Updated 2024-2025 COVID vaccines for all available now
Everyone aged 6 months and up should get an updated COVID vaccine, without delay!
Disclaimer: The following is general information provided for public health educational purposes and is not intended as individual medical advice. If you have individual medical questions, please consult your personal doctor or healthcare provider.
Getting the latest updated COVID vaccines is our best chance to reduce the risk of many harmful effects of COVID, ranging from missed work to severe infection, hospitalization, and Long COVID.
Thanks to the work of public health advocates and community members, updated 2024-2025 COVID vaccines are recommended for all people aged 6 months and up, in the US. If you haven’t had a COVID shot within the last 2 months, you are eligible for updated boosters and should get one.
All three COVID vaccine manufacturers have developed updated vaccine formulations to better match current variants for fall 2024, and all three have now been authorized by the FDA—Pfizer (Comirnaty), Moderna (Spikevax), and Novavax (Nuvaxovid).
Summary
Updated 2024-2025 COVID vaccines are available in the US now
All people aged 6 months and older are eligible
Schedule your appointment as soon as you can amid high COVID spread and likely continued high levels of spread in the coming months
Wear a mask at vaccination sites to protect yourself and others
All three vaccine options are likely to be effective against current circulating variants
The updated COVID vaccines are covered by most private insurance plans, Medicare, and Medicaid
COVID vaccines are free for uninsured/underinsured children via the Vaccines for Children program
Free COVID vaccines for uninsured/underinsured adults are more limited as the CDC’s Bridge program ended in August, but local options may be available
Everyone needs updated COVID protection
The protection from COVID vaccination decreases over time, with the greatest decrease 4-6 months after vaccination and beyond.1 Vaccination reduces the risk of Long COVID2 in addition to reducing the risk of being infected, having symptoms, or developing severe disease. New research shows that people who have gotten the latest vaccines have the lowest risk of Long COVID, compared to people who were previously vaccinated but hadn’t gotten the latest shots.3
Updated vaccination is also needed to protect against newer COVID variants that continue to emerge as a result of ongoing COVID spread. There are slight differences in the targets of the vaccine options—Pfizer and Moderna are targeting the more recently emerged KP.2 variant, while Novavax targets JN.1, which is the immediate parent of KP.2. Both targets are very closely related to currently circulating variants, and I expect all of the authorized vaccines to provide good protection.
The benefits and safety of COVID vaccination are very clearly established.4 It has been 4.5 years since the start of the first COVID vaccine trial within the US,5 which began in March 2020. Moderna and Pfizer’s original strain vaccines were FDA authorized in December 2020,6 and Novavax was FDA authorized in July 2022.7 Millions of vaccine doses have been administered. The updates for the KP.2 and JN.1 variants are very minor and extremely unlikely to impact safety—from a safety perspective, this is similar to our approach to updated influenza vaccines. Once the safety of a vaccine approach has been established, minor changes can be introduced without the need for extensive human clinical trials, which improves the speed of releasing updates and allows better matching of the vaccine to the currently circulating viral variants.
Updated vaccination is crucial for kids
Children, especially those who attend daycare or schools, continue to face a high risk of COVID exposure. COVID can cause serious disease in kids. A severe consequence of COVID infection called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) most commonly occurs in children who are either unvaccinated or have not been vaccinated within the last year.8 Long COVID can occur in previously healthy kids and can happen after a mild illness.9 I strongly recommend updated vaccination for all kids aged 6 months and up. Getting the latest vaccines during pregnancy and while breastfeeding can help protect babies younger than 6 months old.10
If your child hasn’t gotten a COVID vaccine in the last 2 months, they are eligible for the updated vaccine. Kids who haven’t been previously vaccinated may need more than one dose. Here is some helpful information from the American Academy of Pediatrics.11
COVID vaccines are free for uninsured or underinsured children via the Vaccines for Children program, which provides all CDC recommended vaccines for kids ages 18 and younger and just celebrated its 30th year.12
Timeline: Now is the time!
