What to Know About COVID Vaccines: Comirnaty, Spikevax, Nuvaxovid, and More
Key takeaways:
The best way to protect yourself and those around you from COVID-19 is by getting vaccinated. But COVID vaccine recommendations change over time, so ask a healthcare professional about if and when you should receive your next dose.
Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax COVID vaccines are available for use. They’re safe and can help prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID. The number of doses you’ll need depends on your age, health background, and vaccination history.
Starting in fall 2025, COVID vaccines will be prioritized for people at highest risk of severe illness. Access for lower-risk groups, such as young and healthy adults, will likely be more limited than in previous years.
After vaccination, you may experience side effects — like headache, injection site pain, and muscle aches — but these are typically mild and go away after a few days.
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Table of contents
Currently, three COVID-19 vaccines are available for use in the U.S. — Pfizer (Comirnaty), Moderna (Spikevax), and Novavax (Nuvaxovid). The FDA also recently approved a fourth option, called mNEXSPIKE, from Moderna. They’re helpful tools for preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID. The Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine is no longer authorized for use.
As the virus that causes COVID continues to spread and mutate (change), the best way to protect yourself and those around you is to get vaccinated. And if you have questions or concerns about the COVID vaccines, it’s important that you get the facts to help you make the best decision.
Below, we answer some of the commonly asked questions about the COVID vaccines.
SHINGRIX (Zoster Vaccine Recombinant, Adjuvanted) is now $0 for almost everyone*
Get SHINGRIX at the pharmacy or in-network doctor’s office today. 98% of privately insured people pay $0 and all Medicare Part D beneficiaries pay $0 at the pharmacy.
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*Coverage and cost may vary and are subject to change without notice. Reimbursement decisions are made by individual insurance plans.
SHINGRIX is an FDA-approved vaccine for the prevention of shingles (herpes zoster) in adults 50 years and older. SHINGRIX is not used to prevent chickenpox.
• You should not receive SHINGRIX if you are allergic to any of its ingredients or had an allergic reaction to a previous dose of SHINGRIX
• An increased risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome (severe muscle weakness) was observed after vaccination with SHINGRIX
• Fainting can happen after getting injectable vaccines, including SHINGRIX. Precautions should be taken to avoid falling and injury due to fainting
• The most common side effects are pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site, muscle pain, tiredness, headache, shivering, fever, and upset stomach
• SHINGRIX was not studied in pregnant or nursing women. Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding
• Vaccination with SHINGRIX may not protect all individuals
• Ask your healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of SHINGRIX. Only a healthcare provider can decide if SHINGRIX is right for you
You are encouraged to report vaccine adverse events to the US Department of Health and Human Services. Visit www.vaers.hhs.gov to file a report, or call 1-800-822-7967.
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Where can I get a COVID vaccination?
You can get COVID vaccines at locations that usually offer flu vaccinations, such as a local pharmacy, doctor’s office, or health clinic. You can use the CDC-sponsored Vaccines.gov tool to identify specific locations near you. You can perform a broad search or filter by age range and preferred vaccine.
What’s more, many local health departments and pharmacies are coordinating COVID vaccination efforts with long-term care facilities, such as assisted living centers and nursing homes.
How much do the vaccines cost? Will insurance cover it?
As of right now, COVID vaccines are free for many people in the U.S. Most insurance plans cover them at no added cost to you.
The government program that offered free COVID vaccines to uninsured adults ended in August 2024. But if you don’t have health insurance or are underinsured, you may still be able to receive a free COVID vaccine. You may be able to get one from a HRSA-funded health center or a local healthcare clinic in your area.
Navigating COVID vaccine updates: As the coronavirus evolves, so do the vaccines. Get the latest updates on COVID vaccine authorizations and approvals.
How well do the vaccines work? As new variants emerge, can the COVID vaccines still protect you? Explore the latest information on COVID vaccine effectiveness.
How they compare: Multiple COVID vaccines are available in the U.S. But is one better than the other for your seasonal shot?
Eligible children can continue to get free vaccines through the Vaccines for Children program.
For context, without any discounts or insurance coverage, these are the average retail prices of COVID vaccines:
Who can receive a COVID vaccine?
There are currently three COVID vaccines to choose from. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are available for people ages 6 months and older, while the Novavax vaccine is available for people ages 12 and older. The new mNEXSPIKE vaccine should also be available by the time the 2025-2026 respiratory illness season rolls around.
