COVID-19 Vaccination FAQs

Vaccination Schedule for Most People

(People who are NOT Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised)

CDC Summary COVID-19 Vaccine Schedule for Most People (Infographic)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains a list of all approved and authorized COVID-19 vaccines. Talk to your healthcare provider for additional guidance. The COVID-19 Vaccination Schedule for People Who are Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised is provided in a separate table. The CDC maintains a current COVID-19 vaccine schedule for most people and people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised. 

You can get a COVID-19 vaccine wherever vaccines are available: 

• Check vaccines.gov to search for appointments in and around Arlington, which includes pharmacies and other medical providers.
• Text your ZIP code to 438829 (GETVAX) or to 822862 (VACUNA) to find nearby vaccine locations. 
• Contact your healthcare provider to see if they are offering vaccines to patients. 

Yes. COVID-19 vaccines and other vaccines may be administered without regard to timing. This includes getting a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines on the same day, as well as coadministration within 14 days.

Yes. You should still get vaccinated. COVID-19 vaccination has many benefits and is an important tool to help protect you from severe illness, hospitalization, and death.

• Getting a COVID-19 vaccine (primary dose or booster) after having COVID-19 provides added protection against the virus that causes COVID-19.
• 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.
• If you were given monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma while sick with COVID-19 you do not need to wait to get vaccinated.

If you currently have COVID-19 and are in isolation, wait to get vaccinated until:

• Symptoms are gone (if you have symptoms) and
• Your isolation guidelines have been met.

If you recently had COVID-19, you may consider delaying your next vaccine dose (primary dose or booster) by 3 months from when:

• Your symptoms started, or
• You first received a positive test if you had no symptoms.

Getting COVID-19 again soon after just having had COVID-19 can happen but is not common in the weeks to months after you had it.

Reasons to get a vaccine sooner rather than later include:

• Your own personal risk of having severe health concerns,
• Your local COVID-19 community level, and
• The most common COVID-19 variant currently causing illness

If you have (or have recently had) multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS), wait to get vaccinated until you have:

• Recovered from being sick and
• It has been 90 days since the date of diagnosis of MIS-A or MIS-C.

People are considered to be moderately or severely immunocompromised due to several types of conditions and treatments. Examples include:

• Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
• Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection
• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress their immune response

If you are moderately or severely immunocompromised, you are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 illness and death. Additionally, your immune response to COVID-19 vaccination may not be as strong as in people who are not immunocompromised.

Some people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised should get an additional primary dose after completing their primary vaccine series. Immunocompromised people 5 years and older should also get a booster dose after receiving an additional primary dose. Talk to your healthcare provider about COVID-19 vaccination and your medical condition.

Vaccine eligibility information can be found in the CDC Interim Clinical Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccines and in the County’s COVID-19 Vaccination Schedules for the general population and for immunocompromised people.

Vaccination Schedule for People who are Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised

This section is for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised. The immune response following COVID-19 vaccination may differ in people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised at the time of vaccination. CDC has specific guidance for this population as described below.

CDC Summary COVID-19 Vaccine Schedule for People who are Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised (Infographic)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains a list of all approved and authorized COVID-19 vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides vaccination guidance for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised. Talk to your healthcare provider for additional guidance. The COVID-19 Vaccination Schedule for Most People (people who are NOT moderately or severely immunocompromised) is provided in a separate table. The CDC maintains a COVID-19 vaccination schedule for most people and people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised. 

If you are eligible, you can get an additional dose wherever vaccines are available: 

• Check vaccines.gov to search for appointments in and around Arlington, which includes pharmacies and other medical providers.
• Text your ZIP code to 438829 (GETVAX) or to 822862 (VACUNA) to find nearby vaccine locations.
• Contact your healthcare provider to see if they are offering vaccines to patients. 

No. Proof of medical condition is not required, though individuals will be asked to self-attest as having a qualifying condition at the time of vaccination.