Time is of the essence in scheduling updated vaccines, as COVID levels are currently high across the country and expected to increase with the start of K-12 and university school years as well as people returning from summer vacations. The vaccines are best matched to circulating variants now, and over the coming months, new variants are likely to emerge that may not match as well. If you haven’t had a COVID shot within the last 2 months, you are eligible for these updated boosters. The 2 month timeframe has been used for multiple releases of new COVID vaccines, with well-established safety and efficacy.
There has been some discussion about “optimal” timing of COVID vaccines. Given that waning immunity is expected to be more significant around 4-6 months following vaccination, COVID vaccines taken now would be expected to provide good protection against COVID infections now and through the winter holidays. Waiting too long, especially amid high levels of COVID, may mean an exposure without the best protection.
For adults, you can get any of the updated vaccines, regardless of how many shots you’ve had in the past, or what type they were. I recommend that you keep track of your vaccine history in a secure place. If you aren’t sure when your last shot was, you may be able to check your state immunization registry, such as the Wisconsin Immunization Registry. Most vaccination sites are no longer updating the paper vaccine cards, and it’s no problem if you can’t find yours or if it is full.
Vaccination after infection: Consider sooner after recovery rather than later
I recommend considering COVID vaccination soon after recovery from a COVID infection. Multiple variants are circulating, and another infection can occur very soon after a previous infection. Health risks increase with repeated infections, and vaccination can help reduce those risks. A previous COVID infection does not necessarily prevent infection if you are exposed again, especially because you may be exposed to a different variant. People who have been previously infected face greater risks of organ system damage with repeated infections.13
The CDC suggests that you may consider waiting up to 3 months to get vaccinated following an infection.14 The word “may” is important here—it is not “should” or “must.” There is no safety concern with getting vaccinated sooner.
From CDC’s page “Staying Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines”:
Certain factors could be reasons to get a vaccine sooner rather than later, such as:
Personal risk of severe COVID-19
Risk of COVID-19 in a family or household member or other close contact
Local levels of COVID-19 illness
There is also no safety concern for those who choose to wait to be vaccinated following an infection; however, multilayered precautions including well-fitting masks are especially recommended to avoid reinfection (and of course recommended for everyone regardless of infection status).
For the safety of vaccination providers and the community, I recommend waiting at least 2 weeks since the start of symptoms or a positive test. Also you should ideally test negative and should be feeling well at that time of your vaccination appointment. If you continue to have lingering symptoms after infection, consult a medical provider.
COVID, flu, and RSV vaccines can be given during the same visit
It is safe and effective to get the updated COVID vaccines at the same time as influenza and RSV vaccines.15 Getting multiple vaccines in one visit is convenient, reduces delays in vaccination, and results in adequate immune protection. Influenza vaccination is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older (same age eligibility as the COVID vaccines). For the last couple of years, I have received my COVID and influenza vaccines at the same time. It went well, and I’m doing the same thing this year.
This year’s recommendations for RSV vaccination for older adults are a bit more complicated than last year, with vaccination recommended for all adults age 75 and older, as well as adults age 60-74 with risk factors for severe disease.16 The protection from vaccination is expected to last at least 2 years. RSV vaccines are also available for pregnant people at weeks 32-36 weeks of pregnancy, and monoclonal antibody preventatives are available for infants and toddlers.
Immunocompromised people may qualify for additional vaccine doses
If you are moderately or severely immunocompromised, you can self-attest to your immunocompromised status in order to receive additional vaccine doses beginning 2 or more months after your first updated COVID vaccine dose. Your healthcare provider may have additional recommendations for vaccination frequency/timing.
From CDC’s Vaccines for Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised People page:
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.
…
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.
Avoid hype and misinformation about vaccines
Social media is awash in overhype involving vaccine options. All three options are safe and effective; none of them is a silver bullet. All of us can be misled by false claims, especially when they may come from sources that seem supportive of COVID precautions or that we have found useful in the past. Here are some common false claims to watch out for.
Watch for claims about one vaccine type having no side effects or improved safety. All of the available vaccine options have a similar range of side effects, and individual responses can vary greatly. Experiencing minor symptoms such as fever, headache, fatigue or malaise (generally not feeling well) is not an indication of harm or damage. These symptoms are an indication of your immune system doing its work, and there is even some evidence that more robust side effects may weakly correlate with higher antibody levels (although people can still have a good antibody response with no symptoms at all!).17 You can expect side effects to resolve within a few days, and the side effects will likely be similar to previous vaccinations.
