Yes. The most recent COVID-19 vaccine is the 2024-2025 formula, which targets the Omicron JN.1 sublineage and its descendants. It’s available from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax, and the CDC recommends it for everyone ages 6 months and older. A newer formula for fall 2025 has already been announced.
What the Current Vaccine Targets
The 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines are designed around the JN.1 lineage of Omicron, which gave rise to the subvariants circulating through the fall and winter season. Sequencing data from hospitalized patients between September and December 2024 showed that KP.3-like subvariants made up about 52% of infections, followed by XEC-like variants at 19% and KP.2-like variants at 14%. The vaccine doesn’t match each of these perfectly, but because they all descended from JN.1, the updated shot provides cross-protection against the broader family.
How Well It Works
CDC data from two large hospital surveillance networks found that the 2024-2025 vaccine reduced COVID-related emergency department and urgent care visits by 33% in the first four months after vaccination for adults 18 and older. Protection was slightly higher in the first two months (36%) and dipped modestly after that (30%), a pattern consistent with earlier COVID boosters.
For adults 65 and older, the vaccine was more impactful against serious illness. Among immunocompetent older adults, it cut COVID-related hospitalizations by roughly 45-46%. For older adults with weakened immune systems, effectiveness against hospitalization was about 40%. These numbers reflect real-world conditions with multiple subvariants circulating, not controlled trial settings.
Three Vaccine Options
Both Pfizer and Moderna offer their familiar mRNA-based shots in the updated formula. Novavax provides a protein-based alternative for people who prefer a non-mRNA option. The Novavax vaccine (now branded Nuvaxovid) received full FDA approval in May 2025 for adults 65 and older and for individuals ages 12 through 64 who have at least one underlying condition that puts them at higher risk for severe COVID. It uses a lab-made version of the spike protein paired with an immune-boosting ingredient, rather than instructing your cells to make the protein themselves.
Who Should Get It
The CDC recommends the updated vaccine for everyone ages 6 months and older, regardless of whether they’ve had any previous COVID vaccinations. If you recently had COVID, you can wait up to three months after your symptoms started (or after a positive test if you had no symptoms) before getting the shot. This isn’t a strict rule; it’s an option based on the short-term natural immunity a recent infection provides.
Getting It Alongside Other Vaccines
You can get the COVID vaccine and a flu shot at the same visit. Studies show this is safe, though you may be slightly more likely to experience mild side effects like fatigue, headache, and muscle aches compared to getting the COVID vaccine alone. Those reactions typically resolve quickly. RSV vaccines can also be given at the same appointment. If you’d rather space things out, there’s no required waiting period between any of these shots.
Side Effects and Safety
The most common side effects remain the familiar ones: soreness at the injection site, fatigue, headache, and muscle pain. These are generally mild and short-lived.
The two rare serious adverse events that surveillance systems continue to monitor are anaphylaxis and heart inflammation (myocarditis or pericarditis). Anaphylaxis occurs in roughly 5 cases per million doses, and it happens within minutes of vaccination, which is why you’re asked to wait briefly at the pharmacy or clinic afterward. Heart inflammation has been most closely watched in younger males. With the bivalent boosters, rates dropped substantially compared to the original formula. Among adolescent males ages 12-17 who received a bivalent Pfizer booster, zero cases of myocarditis were observed out of more than 55,000 doses. In men ages 18-29, the rate was about 17 per million doses for the Pfizer bivalent booster. No cases were detected in women across most age groups studied. In children ages 5-11, no cases of heart inflammation were observed.
What’s Coming for Fall 2025
The FDA has already announced the composition for the next update. The 2025-2026 COVID vaccines will again be monovalent JN.1-lineage shots, but manufacturers have been directed to preferentially use the LP.8.1 strain, which more closely matches the viruses expected to circulate next season. An FDA advisory committee voted unanimously for this recommendation. Updated shots should be available starting in fall 2025, following the same annual rhythm as flu vaccines.
Further down the pipeline, combination vaccines that protect against both COVID and influenza in a single shot are in early clinical trials. At least one Phase 1/2 study completed in mid-2025, though these products are likely still years from widespread availability.
Where to Get Vaccinated
The updated COVID vaccine is available at most pharmacies, primary care offices, and community health centers. For those without insurance, the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program covers eligible children, and many pharmacies and health departments offer vaccines at no cost for uninsured adults through federal assistance programs. Your local pharmacy’s website or a quick call can confirm availability and cost before you make the trip.