Pfizer and Moderna are the same dose as their original vaccine regimens, 0.3 mL and 0.5 mL respectively. An monovalent mRNA dose is recommended as an additional dose for moderately or severely immunocompromised people who received a Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Novavax is not authorized as an additional dose at this time.

The bivalent or “updated” mRNA booster vaccines target the original strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 and the omicron variants (BA.4/BA.5). Monovalent mRNA boosters (no longer authorized) and the Novavax booster (for use in limited situations) only target the “original” single (monovalent) strain of SARS-CoV-2.

Eligibility is based on age and vaccine type. People ages 6 months and older are recommended to get 1 bivalent mRNA booster dose after completing any FDA-approved or FDA-authorized primary series or previously received monovalent booster dose(s) with the following exception:

• Children 6 months–4 years who received a 3-dose Pfizer-BioNTech primary series are not authorized to receive a booster dose at this time regardless of which Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (i.e., a monovalent or bivalent) was administered for the third primary series dose.

Monovalent mRNA vaccines are not authorized as a booster dose.

Anyone with a recent SARS-CoV-2 infection who is eligible for a booster may get vaccinated as soon as symptoms are gone (if you had symptoms) and isolation guidelines have been met. However, you may consider delaying a booster dose by 3 months from symptom onset or positive test (if infection was asymptomatic). 

In limited situations, people ages 18 years and older who completed primary vaccination using any COVID-19 vaccine and have not received any previous booster dose(s) may receive a monovalent Novavax booster dose at least 6 months after completion of the primary series if they are unable to receive an mRNA vaccine (i.e., mRNA vaccine contraindicated or not available) or unwilling to receive an mRNA vaccine and would otherwise not receive a booster dose.

Detailed booster dose eligibility information can be found in the COVID-19 Vaccination Schedules for the general population and for immunocompromised people.

CDC recommends that everyone ages 6 months and older should get all primary series doses, and COVID-19 boosters when eligible. Getting an updated (bivalent) booster is important because it was specifically designed to target the Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5, which are causing most new COVID-19 infections. Also, evidence shows that protection after initial vaccination against COVID-19 decreases over time and boosters help increase protection against the most severe outcomes of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death.

Vaccine eligibility information can be found in the CDC Interim Clinical Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccines and in the County’s COVID-19 Vaccination Schedules for the general population and for immunocompromised people.

If you are eligible, you can get a booster dose wherever vaccines are available: 

• Check vaccines.gov to search for appointments in and around Arlington, which includes pharmacies and other medical providers.
• Text your ZIP code to 438829 (GETVAX) or to 822862 (VACUNA) to find nearby vaccine locations.
• Contact your healthcare provider to see if they are offering boosters to patients. 

No. Proof is not required. Individuals will be asked to self attest, or self-report, that they meet the requirements set by the CDC and FDA to receive a booster dose.

The following vaccines are currently authorized to be given as booster doses:

• Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, (updated) Bivalent authorized for use in people ages 6 months and older.
• Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, (updated) Bivalent authorized for use in people ages 5 years and older.

Children younger than 5 years are not permitted to mix and match vaccine or vaccine schedules:

• Children ages 6 months through 4 years who received Moderna for their 2-dose primary series, must get a Moderna booster
• Children ages 6 months through 4 years who received Pfizer for their primary series, must get Pfizer for all 3 primary doses, with the 3^rd primary dose being the updated Bivalent Pfizer vaccine. The Bivalent Pfizer vaccine is not approved as a booster dose for children ages 6 months through 4 years.

For those who are 5 years and older, you may get a different brand booster than your primary series.

In limited situations, Novavax (original) Monovalent is authorized for use in people ages 18 years and older who completed primary vaccination using any COVID-19 vaccine and have not received any previous booster dose(s) if they are unable to receive an mRNA vaccine (i.e., mRNA vaccine contraindicated or not available) or unwilling to receive an mRNA vaccine and would otherwise not receive a booster dose.

