COVID-19 Vaccine

Learn about the vaccines

Three COVID-19 vaccines are authorized or approved for use in the US to prevent COVID-19. They are made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson/ Janssen (J&J). The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are preferred over the J&J vaccine because they offer better protection against COVID-19 and have fewer potential risks. But you may get Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine in some situations. Learn more on CDC’s Stay Up To Date with Your COVID-19 Vaccines webpage.

Information about each COVID-19 vaccine:

• Detailed FDA fact sheets for Recipients and Caregivers - Pfizer for age 5-11 | Pfizer for age 12+ | Moderna | Johnson & Johnson/Janssen. To view FAQs and fact sheets in other languages, visit the FDA’s COVID-19 vaccine webpage.
• One page fact sheets - risks and benefits. Available on the California Department of Public Health webpage in multiple languages.
• CDC Emergency Use Instructions (EUI) fact sheets with information on additional/booster doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccine for people who initially received vaccines that are not approved/authorized in the US.

COVID-19 Vaccine schedules

Infographics of vaccine schedules for adults, children, people with weak immune systems and people who received a mix-and-match series or were vaccinated outside of the U.S. or as part of a vaccine clinical trial. English| Español | 简体中文 | 繁體中文 | العربية | հայերեն | អក្សរខ្មែរ | 日本語 | 한국어 | Русский | Tiếng Việt | فارسى | Tagalog | ไทย

More information

• VaccinateLACounty.com – includes FAQs
• CDC vaccine webpage
• covid19.ca.gov/vaccines

Standard vaccine series^{^} for adults age 18+

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are preferred over the J&J vaccine because they offer better protection against COVID-19 and have fewer potential risks. But you may get Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine in some situations. Learn more on CDC’s Stay Up to Date with Your COVID-19 Vaccines webpage.

^{^}Vaccine schedules for people who are immunocompromised (have a weak immune system) are available here.

• ^* Timing of 2^nd dose. 8 weeks may be best for most persons. 3 weeks is recommended for those age 65 and older or who need rapid protection. See Timing of 2^nd dose of Pfizer/Moderna below.
• ^† 2^nd booster dose. You may get a 2^nd booster dose (mRNA only) at least 4 months after your first booster dose if you are age 50 or older or if you are age 18-49 and received the J&J vaccine for BOTH your primary series and 1st booster.
• ^‡ Moderna doses vary. The primary series is a full dose. The booster dose is a half dose.

• If you have COVID-19, wait until you have recovered from your illness (if you had symptoms) and your isolation period is over to get any COVID-19 vaccine dose. You may consider delaying your booster dose(s) for 3 months if you were recently infected.

Standard vaccine series^{^} for children ages 5-17

Pfizer is the only vaccine that can be given to people under the age of 18.

The Pfizer vaccine for children 5-11 years of age has the same active ingredients as the adult vaccine but is a smaller dose (1/3^rd the dose that teens and adults receive). Teens 12-17 receive the same Pfizer vaccine as adults

^{^}Vaccine schedules for people who are immunocompromised (have a weak immune system) are available here.

* Timing of 2^nd dose. 8 weeks may be best for most teens. 3 weeks is recommended if you need more rapid protection. See Timing of 2^nd dose of Pfizer.

For more information, see the CDC webpage COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens.

Notes:

• If your doctor’s office does not provide vaccines, use the vaccine locator below. Search below by age or vaccine type to find a location that has the right Pfizer vaccine for your child.
• If your child currently has COVID-19, wait until they have recovered from their illness (if they had symptoms) and their isolation period is over to get any COVID-19 vaccine doses. If they are due for a booster, consider delaying for 3 months after the infection.

The information below applies to minors being vaccinated at a site run by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health:

• For all minors aged 5-17: A consent form signed by a parent or legal guardian is required for both visits.
• 5 through 15 year-olds must be accompanied by their parent, legal guardian, or a responsible adult.
• 16 and 17-year-olds should be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian if possible.

See Required Documentation for more information.

