Yes, there is a new Pfizer COVID booster. The CDC recommends a 2025-2026 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (sold under the brand name Comirnaty) for anyone ages 5 and older. For younger children ages 6 months through 4 years, updated vaccines from other manufacturers are available. Here’s what you need to know about the current shot, who should get it, and what to expect.
What the Current Vaccine Targets
The 2024-2025 Pfizer formula, which was authorized by the FDA on August 22, 2024, targets the Omicron KP.2 subvariant. Like earlier mRNA vaccines, it works by teaching your cells to recognize the spike protein on the surface of the virus, prompting your immune system to build defenses before you encounter the real thing.
The virus continues to evolve. As of early April 2026, the dominant variants circulating in the U.S. belong to the XFG family, which together account for roughly two-thirds of sequenced cases. Other lineages like PQ.17 and NB.1.8.1 make up smaller shares. Even when the vaccine’s target doesn’t perfectly match the circulating strain, vaccination still provides meaningful cross-protection, particularly against severe illness and hospitalization.
Who Should Get It
The CDC frames its recommendation differently depending on age. For adults 65 and older, vaccination is recommended through shared decision-making with a healthcare provider, with an emphasis that the benefit is clearest for this group. For people ages 6 months through 64, the recommendation is also based on individual decision-making, with the strongest case for those at increased risk of severe COVID-19. That includes people with chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, or weakened immune systems, as well as pregnant individuals.
If you’re healthy, under 65, and not in a higher-risk group, the decision is more personal. The risk-benefit balance is still favorable but less dramatic than it is for vulnerable populations.
Timing and Intervals
If you’ve previously received any COVID-19 vaccine, you should wait at least 8 weeks after your last dose before getting the new Pfizer shot. This applies across all age groups from 6 months through 65 and older.
If you recently had COVID-19, you can delay vaccination for 3 months after your symptoms started (or 3 months after a positive test if you had no symptoms). This isn’t required, but your recent infection provides some short-term protection, so waiting allows you to get more benefit from the shot when that natural immunity begins to fade.
Common Side Effects
The side effect profile is consistent with earlier versions of the vaccine. The most frequently reported reactions include injection site pain or tenderness, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, and joint pain. Some people develop a low fever, nausea, or swollen lymph nodes near the injection site. These reactions typically appear within a day or two and resolve on their own within a few days.
Rare but serious side effects include myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue surrounding the heart). These have been reported most often in younger males after their second dose, and the vast majority of cases were mild and resolved with standard treatment. Severe allergic reactions are possible but extremely uncommon.
Getting It With Your Flu or RSV Shot
You can get the COVID-19 vaccine at the same visit as your flu shot or RSV vaccine. The CDC supports this based on safety studies showing no concerning interactions. One CDC study found that people who received the flu and COVID vaccines simultaneously were slightly more likely to experience fatigue, headache, and muscle aches compared to those who got only the COVID vaccine, but those reactions were mostly mild and short-lived.
If you’d rather space them out, there’s no required waiting period between vaccines. It comes down to convenience and personal preference.
Cost and Access
Most adults in the U.S. can get the updated COVID-19 vaccine at no cost through private health insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid. Check with your plan to confirm coverage, especially regarding in-network providers, since cost-sharing rules can vary.
For uninsured individuals, the landscape has shifted. The CDC’s Bridge Access Program, which previously provided free COVID vaccines to uninsured adults, ended when the 2024-2025 vaccines replaced the prior formula. If you don’t have insurance, your best option is to contact your state or local health department’s immunization program, which may still offer the vaccine at no charge or reduced cost.