The CDC recommendation for the 2024-2025 COVID vaccines has been that everyone 6 months and older should receive one. Vaccine timing and doses can depend on your age, vaccination history, and if you’ve recently had COVID. If you haven’t received a 2024-2025 COVID vaccine yet, talk to your healthcare team about your eligibility and options.
These recommendations will likely look different for the 2025-2026 vaccines in the fall. The FDA plans to prioritize the vaccines for people at higher risk of getting sick. This includes adults ages 65 and older and people 6 months to 64 years at higher risk for severe COVID.
For people at lower risk — such as young, healthy adults — the agency may require more clinical trial data to better understand the benefits of repeat doses for this group. These trials take time, so updated vaccines may not be available in time for fall.
The FDA advisory committee met in late May to review and recommend viral strains for the updated 2025-2026 COVID vaccines. This will be followed by a CDC vaccine expert panel meeting in June to potentially vote on COVID vaccine recommendations for the fall.
How effective are the vaccines?
To measure how well COVID vaccines work, health experts compare the number of infections and symptomatic cases in a vaccinated group to those in an unvaccinated group. They use a similar strategy when analyzing hospitalizations and death rates.
In initial studies, original versions of all three vaccines were highly effective at preventing symptomatic COVID. For instance, the Pfizer vaccine was about 95% effective against symptomatic COVID when it first hit the market. The Moderna and Novavax vaccines were about 94% effective and 90% effective against symptomatic COVID, respectively.
For comparison, the seasonal flu vaccine is about 40% to 60% effective at preventing infection. This varies based on the specific strains each year. Other vaccines are more effective, such as measles (97%) and chickenpox (92%).
In terms of effectiveness in the “real world,” studies are ongoing. As the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to mutate (change), COVID vaccine effectiveness is a moving target. And the FDA is making it a priority to study the effectiveness of repeat doses in the near future. They want to do so through randomized controlled trials.
Even so, many studies prove that the vaccines are a valuable tool in preventing serious illness and death from COVID.
What are the potential side effects of COVID vaccines?
Side effects are a normal part of how your immune system responds to a vaccine. Most COVID vaccine side effects are mild to moderate in severity and only last for a few days. Common side effects include:
Pain, swelling, or redness where the shot was given
Headache
Muscle aches
Fatigue (feeling tired)
Nausea
Fever or chills
Although they’re rare, severe side effects can happen too. They include:
Severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis): The CDC provides recommendations for people with allergies to vaccine ingredients. You can also ask a healthcare professional to help you decide which vaccine is best for you.
Myocarditis or pericarditis: These conditions occur when the heart muscle or lining become inflamed. While rare, they have been reported among some people — primarily young men — receiving the Pfizer, Moderna, or Novavax COVID vaccines. It’s important to note that COVID itself can also cause myocarditis and pericarditis.
The bottom line
Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself against COVID infection and its complications. Side effects are usually mild and last only a short time. However, COVID vaccine recommendations will likely shift in 2025. For the 2025-2026 season, COVID vaccines will likely be prioritized for people at higher risk of severe illness, including adults 65 and older and those with certain health conditions. Vaccine approval requirements may be stricter and take longer for healthy people under 65, so it's likely that they won't be available for the fall.
When looking for COVID vaccine information, it’s important you get the facts from the experts. Follow GoodRx for the latest information about the COVID vaccines.
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References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine safety.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). About the varicella vaccines.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). About measles.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Benefits of the flu vaccine.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). About the vaccines for children (VFC) program.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Getting your COVID-19 vaccine.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). Staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.
Kekatos, M., et al. (2024). What the end of the CDC's COVID vaccine access program means for uninsured Americans. ABC News.
Moderna. (2025). Moderna receives U.S. FDA approval for COVID-19 vaccine mNEXSPIKE.
Novavax. (2025). U.S. FDA approves BLA for Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine.
Panagiotakopoulos, L. (2025). Use of 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccines: Work group considerations. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Prasad, V., et al. (2025). An evidence-based approach to Covid-19 vaccination. New England Journal of Medicine.
The Aesthetic Society. (2020). FDA takes additional action in fight against COVID-19 by issuing emergency use authorization for second COVID-19 vaccine.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2025). Vaccines and related biological products advisory committee May 22, 2025 meeting announcement.