See the COVID-19 Vaccine Schedule for a print summary of the different vaccines and when primary, additional, and booster doses can be given to people based on their age and immune status. The tables also include information for people who were vaccinated outside of the U.S. or as part of a vaccine clinical trial or who received a mix and match schedule. English| Español | 简体中文 | 繁體中文 | العربية | հայերեն | អក្សរខ្មែរ | 日本語 | 한국어 | Русский | Tiếng Việt | فارسى | Tagalog | ไทย

People who are immunocompromised (have weak immune systems)

People who are immunocompromised are especially vulnerable to COVID-19.

They are more likely to get COVID-19 than people with normal immune systems. And if they get infected, they are more likely to get seriously ill and to spread the virus to others. In addition, some people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised don’t build enough protection from the standard vaccine schedule.

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People age 5+ who are moderately or severely immunocompromised should receive a COVID-19 vaccine primary series as soon as possible. This means 3 doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine - OR - one dose of J&J vaccine and one dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

Those age 12+ who are moderately or severely immunocompromised should get a booster dose after their primary series. The type of additional and/or booster dose that is recommended depends on which vaccine you got for your primary series (see the Vaccine Schedules for Immunocompromised Persons images below). In addition, you may get a second booster dose at least 4 months after your first booster dose.

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People who received a vaccine series outside of the US, or in a clinical trial, or got a mix-and-match series, should follow the recommendations in the Special Situations tab.

^† 2^nd booster dose. You can get a 2^nd booster dose (Pfizer or Moderna) at least 4 months after your 1^st booster dose. If you are 12-17 years old, you can only get the Pfizer vaccine. See Thinking About Getting a 2^nd Booster Dose.

^‡ The Moderna booster is a half dose.

A Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is preferred over the J&J vaccine for all doses. This is because these vaccines offer better protection against COVID-19 than the J&J vaccine. You may get J&J in some situations. Note: only Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are authorized for a 2^nd booster dose.

Ask your doctor if you need to get additional doses and the best timing based on your current treatment plan.

This is especially important if you are about to start or restart immunosuppressive treatment.

For more information, see the CDC webpage COVID-19 Vaccines for Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised People and talk to your doctor.

Notes:

• If your doctor’s facility does not provide vaccines, use the vaccine locator below to find the right type of vaccine. When you go to get vaccinated, take proof of vaccination such as your CDC white card or digital vaccination record.
• If you were recently infected with COVID-19, you may consider delaying your booster dose(s) for 3 months.

Information for people who were vaccinated outside of the US or in a clinical trial, or who had a mix-and-match combination of vaccines

If you completed a primary series of the Pfizer, Moderna, or J&J vaccine in another country, then you should follow the standard vaccine schedules for FDA authorized/approved COVID-19 vaccines for additional doses and/or boosters.

If you completed a primary series with a COVID-19 vaccine that is not approved or authorized by the FDA and you are considered fully vaccinated, then you should follow the COVID-19 vaccine schedule below for additional doses and/or booster doses.

You are considered to be fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving:

• The final dose of a vaccine series that is listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO).
• This includes AstraZeneca-Oxford (Vaxzevria), Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd (Covishield and Covovax), BIBP (Sinopharm), Sinovac (CoronaVac), Bharat Biotech International (Covaxin), and Novavax (Nuvaxovid). See the most current COVID-19 WHO EUL list.
• The final dose of a “mix-and-match” combination of FDA approved/authorized and/or WHO listed vaccines (as long as the first 2 doses were at least 17 days apart).
• All of the recommended “active” COVID-19 vaccine (not placebo) in clinical vaccine trial.
• Note: the vaccine should be either a WHO-listed vaccine that is not FDA-approved/authorized or a vaccine for which a U.S. data and safety monitoring board or equivalent has independently confirmed efficacy. See Thinking About Getting a 2^nd Booster Dose.

If you do not meet the fully vaccinated criteria, see the information below. See the CDC Clinical Considerations - Appendices A and B for more details.