Watch for claims that one vaccine type may last significantly longer than others. Unfortunately, none are proven to last longer than others. All are expected to decrease in effectiveness 4-6 months and later after vaccination.
Watch for claims that one vaccine type has significantly higher efficacy than others. All three vaccines are good options. Although the Novavax is protein-based and Pfizer and Moderna use mRNA, all three are based on full-length spike protein with very similar sequences. Head-to-head studies are the best way to compare vaccines especially when patient populations and variants will change from one study to the next. These studies have been limited, but based on original stain vaccines, mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) slightly outperformed Novavax in terms of both efficacy18 and laboratory studies of immune system components.19 I find it likely that these differences may not truly be clinically significant, and there is currently no convincing evidence to support that one of the vaccine types is drastically more effective than the others. Don’t get caught up in the uncertainty—choose any of the available options that is convenient for you.
Watch for claims about vaccines that cite scientific literature that may not be relevant to the claim. This approach is particularly common on social media, where a completely unrelated scientific publication may be referenced in order to make a sensational claim look more valid. Don’t hesitate to get advice from a trusted scientific or medical expert whenever you don’t feel comfortable evaluating the evidence on your own.
Watch for claims about a specific (particularly delayed) timing of vaccination is needed for an “optimal” response or to avoid adverse effects. The safety profiles of the available vaccine options are well-established, and these updated formulations are the best match to current variants now. Delaying vaccination puts people at risk.
Watch for claims that a better vaccine is about to be released. Nasal vaccines and other vaccine approaches are still in the research phase, so it could be years before any such approaches are available outside of a clinical trial, if they ever make it the public. Certainly, all of us hope for advances in vaccine research. We must use the options that are available to us in the here and now, which include the three updated vaccine options.
Watch for claims that we should “wait for the data” regarding safety, efficacy, or Long COVID risk reduction. The safety and effectiveness of COVID vaccines are well-established, and updates are only minor changes. Given the timeframe of vaccine updates, waiting for long-term studies would make it impossible to get vaccinations matched to current variants. “Waiting for data” puts people at risk unnecessarily.
Watch for claims that COVID variants cause more severe disease in vaccinated people. This originated from a CDC statement in August 2023 that was confusingly worded, which intended to note that a particular variant may be more likely to cause infection in vaccinated people than other variants due to greater immune evasion. The CDC later added a clarifying note to the page.20 There is no COVID variant that causes more severe disease in vaccinated people than in unvaccinated people.
Vaccine access challenges
Unlike earlier in the pandemic when vaccines were freely available to all, vaccines are now provided under a commercialized model. Vaccine providers pay upfront for vaccine doses and may lose money if they don’t use all of their doses. Instead of the government covering the cost, private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, or individual patients are billed.
Across the country and locally, people are facing difficulties getting vaccines ranging from lack of availability of children’s doses, canceled appointments, sites running out of vaccine, lack of insurance coverage at local pharmacies, out-of-pocket prices over $200, and more. Getting the updated vaccine may require some homework. It’s a good idea to find out ahead of time what vaccination sites are covered by your health insurance or prescription drug insurance. If your pharmacy or insurance provider has not yet updated their databases, you may need to submit extra paperwork to get reimbursed for your vaccine.
For uninsured and underinsured adults (whose insurance may not cover vaccines), the situation is worse compared to last year. The CDC’s Bridge vaccine program previously covered all recommended COVID vaccines for uninsured or underinsured people. However, due to congressional budget cuts, funding for this program ended in August 2024. A limited amount of federal funding as well as state or local funding may still be available, but unfortunately this means a significant loss of vaccine access for uninsured adults. Local health departments may be able to direct you to available free or lower cost options. Here’s a letter campaign from People’s CDC that you can use to ask Congress to continue funding for free COVID vaccines for uninsured people.
I encourage you to be persistent, get vaccinated, and help your friends and family to get vaccinated too if possible.
