Get vaccinated – it’s safe, effective, and free. Vaccination is the most important tool to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Every Californian 12 and up is now eligible for vaccination.
On this page:
How to get vaccinated:
Vaccines.gov
Use the CDC’s Vaccines.gov to find an appointment or walk-in site near you.
You can also check with your healthcare provider or local pharmacy.
How can I get a COVID-19 vaccine appointment or find vaccination locations?
Who can get vaccinated
Any Californian aged 12 and up can get vaccinated, for free.
Your insurance or immigration status does not matter. No one will ask about your immigration status when you get vaccinated.
Vaccinations for kids
Are vaccines safe for our youth ages 12 to 15?
Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is authorized by the FDA for kids aged 12 and up. It was found to be safe and effective in protecting children as young as 12 in clinical trials.
How these vaccines work
How do COVID-19 vaccines work?
Vaccines are highly effective against severe COVID-19. No fully-vaccinated person died due to COVID-19 during clinical trials of the three authorized vaccines.
COVID-19 vaccines teach our immune systems how to fight the virus that causes COVID-19. It takes a few weeks after vaccination for the body to build immunity against the virus. That means it is possible you could still get COVID-19 just after vaccination.
What we know
- Vaccinations can prevent nearly all COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths. Post-vaccination cases are extremely rare.
- Vaccinations reduce the spread of COVID-19.
- COVID-19 vaccines are effective against variants of the virus currently circulating in the United States, including the Delta variant.
- People with weakened immune systems, including those who take immunosuppressive medications, may not be protected even if fully vaccinated.
What we’re still learning
- How long COVID-19 vaccine protection lasts.
What to expect after vaccination
What you can start to do
Once you’ve been fully vaccinated, you can resume most activities that you did prior to the pandemic.
Read more at the CDC’s When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated.
You may have mild side effects
After COVID-19 vaccination, you may have some side effects. These are normal signs that your body is building immunity.
- You may have soreness, redness, or swelling where you got your shot
- You may feel tired or have a headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, or nausea
Side effects may affect your ability to do daily activities, but should go away in a few days. Some people have no side effects. Learn more about Possible Side Effects After Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine.
Rare but serious side effects
Blood clots
Rarely, women under 50 who get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have a risk of blood clots with low platelets. This risk is not seen in other COVID-19 vaccines. Read CDPH’s Fact Sheet: Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Benefits and Risks.
Myocarditis and pericarditis
Some young people have developed inflammation of heart muscle or membrane after getting a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Despite this, the CDC believes that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the risks.
Reporting side effects of vaccines
If you have experienced a side effect after COVID-19 vaccination, you can report it to:
- VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System)
- V-safe (After Vaccination Health Checker)
When to call the doctor
In most cases, discomfort from pain or fever is a normal sign that your body is building protection. Contact your doctor or healthcare provider:
- If the redness or tenderness where you got the shot gets worse after 24 hours
- If your side effects are worrying you or do not seem to be going away after a few days
If you get a COVID-19 vaccine and you have a severe reaction, seek immediate medical care by calling 911. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and rare severe allergic reactions.
Get a digital copy of your vaccine record
You can now get a digital copy of your vaccination record. This is called the Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record. It’s available to you if:
- You got vaccinated in California, and
- Your information matches what is recorded in the state’s immunization systems.
To get your vaccine record:
This digital copy can be used as proof of vaccination.
See Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about your digital vaccine record.
If you have trouble
How can I fix errors in my vaccination record?
If you couldn’t get your vaccine record, you may need to correct or add some information. Follow the troubleshooting tips at cdph.ca.gov/covidvaccinerecord.
What might prevent you from getting your COVID-19 vaccination record:
- Your vaccination site does not report to the state’s immunization systems
- Your vaccination site didn’t report your vaccination
- The information you entered doesn’t match your record in the registry
To correct or update your vaccine record, start an online chat with My Turn’s Virtual Assistant.
Read CDPH’s Vaccine Record Guidelines & Standards for more information.
Vaccine equity for hardest-hit communities
The Governor announced seven equity strategies in California’s vaccine rollout to:
- Protect hard-to-reach communities
- Address vaccine questions, and
- Drive innovative efforts in communities hardest hit by the pandemic.
Vaccination progress data
Spread the news about the vaccines
Vaccinate ALL 58 is our state’s awareness campaign. It promotes COVID-19 vaccination in all 58 counties in California.
Share that vaccination against COVID-19 is available and free. Visit the
COVID-19 Response Toolkit page to find
images and videos you can post on social media.
Commitment to safety and accuracy
California is making sure that the public has accurate information on COVID-19 vaccination.
