FAQ: COVID-19 booster shots

The CDC is recommending COVID-19 booster shots for individuals older than 18 who received their first J&J vaccine at least two months ago or, their second Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least five months ago. Anyone 12 years or older may get a Pfizer booster if they completed their initial Pfizer vaccines series at least five months ago.

All MIT students, staff, faculty, and affiliates who are eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster are required to receive a booster by January 14, 2022, in order to maintain access to MIT buildings.

January 11, 2022

MIT will keep the community informed about Institute-sponsored COVID-19 booster clinics. Boosters are also available at many local pharmacies. You can find locations near you by searching vaccines.gov, texting your ZIP code to 438829, or calling 1-800-232-0233.

December 10, 2021

The CDC’s recommendations allow a mix-and-match approach to COVID booster shots for everyone other than children aged 12–17 who received the Pfizer vaccine for their primary vaccination series. Those individuals must get a Pfizer booster.

Otherwise, you are not required to get the same type of vaccine you received originally. If you prefer to get a different vaccine as a booster, you may. Or if you go to a clinic or pharmacy that is offering a different type of vaccine from the one you originally got, you can get that vaccine.

January 11, 2022

You should get a booster right away if you are now eligible. Or, if it’s been less than five months since your second Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or less than two months since you got your first J&J vaccine, you should wait until you are eligible, and then get your booster as soon as possible.

January 11, 2022

Yes. The COVID-19 booster shots use the same formulation as any of the initial COVID-19 vaccines you might have received. However, the Moderna booster is half the dose of the vaccine used in the initial two-shot series (50 μg vs. 100 μg).

October 29, 2021

Maybe. According to the CDC, side effects experienced after booster shots are similar to those reported after initial vaccination. The most common side effects are injection-site pain, fatigue, and headache, usually occurring one day after vaccination.

October 29, 2021

Yes at this point, the CDC still defines an individual as being “fully vaccinated” two weeks after the second dose of a two-shot series (Pfizer or Moderna vaccines) or two weeks after receiving a single dose of the J&J vaccine.

December 10, 2021

• If you were fully vaccinated at MIT Medical and are a member of the MIT community (not including Broad Institute), we can issue you a replacement card. Just send an email to vaccard@med.mit.edu with your name, date of birth, and, if possible, the approximate date you received the vaccine at MIT. We’ll send instructions for picking up your replacement card.

• If you got your vaccine elsewhere in Massachusetts, follow these instructions to get a replacement card.
• If you were vaccinated in another state, contact your vaccine provider directly or contact the immunization information system (IIS) for that state. All vaccination providers must report COVID-19 vaccinations to their state’s IIS, which can provide a replacement card if yours is lost.

October 29, 2021