Vaccines

The following dosage is for adults who don’t have weak immune systems.

For Pfizer:

• Two doses 3-8 weeks apart, then
• First booster shot 5 months later, then
• For people age 50+, a second booster shot 4 months later

For Moderna:

• Two doses 4-8 weeks apart, then  
• First booster shot 5 months later, then
• For people age 50+, a second booster shot 4 months later

Talk to your doctor about when to get the second dose in your primary series. You should not get the second dose early.

Children 6 months to 17 years old may receive either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

For Johnson & Johnson:

• One dose, then 
• First booster shot 2 months later, then
• Second booster shot 4 months later if the first booster shot was the Johnson & Johnson vaccine

The CDC now recommends the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine instead of Johnson & Johnson. These are also the preferred booster doses for those who first got Johnson & Johnson.

For Novavax: 

• Two doses 3-8 weeks apart 

People aged 18 or older may receive the Novavax vaccine. Booster doses of Novavax are not authorized at this time.

People who have weak immune systems need additional doses at different times. See the CDC’s vaccine recommendations for those with weak immune systems.

Read Booster shots and additional doses to see if you are eligible.

Yes, after you complete your first vaccination series. In the United States, that means:

• Two shots of the Pfizer vaccine, or 
• Two shots of the Moderna vaccine, or 
• One shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine

Then you may choose another vaccine to receive as a booster dose. Some people may prefer the vaccine they got before, and others may prefer to get a different booster. CDC recommendations now allow for this type of mix-and-match dosing for booster doses.

Children aged 5-17 may get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

A Pfizer or Moderna booster is strongly advised for those who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The Novavax vaccine is not being given as a booster at this time. Booster doses of other vaccines after receiving a two-dose series of Novavax are not yet recommended.

Yes. Here’s what the CDC recommends:

• If you were vaccinated outside the U.S. with a vaccine approved or authorized by the FDA, you can get: 
  • A second dose, 
  • Booster dose, or  
  • Additional dose. 
    You must follow U.S. eligibility and timing schedules. 

• If you got one or both doses of a World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Use Listed (EUL) vaccine, you can get: 
  • A second dose, 
  • Booster dose, or  
  • Additional dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.  
    You must follow U.S. eligibility and timing schedules.

• If you got a COVID-19 vaccine that’s not WHO-EUL, you should start over. Get an FDA-authorized/approved vaccine and follow its timing schedule.

Schedule your vaccination at My Turn.

Nothing. COVID-19 vaccinations are free.

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. The CDC recommends that people who have already had COVID-19 get a COVID-19 vaccine. 

We do not know how long your protection lasts from getting infected again after you recover. People who get vaccinated after infection have additional protection against COVID-19.

One study showed that unvaccinated people who already had COVID-19 are more than twice as likely as vaccinated people to get it again.

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 department 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:

• My Turn, or 
• By calling the state’s COVID-19 hotline at 1-833-422-4255.

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 doctor, local health department, or pharmacy.

If you have Medi-Cal managed care, you can get a ride through your health plan or doctor. Contact your plan’s member service department to ask for transportation.

If you get Medi-Cal through Fee-for-Service (FFS), you can get a list of transportation in your county. Contact them directly to arrange transportation to your appointments. 

If you have no provider, the 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, inform your doctor. They can prescribe this service and put you in touch with transportation.

Yes. It’s recommended that you get a booster shot as soon as you’re eligible:

• If you got a Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, get a booster shot after 5 months
• If you got a Johnson & Johnson vaccine, get a booster shot after 2 months

Your booster shot can be a different vaccine brand than you received before. A Pfizer or Moderna booster is strongly advised for those who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster shots are only for those 18 and older. Pfizer booster shots can be given to those aged 5 and older.

Booster shots after receiving the Novavax vaccine are not recommended at this time. 

Second booster shots are available if you:

• Are 50 or older,  
• Are 12 and older and have a weak immune system, or  
• Got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for your initial dose and your first booster dose.

You should get this second booster only if it has been 4 months since your first booster shot.

Californians can schedule their booster shot or find a walk-in clinic at My Turn. Read more about booster shots and booster questions and answers from CDPH.

The CDC recommends additional doses of Pfizer or Moderna for those with a weak immune system. This includes those who: 

• Get active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
• Got an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Got a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Have moderate or severe immune deficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• Have advanced or untreated HIV infection
• Get active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that suppress immune response

Children 6 months to 5 years old with these conditions can get an additional dose of Moderna. Children aged 5 and older with these conditions can get an additional dose of Pfizer or Moderna. In these cases, the additional dose has to be the same vaccine as the primary series.

Talk to your doctor to see if getting an additional dose is right for you. If you meet these criteria, you can book your dose at My Turn.