If you hear vaccine-related rumors online or in your community, share with us at rumors@cdph.ca.gov.
CDPH reviews all emails to this address to better understand vaccine information gaps. They may contact you for more details.
Questions and answers
Getting vaccinated
Ideally, you’d get:
- Two doses for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, 21 days apart
- Two doses for the Moderna vaccine, 28 days apart
- Just one dose of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine.
If two shots are needed, get your second shot as close to the recommended interval as possible. If you can’t get it at the recommended interval, you can get your second dose up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose. We have limited data on how well these vaccines work beyond this window. But if you get the second dose after 42 days, there is no need to start over.
No, you can’t mix and match different vaccines. Be sure to get the same vaccine the second time that you got the first time. COVID-19 vaccines are not interchangeable with each other. The safety and effectiveness of mixing vaccines has not been tested.
Nothing. COVID-19 vaccines and their administration are free to the public.
Read more at the Department of Managed Health Care’s Know Your Health Care Rights.
No. Vaccine eligibility is based on age. Residency or immigration status does not matter.
If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, you can do so on the Manage your appointments page.
You will be asked to confirm your appointment with:
- Your appointment confirmation number, and
- Either your cell phone number or your email address.
Yes. We do not know how long immunity lasts after recovering from COVID-19.
No. Wait until you have recovered and have met the criteria for ending isolation. This guidance also applies to people who get COVID-19 between their first and second dose.
Yes. All vaccine clinics in California are required to meet ADA requirements.
Check with your healthcare provider, local health department, or local pharmacy.
If you cannot leave your home, you can state this when booking on myturn.ca.gov or when calling 1-833-422-4255. If eligible, your local health jurisdiction will arrange for your in-home vaccination.
If you do not have a way to get to a vaccination site, you can receive free transportation through:
Transportation options include:
- Car transportation for ambulatory patients
- Non-emergency medical transportation for non-ambulatory patients, including
- Wheelchair vans
- Gurney transportation, and other options.
You can also check with your healthcare provider, local health department, or local pharmacy.
If you have Medi-Cal managed care, you can get transportation through your health plan or provider. Contact your plan’s member service department to ask for transportation.
If you get Medi-Cal through Fee-for-Service (FFS), you can access a list of transportation providers in your county. Contact them directly to arrange transportation to your appointments.
If there is not a provider in your area, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) can assist. Email them at DHCSNMT@dhcs.ca.gov. Do NOT include personal information in your first email. DHCS staff will reply with a secure email asking for more information.
If you need non-emergency medical transportation, please inform your medical provider. They can prescribe this service and put you in touch with a transportation service.
What to expect after vaccination
CDPH is closely following evolving information about the ability of COVID-19 vaccines to protect against variants. At this time, there is no change in the recommendations for all eligible Californians to receive a full series of an authorized COVID-19 vaccine. Booster doses are not currently recommended. Californians will be able to readily access additional doses at a number of locations should they ever be recommended in the future.
The following are accepted:
- Original DHHS CDC COVID-19 vaccination record card, which includes:
- Name of person vaccinated
- Date of birth
- Type of vaccine provided
- Lot number
- Date last dose administered
- Site where administered
- A photo or paper copy of your DHHS CDC COVID-19 vaccination record card
- A photo of your vaccination record card stored on a phone or other electronic device
- Paper or digital documentation of vaccination from a healthcare provider or other issuer.
- A Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record (DCVR).
Read CDPH’s Vaccine Record Guidelines & Standards for complete details.
No. A vaccine will not cause you to test positive on viral tests.
If your body develops an immune response, you may test positive on antibody tests. This shows that you may have protection against the virus.
California law strictly limits how personal information about those who are vaccinated can be shared. California negotiated with the federal government to limit the required data sharing to only information that will not allow an individual to be identified.
Read more at CDPH’s California Data Use Agreement and Frequently Asked Questions.
Yes. Keep your vaccination record card in a safe place to prevent loss or damage
The Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record (DCVR) portal gives you a digital copy of this record. If you’ve lost your paper card, print out your digital record. You can use it at any place where you would show your paper card.
Read CDPH’s Vaccine Record Guidelines & Standards for complete details.
Vaccination for children
Yes. Before vaccinating a minor, vaccine providers must get consent from a:
- Parent,
- Legal guardian, or
- Other adults having legal custody..
There are some exceptions:
- Emancipated minors do not need the consent of a parent or guardian to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
- Providers may accept written consent from a parent or legal guardian of an unaccompanied minor. This consent must verify the parent/guardian has received the Pfizer EUA Fact Sheet.
