Different COVID-19 Vaccines
Authorized and Recommended Vaccines
Currently, three vaccines are authorized and recommended in the United States to prevent COVID-19:
1. Pfizer-BioNTech
2. Moderna
3. Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen
Different COVID-19 Vaccines
The best COVID-19 vaccine is the first one that is available to you. Do not wait for a specific brand. All currently authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines:
- are safe,
- are effective, and
- reduce your risk of severe illness.
CDC does not recommend one vaccine over another.
| Vaccine Brand Name | Who Can Get this Vaccine | How Many Shots You Will Need | When Are You Fully Vaccinated? |
| Pfizer-BioNTech | People 16 years and older | 2 shots Given 3 weeks (21 days) apart | 2 weeks after your second shot |
| Moderna | People 18 years and older | 2 shots Given 4 weeks (28 days) apart | 2 weeks after your second shot |
| Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen | People 18 years and older | 1 shot | 2 weeks after your shot |
If you have had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) or an immediate allergic reaction to any ingredient in the vaccine you are scheduled to receive, you should not get that vaccine. If you have been instructed not to get one type of COVID-19 vaccine, you may still be able to get another type. Learn more information for people with allergies.
You should get your second shot as close to the recommended 3-week or 4-week interval as possible. However, your second shot may be given up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose, if necessary.
Vaccine Types
- Understanding How COVID-19 Vaccines Work
Learn how the body fights infection and how COVID-19 vaccines protect people by producing immunity. Also see the different types of COVID-19 vaccines that currently are available or are undergoing large-scale (Phase 3) clinical trials in the United States. - COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines
Information about mRNA vaccines generally and COVID-19 vaccines that use this new technology specifically.
- Viral Vector COVID-19 Vaccines
Information about viral vector vaccines generally and COVID-19 vaccines that use this new technology specifically.