See questions and answers about additional doses.

The following are acceptable: 

• 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.

People are considered to have completed their primary series of COVID-19 vaccinations:

• After they receive two doses in a 2-dose series (Pfizer, Moderna, or Novavax), or
• After they receive a single-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson).

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 can be shared. The state prevents individuals being identified in shared data.

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.

They will not automatically show on your digital vaccine record. You will need to go to the Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record portal to get a new QR code.

Wait 14 days for your new dose to show up in the California Immunization Registry before you try to get a new QR code.

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. It must be from the parent or legal guardian of an unaccompanied minor. This consent must verify the parent/guardian has received the Pfizer EUA Fact Sheet or the Moderna EUA Fact Sheet.
• Phone or video consent is acceptable. The parent/guardian must confirm that they received the Pfizer EUA Fact Sheet or the Moderna 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 Vaccine Minor Consent Guidance for more details.

Cases in children are increasing. We must get young people vaccinated to prevent more hospitalizations and deaths.

Vaccinations protect children from the most severe outcomes of COVID-19. These can include MIS-C, hospitalization, and death. Vaccinations can also shrink the pool of people vulnerable to COVID-19. By getting children 6 months and up vaccinated, families can be safer as we get back to doing the things we love.

Yes, unless they have had life-threatening allergic reactions to components of COVID-19 vaccines. Allergic reactions to these vaccines are rare. Talk to your child’s doctor before vaccination if they’ve had:   

• Severe allergies
• Flu vaccination reactions

Yes. Children 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.

New vaccines and medicines are typically given to adults first for safety reasons. When they are found to be safe and effective, they are given to children.

Clinical trials prove COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. They result in a strong antibody response in children who receive them. 

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 
• Meets a business need

This could include a safety-related standard requiring COVID-19 vaccination.

If an employee cannot be vaccinated because of a disability, the employer may not require them to. 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.

Read more:

• What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws
• Guidance for California businesses regarding COVID-19 safety measures and reasonable accommodation

Yes. COVID-19 vaccine does not provide protection against flu.

The CDC recommends that:

• If you had a severe reaction to an mRNA vaccine or its ingredients:
  • Do not get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. 
  • Ask your doctor if you can get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
• If you had a severe reaction to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or its ingredients:
  • Do not get it again. 
  • Ask your doctor if you can get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
• If you had a reaction to the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, but your doctor considered it not severe:
  • You likely can receive another dose of the same vaccine. Ask your doctor if you’re unsure.  
• If you are allergic to PEG:
  • Do not get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
  • Ask your doctor if you can get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
• If you are allergic to polysorbate:
  • Do not get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
  • Ask your doctor if you can get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

People with medical conditions can get vaccinated if 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

• Information about the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
• Information about the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
• Information About Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine

Yes. The CDC strongly recommends that you get vaccinated if:

• You’re pregnant,  
• You could be pregnant, or
• You’re breastfeeding.  

If you get COVID-19 while you are pregnant, you are more likely to get severely ill. You also increase your risk of pregnancy complications and premature birth.  

The vaccines are safe for you and your baby.

Talk to your doctor if you have questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

For more information, read:

• CDPH’s Guidance for Vaccination During Pregnancy
• CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccines While Pregnant or Breastfeeding
• CDPH’s COVID-19 Vaccine and Pregnancy

The CDC recommends that if you tested positive, had only mild symptoms, and were not treated, you should:

• Wait until your symptoms are improving, and 
• You meet criteria to stop isolation before getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

Consider waiting 90 days to get the vaccine if you recently recovered from COVID-19. Waiting is not required.

Yes, you can get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines at the same visit. This includes the flu shot and routine vaccinations for kids. Learn more about getting more than one kind of vaccine.

Yes. Both My Turn and Vaccines.gov allow you to search for vaccines by manufacturer.

Read CDPH’s Choosing the COVID-19 Vaccine That is Right for You.

If you’re getting a booster shot, you can choose to get a different vaccine brand than you originally got.

Two are.  

• The Pfizer vaccine now has full FDA approval for use in anyone aged 12 and older
• The Moderna vaccine has full FDA approval for use in anyone 18 and older 

The FDA can allow using vaccines before full approval. This is called an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). It lets us respond quickly to emergency situations like a pandemic.

• The Pfizer vaccine has an EUA for use in anyone aged 6 months to 11 years 
• The Moderna vaccine has an EUA for use in anyone aged 6 months to 17 years 
• The Johnson & Johnson and Novavax vaccines each have an EUA for use in anyone aged 18 and up

See CDPH’s Requirements for Visitors in Health Settings.

Talking with family and friends about the benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine can be hard. Try to listen without judgment 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.