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COVID-19: Vaccine

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Older man and woman pose side by side. Text reads: We vax because we're both over 65 and at increased risk.

Updated COVID-19 Vaccines for the 2025-2026 Season Now Available

The NYC Health Department, together with New York State, has issued COVID-19 vaccination guidance for New Yorkers. COVID-19 vaccines are proven to reduce the risk of severe complications from COVID-19, including hospitalization, death, and long COVID.

These recommendations are supported by leading medical organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Anyone 6 months and older can get a COVID-19 vaccine in New York State. However, it is especially important for the following groups to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine:

  • All adults ages 65 and older
  • All children ages 6 to 23 months
  • People who are pregnant or recently gave birth
  • People of any age who have an underlying condition that increases their risk for severe COVID-19

The following groups should also get vaccinated:

  • People at high risk of exposure, such as health care workers and people living or working in a nursing home or other congregate setting
  • People living with someone with an underlying condition that increases their risk for severe COVID-19
  • People who have never been vaccinated before

You should ask your provider or pharmacy if they offer the vaccine and talk to your provider if you have questions about whether you should get vaccinated. You should also check with your health plan to make sure COVID-19 vaccinations are covered.


Get Vaccinated Today

COVID-19 vaccines remain our best protection against COVID-19. Even healthy people can become very sick from COVID-19 and should be vaccinated. People who have already had COVID-19 should also get vaccinated.

If you get COVID-19, vaccines reduce your risk of long-term health effects, including long COVID.

Locations offering 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccines will be available soon on the NYC Health Map. In the meantime, you can call your pharmacy or health care provider to see if they have the vaccine in stock.

If you get COVID-19, vaccines reduce your risk of long-term health effects, including long COVID. Even people who have had COVID-19 should get vaccinated.

The vaccines now available are designed to protect against newer variants. They also boost your protection against the virus, which is important as protection lessens over time after vaccination.

Everyone should stay up to date with their vaccines. For most people, that means getting one updated 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccine dose.

Available Vaccines

Four updated vaccines are available in the US:

  • Spikevax (Moderna) — mRNA vaccine for ages 6 months and older
  • mNexspike (Moderna) — mRNA vaccine, an updated vaccine with lower dosage for ages 12 and older
  • Comirnaty (Pfizer) — mRNA vaccines for ages 5 and older
  • Nuvaxnovid (Novavax) — protein-based vaccine for ages 12 and older

You can choose which vaccine to get. Parents can choose for their children as long as the vaccine is available for their child’s age group. It does not matter which vaccine type you have gotten before. Ask your provider or pharmacy if they offer the vaccine and what brands they have available.

Schedule

Most people ages 2 years and older need just one updated vaccine dose this year.

Children ages 6 months to two years who have never been vaccinated against COVID-19 should get two doses of the Spikevax (Moderna) vaccine, four to eight weeks apart. Children who have received a prior dose should get just one Spikevax dose.

If you recently had COVID-19, you may consider waiting three months before getting your next vaccine dose. You may want to get vaccinated sooner if you are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 or getting it again. Talk to your provider about when you should get your next vaccine.


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