Additional and Booster Dose
Information
All About Doses
What’s the difference between an additional dose and a booster dose? Read below to find out!
Primary Series
The primary series refers to the 1st and 2nd dose of Moderna or Pfizer and the 1st dose of Janssen (Johnson and Johnson).
Additional Dose
An Additional Dose is a vaccine dose administered after the primary series to people who are immunocompromised and likely did not obtain a protective immune response after the primary series.
Persons who are immunocompromised are eligible for an additional dose 28 or more days after completing the primary series. The same vaccine that was used for the primary vaccine series should be used unless the primary vaccine product cannot be determined.
Persons who are immunocompromised are eligible for an additional dose 28 or more days after completing the primary series. The same vaccine that was used for the primary vaccine series should be used unless the primary vaccine product cannot be determined.
Booster Dose
A Booster Dose is a dose of vaccine administered after the primary series when the initial immune response to the primary vaccine is likely to have waned over time. Individuals may choose the same vaccine used for the primary vaccine series or they may mix and match and receive a booster vaccine that is different from their primary vaccine series. For young children and children, vaccine choice may be limited by the EUA for the vaccine products.
As of September 1, 2022, the original booster or monovalent booster for Moderna and Pfizer are no longer authorized for use as booster vaccines in people ages 12 years and older. This change is NOT due to any safety concerns, but rather in anticipation of the new bivalent mRNA vaccines that will be available September 2022. People 12 years old and older, depending on the COVID-19 vaccine received, are eligible to receive the bivalent booster vaccine 2 months after completing the primary series or receiving a monovalent booster vaccine.
Persons not yet eligible to receive the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine include the following:
Pfizer Vaccine
Children 5 through 11 years of age who completed the Pfizer primary series, are eligible to receive a single monovalent booster vaccine 5 months after completing the primary series. Children 6 month old through 4 years old who completed the Pfizer primary series are not recommended to receive a booster vaccine at this time.
Moderna Vaccine
Children 6 months old to 17 years old who completed the Moderna primary series are not recommended to receive a Moderna booster vaccine at this time. However, children 12yo and older may receive the Pfizer bivalent booster vaccine at this time.
Persons who had a Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine are eligible for their first booster 2 months after completion of their primary series.
Click here on this CDC link for more information on COVID-19 Vaccines and Stay Up to Date!
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html
As of September 1, 2022, the original booster or monovalent booster for Moderna and Pfizer are no longer authorized for use as booster vaccines in people ages 12 years and older. This change is NOT due to any safety concerns, but rather in anticipation of the new bivalent mRNA vaccines that will be available September 2022. People 12 years old and older, depending on the COVID-19 vaccine received, are eligible to receive the bivalent booster vaccine 2 months after completing the primary series or receiving a monovalent booster vaccine.
Persons not yet eligible to receive the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine include the following:
Pfizer Vaccine
Children 5 through 11 years of age who completed the Pfizer primary series, are eligible to receive a single monovalent booster vaccine 5 months after completing the primary series. Children 6 month old through 4 years old who completed the Pfizer primary series are not recommended to receive a booster vaccine at this time.
Moderna Vaccine
Children 6 months old to 17 years old who completed the Moderna primary series are not recommended to receive a Moderna booster vaccine at this time. However, children 12yo and older may receive the Pfizer bivalent booster vaccine at this time.
Persons who had a Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine are eligible for their first booster 2 months after completion of their primary series.
Click here on this CDC link for more information on COVID-19 Vaccines and Stay Up to Date!
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html
Up-to-Date
You are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines when you have received all doses in the primary series and all boosters recommended for you, when eligible. (CDC Definition).
See this link for more information on ages, vaccines and timing.
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/downloads/COVID-19-immunization-schedule-ages-5yrs-older.pdf
See this link for a tool to Find Out When to Get a Booster.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html
See this link for more information on ages, vaccines and timing.
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/downloads/COVID-19-immunization-schedule-ages-5yrs-older.pdf
See this link for a tool to Find Out When to Get a Booster.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html