The CDC has determined that it is safe to get a COVID-19 vaccine booster or additional dose that is a different brand than your initial dose or doses.

Visit the CDC to learn more about the recommendation of booster shots.

The Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines have received full FDA approval. The Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine has received Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA for individuals 18 and older for whom other authorized or approved vaccines are not accessible or clinically appropriate, and to those who choose Johnson & Johnson because they would not otherwise receive a vaccine.

The CDC considers a person to be fully vaccinated two weeks after completion of one of the three vaccines available in the U.S. The number of shots needed to complete your primary series depends on your age and the vaccine received.

The best way to stay protected again COVID-19 is by staying up to date on your vaccinations. The CDC defines up to date as receiving all doses in the primary series and all boosters recommended for you, once you’re eligible.

Learn more about staying up to date from the CDC.

COVID-19 vaccines are available for free at Walgreens*. They are provided free to individuals 3 and older who are living in the United States, regardless of immigration status. You do not need to have health insurance to get a COVID-19 vaccine at no cost.

*No cost to you. Vaccine either covered by insurance or government assistance. Vaccines subject to availability. State-, age- and health-related restrictions may apply.

According to the CDC and FDA, adverse reactions or side effects for most people are usually mild in intensity and resolve within a few days. The most common adverse reactions reported after vaccination in clinical studies included:

• Pain at injection site
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Muscle pain
• Chills
• Joint pain
• Fever
• Injection site swelling
• Injection site redness

Some people also experience:

• Nausea/vomiting
• Malaise
• Swollen lymph nodes

While the CDC advises that getting any COVID-19 vaccine is better than not getting vaccinated, the agency now recommends receiving an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), which is preferred over the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine.

The CDC points to vaccine effectiveness, vaccine safety and abundant vaccine supply as reasons for why it is recommending Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine will continue to be available in limited supply to those who are unable to, don’t have access to or prefer not to receive an mRNA vaccine.

When scheduling an appointment, you'll be able to see which manufacturer is being offered for a specific appointment date. If the location you have selected is not offering your preferred manufacturer, you have the option to view additional locations and the manufacturer they are offering that day for your appointment. Vaccine availability varies by Walgreens location and not all may be available in all areas.

Yes. You can get COVID-19 vaccines at the same time as other routine or seasonal vaccines, such as the flu vaccine.

You can access your digital COVID-19 vaccine record through the Digital Dose Card page on Walgreens.com and on the Walgreens app. You can save your Walgreens COVID-19 vaccine record to Apple Wallet and Apple Health on an iPhone with iOS 15.1 or higher, and you can save it to Google Pay on an Android phone with Android 5 OS or higher. Adding your COVID-19 vaccine record to Google Pay can only be done from the Walgreens app (version 51.5 or higher) and not from a mobile browser.