Johnson and Johnson (Janssen) (original) Monovalent is authorized for use in people ages 18 years and older for whom other authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccines are not accessible or clinically appropriate, and in individuals 18 years of age and older who elect to receive the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine because they would otherwise not receive a COVID-19 vaccine, a single booster dose of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered.

The Pfizer-BioNTech booster is the same dose size as each vaccine in the primary series.

The Moderna booster is half the dose of each vaccine in the primary series.

The Johnson and Johnson booster is the same dose size as the single dose in the primary series.

The Novavax booster (authorized in limited situations) is the same dose size as each vaccine in the primary series.

Arlington County Government and Arlington Public Schools (APS) implemented a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for employees effective August 30, 2021. This joint action is a necessary step to help keep the community safe and is consistent with COVID-19 public health guidance. This policy also applies to interns, volunteers, substitutes, and contractors. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), and the Arlington County Public Health Division, COVID-19 continues to pose a risk, especially to individuals who are not fully vaccinated. Therefore, certain safety measures remain necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect our community.

Vaccination continues to be the most effective way to significantly reduce the risk of serious illness, hospitalization and death, even with the Delta variant. This is part of a layered approach to keeping the community, as well as children who are not yet eligible for vaccination, safe.

Arlington County and APS have offered vaccines to all employees and continue to follow Virginia Department of Health guidance regarding vaccination. APS is committed to ensuring that Arlington schools open safely and remain open for student learning; and Arlington County has an obligation to ensure continuity of government and government services. This includes providing critical services for the social, emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing of the community. Reductions in critical government and educational services can have dramatic impacts on the health and wellbeing of our community.

County and APS employees are required to submit vaccine documentation to their respective agencies.

All unvaccinated employees are required to be tested at least weekly for COVID-19 to limit the potential spread in the workforce and in the community. Testing is provided at no cost to the employee.

Reasonable accommodations are offered to qualified employees with a disability or those with a sincerely held religious belief that prohibits them from receiving a vaccine.

Free COVID-19 vaccines are available for everyone ages 6 months and older: 

• Check vaccines.gov to search for appointments in and around Arlington, which includes pharmacies and other medical providers.
• Text your ZIP code to 438829 (GETVAX) or to 822862 (VACUNA) to find nearby vaccine locations.
• Contact your child's pediatrician to see if they are offering vaccines to patients. 

Yes, a parent or legal guardian must be present to provide consent for their dependent child (17 years and younger) to get the vaccine. 

A mask must be worn for everyone 2 years of age and older. Social distancing of 6 feet or greater is practiced.

Vaccination Schedule for Most People

(People who are NOT Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised)

CDC Summary COVID-19 Vaccine Schedule for Most People (Infographic)

Scroll below to view the vaccine schedule for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.

Vaccination Schedule for People who are Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised

This section is for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised. The immune response following COVID-19 vaccination may differ in people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised at the time of vaccination. CDC has specific guidance for this population as described below.

CDC Summary COVID-19 Vaccine Schedule for People who are Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised (Infographic)

There are no plans to mandate that K-12 school children receive a COVID-19 vaccine at this time. The State General Assembly would need to approve that through Virginia’s immunization code.

COVID-19 vaccines (regardless of manufacturer) and other vaccines may be administered without regard to timing (CDC). This includes simultaneous administration of COVID-19 vaccines and other vaccines on the same day, as well as administration within 14 days.

In general, CDC recommends that people receive the age-appropriate vaccine dosage based on their age on the day of vaccination. If a person moves from a younger age group to an older age group during the primary series or between the primary series and receipt of the booster dose, they should receive the vaccine dosage for the older age group for all subsequent doses with the following exception: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorization requires that children who receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and transition from age 4 years to 5 years during the primary series must complete the series they start.