- Phone or video consent is acceptable. The parent/guardian must confirm that they received the Pfizer EUA Fact Sheet. Reading the fact sheet to the parent/guardian is an option.
Families should check with their vaccine provider on acceptable forms of consent. See CDPH’s Pfizer Vaccine Minor Consent Guidance for more details.
Cases in children are increasing. Youth now account for 22% of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S., according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. This time last year it was only around 3%. It is important to get young people vaccinated to prevent new cases from increasing.
Vaccinations may stop the spread of coronavirus variants. They can also shrink the pool of people vulnerable to COVID-19. By getting our 12- to 15-year-olds vaccinated, families can be safer as we get back to doing the things we love.
Yes, unless they have had anaphylactic-type reactions to components of the Pfizer vaccine. Allergic reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine are rare. If your child has severe allergies or flu vaccine reactions, talk to their doctor before getting them vaccinated.
Youth aged 12 to 15 can still receive the COVID-19 vaccine even if they have health conditions. Talk to your doctor or clinic about your child’s specific conditions.
No. Vaccination isn’t currently required to return to in-person learning. But the state’s goal is to get as many of our 2.1 million 12- to 15-year-olds vaccinated before the new fall term. Vaccination will protect young people against more-contagious coronavirus variants and COVID-19.
Vaccine trials begin with older, more vulnerable populations, then extend to younger ages. Adolescents were the next group prioritized because they are most like adults. Also, they are more likely than younger kids to spread the virus and become seriously ill. This approach balances the need for safety and speed, while protecting our children.
Both Pfizer and Moderna have ongoing clinical trials in kids younger than 12. If all goes well, authorization for this next age group could happen later this year. Johnson & Johnson is currently in clinical trials for the 12-17 age group.
Vaccinations for employees
The Employer Vaccination Toolkit provides all the information you need to:
- Partner with local providers for offsite vaccination events
- Request a worksite mobile clinic
- Help employees find and book vaccination appointments
- Share and promote resources that support employees in getting vaccinated
Yes, if certain requirements are met. Under the ADA, an employer may insist all employees to meet a standard that is job-related and consistent with business necessity. This could include a safety-related standard requiring COVID-19 vaccination.
But if an employee cannot meet such a standard because of a disability, the employer may not require that they comply. The exception to that is if the employee’s non-compliance poses a threat to their health or safety or that of others in the workplace.
For more details, read What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws.
Vaccine limitations
Yes. COVID-19 vaccine does not provide protection against flu.
The CDC recommends that:
- If you have had a severe or immediate reaction to any ingredient in an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, do not get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Ask your doctor if you can get the Janssen vaccine.
- If you have had a severe or immediate reaction to any ingredient in the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, do not get the Janssen vaccine. Ask your doctor if you can get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
- If you had an immediate allergic reaction after getting the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, do not get the second dose.
- If you are allergic to PEG, you should not get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Ask your doctor if you can get the Janssen vaccine.
- If you are allergic to polysorbate, you should not get the Janssen vaccine. Ask your doctor if you can get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
People with underlying medical conditions can get vaccinated, as long as they are not allergic to vaccine ingredients. Learn more about vaccination considerations for people with underlying medical conditions.
To learn about the ingredients in authorized COVID-19 vaccines, see
Yes. The CDC states that pregnant and lactating individuals can receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Experts have no vaccination safety concerns for pregnant or lactating women or their babies. The COVID-19 vaccines do not contain the live virus, so they cannot cause COVID-19.
Pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 than those who are not pregnant. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy can protect you from severe illness. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
For more information, read:
The CDC recommends:
- If you tested positive, had only mild symptoms, and were not treated for the coronavirus, you should:
- Wait at least 10 days after the start of COVID-19 symptoms, and
- Meet criteria to stop isolation before getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Wait 90 days to get the vaccine if:
- You recovered from a COVID-19 infection, and
- Were treated with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma.
Yes, you can get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines (like for the flu) at the same visit. You no longer need to wait 14 days between different vaccinations. Learn more about getting more than one kind of vaccine.
Vaccine choices
No. Neither the state or federal government requires you to get vaccinated. We hope Californians will opt for vaccination once they see how safe and effective it is.
Talking with family and friends about the benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine can be hard. Try to listen without judgement and identify the root of their concerns. Things to remember to help open the discussion include:
- Listen to questions with empathy
- Ask open-ended questions to explore concerns
- Ask permission to share information
- Help them find their own reason to get vaccinated
- Help make their vaccination happen
Read the CDC’s How to talk about COVID-19 vaccines with friends and family.
