with fully vaccinated people. Additionally, people who were unvaccinated had a greater risk of dying from COVID-19 than fully vaccinated people. People who are unvaccinated remain the most vulnerable to COVID-19.

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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the U.S.
October 25, 2021

US states, territories, and District of Columbia have reported 45,363,116 cases of COVID-19 in the United States.
CDC provides updated U.S. case information online daily.
In addition to cases, deaths, and laboratory testing, CDC's COVID Data Tracker now has a Vaccinations tab to track distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in your state.


U.S. Cases

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1600 Clifton Rd Atlanta, GA 30329 1-800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) TTY: 888-232-6348