If you got some or all of a series of a COVID-19 vaccine that is NOT approved or authorized by the FDA OR listed by the WHO:

• You are not considered to be fully vaccinated by US authorities.
• If you want to be considered fully vaccinated in the US, you will need to complete a new series of a vaccine that is authorized or approved by the FDA or listed by the WHO. You should wait at least 28 days before starting an FDA authorized/approved COVID-19 vaccine primary series.

If you started a series (got one dose) of a COVID-19 vaccine that IS listed for emergency use by the WHO but is not available in the US:

• You are not considered to be fully vaccinated by US authorities.
• If you are in the US and want to be considered fully vaccinated, you should get a single dose of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine) at least 28 days after getting the first WHO listed COVID-19 vaccine dose to complete your primary series. Then follow the schedule above for additional and/or booster doses. Note: children age 5-17 can only receive a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

NOTES:

• If your doctor’s facility does not provide vaccines, use the vaccine locator below to find the right type of vaccine. When you go to get vaccinated, take proof of vaccination such as your CDC white card or digital vaccination record.
• If you were recently infected with COVID-19, you may consider delaying your booster dose(s) for 3 months.

Booster Doses

The COVID-19 vaccines work very well at protecting against severe illness, hospitalization, and death. While the vaccines aren't as effective at preventing infection from Omicron compared to earlier variants, boosters greatly improve protection. This is why it is strongly recommended that everyone age 12 and over gets a booster dose when it is due. Some people may also get a 2^nd booster dose at least 4 months after their first booster dose (i.e., immunocompromised persons, adults age 50 and older, and people age 18-49 who got the J&J vaccine for both their primary and booster doses).

To learn when your booster dose is due, click on the tab on the left menu that best fits your age and immune status.

Note: while all three COVID-19 vaccines are authorized or approved as boosters, Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are preferred. These vaccines offer better protection against COVID-19 than the J&J vaccine. In addition, potential risks from the J&J vaccine, while still rare, are more likely. You can still get an initial J&J vaccine booster in some situations. However, only Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are authorized for a 2^nd booster dose.

For more information, visit the CDC webpage COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shot. If you have questions about boosters, talk to your doctor.

Note:

• When you go to get vaccinated, take proof of vaccination such as your CDC white card or digital vaccination record. See Vaccination Records webpage for details.
• If you currently have COVID-19, wait until you have recovered (if you have symptoms) and your isolation period is over to get any COVID-19 vaccine doses. You may consider delaying your booster dose(s) for 3 months if you were recently infected. If you were diagnosed with MIS-C/MIS-A, talk with your doctor.

Paratransit & free rides

NEED A RIDE? Free rides to and from vaccination sites are available. No smartphone app needed. Call the Call Center to book your ride.

For information about paratransit or other transit services for people with disabilities, call the Call Center or click here.

DPH Vaccine Call Center 833-540-0473 open daily 8am to 8:30pm

In-home vaccination

If you are home-bound you can request an in-home vaccination.

Los Angeles County residents can apply in 2 ways:

1. Call the DPH Vaccine Call Center 833-540-0473 open daily 8am to 8:30pm, or
2. Fill out the online request form (the form has multiple language options)

Flyers for Los Angeles County's homebound vaccination program are available in multiple languages: English | Español | 简体中文 | 繁體中文 | العربية | հայերեն | អក្សរខ្មែរ | 日本語 | 한국어 | Русский | Tiếng Việt | فارسى | Tagalog

Long Beach residents can apply for in-home vaccination here.

Pasadena residents can call the Pasadena Citizen Service Center at 626-744-7311, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. at 4 p.m.

Homebound COVID-19 Vaccination Program Summary and Data Report
The data presented in this report are limited to vaccinations provided through the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) homebound vaccination program. No data are available on the many vaccinations provided to homebound individuals by providers not in the DPH homebound program. Given these limitations, the vaccination data presented in this report do not reflect all vaccinations provided to homebound individuals in LA County and should be considered minimum estimates. Additionally, due to uncertainty of the estimate of homebound individuals in LA County, DPH’s homebound vaccination program is committed to providing home vaccination services as long as there is a need, regardless of the total number of persons reached.

Videos showing Los Angeles County’s homebound vaccination program in action: