A Boost in the Fight Against COVID-19
A Boost in the Fight
Overview
Update: Adult New Yorkers are eligible for a bivalent booster dose 2 months after completion of a primary series. Many children are also eligible for a bivalent booster, depending on their age and primary series.
A bivalent COVID-19 booster will help eligible New Yorkers maximize their protection, prolong the vaccine’s durability, and safeguard our communities against the virus.
The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend individuals get vaccinated and stay up to date with all recommended doses.
Booster doses are free and available statewide. If you have questions, talk to your healthcare provider, your child’s healthcare provider, or vaccine administrator.
Booster Shots
Eligibility
Use the CDC’s online tool to find out when you can get your booster.
The following New Yorkers are eligible for booster doses:
Bivalent Booster Dose
- New Yorkers 5 years of age and older are eligible for an mRNA bivalent booster dose 2 months after completion of a primary series.
- New Yorkers 6 months to 4 years may be eligible for a booster dose depending on their primary series.
Monovalent Booster Dose (Novavax) for ages 18 years and above
- New Yorkers ages 18 years and older are eligible for the Novavax monovalent booster in limited situations. A monovalent Novavax booster dose is authorized to provide a first booster dose to those 18 years+ for whom an FDA-authorized mRNA bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine is not accessible or clinically appropriate, and to individuals 18 years of age and older who elect to receive the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine because they would otherwise not receive a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
*** Please note that booster doses are different from additional doses that some immunocompromised individuals may require.
Schedule Your Booster
Text your zip code to 438829 or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations near you
Free booster doses are widely available at pharmacies, local health departments, clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers and other locations across New York State.
Risk Factors
People at High Risk of Severe Illness
Anyone can get COVID-19 and feel sick, but some people are at high risk for serious illness and even death, especially based on the following factors: age, underlying health conditions, and race/ethnicity.
To learn more about risk factors and how they may affect you, visit our COVID-19 Risk Factor webpage.
Immunocompromised New Yorkers
Moderately to severely immunocompromised people should receive an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine - and a booster - when eligible. Find out what conditions make New Yorkers eligible for an additional dose and boosters.
Why are Booster Shots Recommended for Eligible Individuals?
Many vaccines require more than one or two doses for long-lasting protection.
Polio
The life-saving polio vaccine requires four doses.
Tetanus
Other vaccines require occasional “boosts” including the tetanus vaccine, given every ten years.
The Flu
The influenza (flu) vaccine is recommended for individuals each year because of new strains emerging every season.