FDA authorization allows for dosing options for certain other age transitions when a child ages from a younger to older age group. For more information see:

• Timing, spacing, age transitions, and coadministration of COVID-19 vaccines
• Special Situations for COVID-19 Vaccination of Children and Adolescents: Age Transitions and Interchangeability
• Interim COVID-19 Immunization Schedule for 6 Months of Age and Older

More information on all authorized COVID-19 vaccine schedules is provided by CDC.

No. Photo identification is not required for vaccination. You will need to provide a form of identification (e.g., drivers license, passport, student ID, pay stub, bill) when you arrive for your scheduled appointment. This is needed to confirm that we are vaccinating the right person. You cannot be turned away for lack of documentation.

COVID-19 vaccines are available at no cost.

Arlington County Public Health vaccine clinics do not bill patients or insurance for administrative costs.

Please note that you do NOT pay to schedule an appointment; and you will NOT be asked for payment information, social security numbers or Medicare information. Please do NOT give this information to someone who asks. For more information on vaccine scams, visit the CDC's website.

You may have some side effects, such as pain, redness, and swelling, which are normal signs that your body is building protection. These side effects may affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. Some people have no side effects. For more information visit CDC's website.

A completed COVID-19 primary vaccine series is when all the initial required vaccination(s) are administered. The number of doses can range from a single dose to a 3-dose series depending on the vaccine product and a person’s age and immune status. The same vaccine product should be used for all doses of the primary series. CDC provides details by age and vaccine product for:

• Children 6 months-17 years
• Adults 18 years and older

You are fully vaccinated for:

• Pfizer:
  • Children ages 6 months–4 years: 14 days after receiving the third dose of this three-dose vaccine.
  • People ages 5 years and older: 14 days after receiving the second dose of this two-dose vaccine.
• Moderna: 14 days after receiving the second dose of this two-dose vaccine.
• Novavax: 14 days after receiving the second dose of this two-dose vaccine.
• Johnson & Johnson: 14 days after receiving one dose of this one-dose vaccine.

The definition of fully vaccinated does not include a COVID-19 booster. Fully vaccinated, however, is not the same as having the best protection. People are best protected when they stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, which includes getting a booster when eligible.

You are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines if you have completed a COVID-19 vaccine primary series and received the most recent booster dose recommended for you by CDC when you are eligible. Vaccine eligibility information can be found in the CDC Interim Clinical Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccines and in the County’s COVID-19 Vaccination Schedules for the general population and for immunocompromised people.

• Children ages 6 months–4 years who completed a primary series with Moderna should get 1 bivalent Moderna booster at least 2 months after completing the primary series.
• Children 6 months–4 years who are following the Pfizer primary series are not currently eligible for a booster and are up to date upon completing their primary series.
• People 5 years and older who completed a primary series with either Pfizer or Moderna should get 1 bivalent mRNA (Pfizer or Moderna) booster at least 2 months after completing a monovalent primary series or after the last monovalent booster.

You are eligible for the bivalent booster at least 2 months after completing a monovalent primary series or after the last monovalent booster. Anyone with a recent SARS-CoV-2 infection may consider delaying a primary series or booster dose by 3 months from symptom onset or positive test (if infection was asymptomatic).

In limited situations, people ages 18 years and older who completed primary vaccination using any COVID-19 vaccine and have not received any previous booster dose(s) may receive a monovalent Novavax booster dose at least 6 months after completion of the primary series if they are unable to receive an mRNA vaccine (i.e., mRNA vaccine contraindicated or not available) or unwilling to receive an mRNA vaccine and would otherwise not receive a booster dose. 

The definition of fully vaccinated does not include a COVID-19 booster. Fully vaccinated, however, is not the same as having the best protection. People are best protected when they stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, which includes getting a booster when eligible.

If you or your child were vaccinated in Virginia, you can view and print a QR code record of your COVID-19 vaccinations. 