The ongoing pandemic needs science-based vaccine approaches
I hope this post has helped clarify the need for all of us to get the updated COVID vaccines. Up-to-date vaccination is a critical part of a multilayered approach to COVID protection.21 We know that COVID is not seasonal, and an annual-only approach does not provide sufficient protection—vaccination at least every 6 months is needed, ideally with updated vaccines to match current variants.22 Although the CDC has unfortunately not committed to providing a spring booster in 2025, I hope that ongoing advocacy work will make this happen—ideally for all of us, and at the very least for high risk groups including people aged 65 and older.
If you support improved access to vaccination in the ongoing pandemic, please consider writing to your elected officials to let them know.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the importance of getting an updated COVID vaccine!
Stay safe and get vaccinated, precautionary friends. 😷
This post provides a significant update to my 2023-2024 COVID vaccine post, which was published last fall.
Link-Gelles R. Effectiveness of COVID-19 (2023-2024 Formula) vaccines. Presented at: FDA VRBPAC Meeting; June 5, 2024. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/media/179140/download
Wu N, Joyal-Desmarais K, Vieira AM, et al. COVID-19 boosters versus primary series: update to a living review. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. 2023;11(10):e87-e88. doi:10.1016/S2213-2600(23)00265-5
Menegale F, Manica M, Zardini A, et al. Evaluation of Waning of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine–Induced Immunity: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(5):e2310650. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.10650
Marra AR, Kobayashi T, Suzuki H, et al. The effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine in the prevention of post–COVID-19 conditions: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology. 2022;2(1):e192. doi:10.1017/ash.2022.336
Thaweethai T, Jolley SE, Karlson EW, et al. Development of a Definition of Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection. JAMA. Published online May 25, 2023. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.8823
Fang Z, Ahrnsbrak R, Rekito A. Evidence Mounts That About 7% of US Adults Have Had Long COVID. JAMA. Published online June 7, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.11370
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-clinical-trial-investigational-vaccine-covid-19-begins This clinical trial for Moderna’s then-vaccine candidate mRNA-1273 (now known at Spikevax) opened in Seattle in March 2020.
Yousaf AR. Notes from the Field: Surveillance for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children — United States, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2024;73. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7310a2
News article summary: https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/repeat-covid-19-infections-increase-risk-of-organ-failure-death/
Peer-reviewed journal article: Bowe B, Xie Y, Al-Aly Z. Acute and postacute sequelae associated with SARS-CoV-2 reinfection. Nat Med. 2022;28(11):2398-2405. doi:10.1038/s41591-022-02051-3
News brief about the article: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/having-symptoms-after-getting-covid-vaccine-may-indicate-robust-immune-response
Research article: Dutcher EG, Epel ES, Mason AE, et al. COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects and Long-Term Neutralizing Antibody Response. Ann Intern Med. 2024;177(7):892-900. doi:10.7326/M23-2956
Liu B, Stepien S, Qian J, et al. Comparative effectiveness of four COVID-19 vaccines, BNT162b2 mRNA, mRNA-1273, ChAdOx1 nCov-19 and NVX-CoV2373 against SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 (Omicron) infection. Vaccine. 2023;41(38):5587-5591. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.07.050
Summary: Waltz E. COVID vaccines: head-to-head comparison reveals how they stack up. Nature. Published online March 29, 2022. doi:10.1038/d41586-022-00885-y
Research article: Zhang Z, Mateus J, Coelho CH, et al. Humoral and cellular immune memory to four COVID-19 vaccines. Cell. 2022;185(14):2434-2451.e17. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2022.05.022
From https://www.cdc.gov/ncird/whats-new/covid-19-variant.html:
“9/20/2023: Clarification on BA.2.86 risk assessment posted on 8/23/2023. The first risk assessment CDC released on BA.2.86 included the following sentence: ‘BA.2.86 may be more capable of causing infection in people who have previously had COVID-19 or who have received COVID-19 vaccines.’ The intent of this sentence was to raise the possibility that BA.2.86 might be more capable of causing infection compared with other variants currently circulating, but this sentence has been misinterpreted by some. Vaccination remains the best available protection against the most severe outcomes of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death. COVID-19 vaccines also reduce the chance of having Long COVID.”