Stay up to date with your vaccines.

Use Vaccines.gov to find a location near you, then make an appointment to get your vaccines.

Vaccines Are Safe and Effective!

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Vaccines Are Safe and Effective! 〰️

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • Everyone 6 months and older should get the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine.

    COVID 19-vaccines are effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and dying. Vaccination remains the safest strategy for avoiding hospitalizations, long-term health outcomes, and death.

    Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines.

  • Yes, you can choose which COVID-19 vaccine to get.

    Learn more about the vaccines that are available.

  • Most vaccinations are covered by health insurance. Reach out to the pharmacy to confirm they take your insurance. You can also contact your insurance plan, or Medicare or Medicaid, to confirm vaccine insurance coverage. Learn more about how to pay for vaccines

    If you don't have insurance, vaccinations may be available through your local health department in NYS.

    Children may be eligible for free vaccinations through the Vaccines for Children Program.

  • Yes, you should get a COVID-19 vaccine even if you already had COVID-19.

    Getting a COVID-19 vaccine after you recover from COVID-19 infection provides added protection against COVID-19. You may consider delaying your vaccine by 3 months.

    However, certain factors could be reasons to get a vaccine sooner rather than later, such as: personal risk of severe disease, risk of disease in a loved one or close contact, local COVID-19 hospital admission level, and the most common COVID-19 variant currently causing illness.

    People who already had COVID-19 and do not get vaccinated after their recovery are more likely to get COVID-19 again than those who get vaccinated after their recovery.

    Learn more about the benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

  • COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. Hundreds of millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines.

    Although COVID-19 vaccines were developed quickly, research and development on vaccines like these has been underway for decades. All vaccine development steps were taken to ensure COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness, including:

    Clinical Trials – All vaccines in the United States must go through three phases of clinical trials to ensure they are safe and effective. The phases overlapped to speed up the process, but all phases were completed.

    Authorization or Approval – Before vaccines are available to people, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews data from clinical trials. FDA has determined COVID-19 vaccines meet FDA’s standards and has granted those vaccines Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) or full FDA approval.

    Tracking Safety Using Vaccine Monitoring Systems – Like every other vaccine approved for use in the United States, COVID-19 vaccines continue to be monitored for safety and effectiveness. Hundreds of millions of people in the United States have safely received COVID-19 vaccines. CDC and FDA continue to provide updated information on the safety of U.S. authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccines using data from the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), and other safety monitoring systems.

    Learn more about developing COVID-19 vaccines.

  • COVID-19 vaccines are working well  to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Compared to people who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations, unvaccinated people are more likely to get COVID-19, much more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19, and much more likely to die from COVID-19.

    Learn more about staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.

  • Yes, studies indicate that it is safe to get both a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines, including a flu vaccine, at the same visit.

    Learn more about Getting a Flu Vaccine and a COVID-19 Vaccine at the Same Time.

  • Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every year.

    Learn more about the Seasonal Flu Vaccine.

  • It’s best to be vaccinated before flu begins spreading in your community. September and October are generally good times to be vaccinated against flu. Even if you are not able to get vaccinated until later in the season, vaccination is still recommended because flu most commonly peaks in February and significant activity can continue into May.

    Learn more about the Seasonal Flu Vaccine.

  • Yes. Wearing a mask and avoiding crowds and others who are sick can help protect you and others from respiratory viruses, like flu and the virus that causes COVID-19. However, the best way to reduce your risk of flu illness and its potentially serious complications is for everyone 6 months and older to get a flu vaccine each year. By getting a flu vaccine, you may also be protecting people around you who are more vulnerable to serious flu complications.

    Learn more about the Seasonal Flu Vaccine.

  • Yes, it is possible to get sick with more than one respiratory virus at the same time. This includes being sick with flu and COVID-19 at the same time. It is also possible to be sick with multiple flu viruses, like influenza A and B, at the same time.

  • Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. However, it can be dangerous for babies, toddlers, and older adults.

    RSV season generally starts during fall and peaks in the winter.

    CDC recommends the RSV vaccine to protect those most at risk of getting very sick with RSV: infants, toddlers, and adults 60 years and older.

    RSV vaccines are recommended for:

    Adults ages 60 and older: Three RSV vaccines (GSK's Arexvy, Moderna's mResvia, and Pfizer's Abrysvo) have been licensed by FDA for adults ages 60 and older. CDC recommends an RSV vaccine for  all adults ages 75 years and older and for  adults ages 60–74 years who are at increased risk of severe RSV.

    Pregnant women: One RSV vaccine (Pfizer Abrysvo) has been licensed by FDA and recommended by CDC during weeks 32 through 36 of pregnancy to protect infants.

    Infants and some young children: An RSV preventive antibody has been licensed by FDA and recommended by CDC for infants and some children ages 8-19 months who are at risk for severe RSV.

    Learn more about RSV Prevention.