• Visit the Virginia Department of Health's COVID-19 Vaccination Record Request Portal
• Enter your name, date of birth, and ZIP code

If there is a match, the system will send a verification code to the phone number associated with your vaccination record, through either a text message or an automated voice call. This prevents other people from accessing your record. Once you enter the verification code, you can view, save, and print your vaccination record.

If you cannot locate your COVID-19 vaccination record through the portal or you would like a record of other vaccinations, you may submit your request online. You can also contact 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682) 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

If you registered for the vaccine through your employer and created an account using the Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS), you can log in at the website https://vams.cdc.gov where you can “View your vaccination certificate" in the Recipient Portal.

Also, be sure to take a picture of your card for your records!  

The Virginia Department of Health announced on Sep. 16, 2021, the addition of QR codes—a type of barcode that can be scanned with smartphones—to Virginia COVID-19 vaccination records.

You can obtain your COVID-19 Vaccination Record with QR Code at vaccinate.virginia.gov on your smartphone, or tablet or computer browser. There is also a link to the COVID-19 Vaccination Record Request Portal in the free COVIDWISE app (tap “Virtual VDH” at the bottom). You can also call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682) for help Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Vaccination Records with QR Codes are available to anyone whose vaccination record is in the Virginia Immunization Information System (VIIS) and includes a working phone number.

The CDC recommends getting the same vaccine product for the first and any subsequent doses in the primary series.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. Millions of people in the U.S. have received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history.

For more safety information, visit the CDC's website. 

Both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are mRNA vaccines. These vaccines include a piece of messenger RNA, or mRNA, that your body uses as instructions to make a protein that appears on the surface of the virus. Your immune system reacts to this protein and develops a response without danger of COVID-19 infection. This allows your body to start preparing to fight against the virus even before you are exposed.

The Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine is a viral vector vaccine. A vector (not the virus that causes COVID-19, but a different, harmless virus) will enter a cell in the body and then use the cell’s machinery to produce a harmless piece of the virus that causes COVID-19. This piece is known as a spike protein and it is only found on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Novavax is a protein subunit vaccine. Protein subunit vaccines contain pieces (proteins) of the virus that causes COVID-19. These virus pieces are the spike protein. The vaccine also contains another ingredient called an adjuvant that helps the immune system respond to that spike protein in the future. Once the immune system knows how to respond to the spike protein, the immune system will be able to respond quickly to the actual virus spike protein and protect you against COVID-19.

None of the vaccines can give you COVID-19.

Vaccine ingredients lists can be found on the manufacturer’s fact sheets:

• Moderna, see page 2
• Pfizer-BioNTech, see page 3
• Janssen, see page 2

• Novavax, see page 2

The COVID-19 vaccines available in the U.S. have been shown to have high efficacy in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infection and preventing severe disease. The vaccines work by stimulating our body’s immune system to make “antibodies” to the COVID-19 virus. These antibodies allow the body to quickly defend itself if a person becomes infected with the virus.

While vaccines are very effective in preventing COVID-19, they are just one tool. Even for those who have been vaccinated, a combination of actions is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. After getting the vaccine, it will still be important to adhere to all health and safety recommendations from the CDC and Virginia Department of Health.

Visit the CDC's website on vaccine effectiveness for more information. 

V-safe is a cell phone-based system from the CDC that COVID-19 vaccine recipients can use to notify CDC if they develop any side effects. Everyone who gets vaccinated can and should register for v-safe after getting the vaccine.

• Complete Vaccine Committee (CVC) - We’re recruiting CVC Organizational Partners. A CVC partner organization is an organization that agrees to receive and share information from the CVC and County Officials on the vaccine, including educational information, materials that can be shared with others, and updates on the distribution process. Sign up to be a CVC Organizational Partner.
• Medical Reserve Corps
• Volunteer Arlington

See the Virginia Department of Health's COVID-19 Vaccination FAQs.