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COVID-19 Vaccines
Brand Name
Comirnaty, Spikevax
Other Names
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine; Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine; Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine, Adjuvanted; COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA; COVID-19 Vaccine, Subunit
Drug Class
Vaccines

What are COVID-19 vaccines? What are COVID-19 vaccines?

What are COVID-19 vaccines?

COVID-19 vaccines are products used for the prevention of COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by a virus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). There are different types of COVID-19 vaccines available that are either fully approved or authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in adults and children. (Vaccines that are authorized for emergency use have not received full FDA approval but have been made available for use by FDA during a public health emergency.)

COVID-19 can be an opportunistic infection (OI) of HIV. An OI is an infection that occurs more frequently or is more severe in people with weakened immune systems—such as people with HIV—than in people with healthy immune systems. To learn more about OIs, read the HIVinfo What is an Opportunistic Infection? fact sheet.

The Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV and the Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Children with and Exposed to HIV include recommendations on the use of COVID-19 vaccines in adults and children with HIV.

What should I tell my health care provider before receiving a COVID-19 vaccine? What should I tell my health care provider before receiving a COVID-19 vaccine?

What should I tell my health care provider before receiving a COVID-19 vaccine?

Before receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, tell your health care provider:

  • If you or your child is allergic to any ingredients in the specific COVID-19 vaccine you or your child will be receiving, or any other medicines. Tell your health care provider if you or your child has ever had any reactions to a previous dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
  • About any medical conditions you or your child has, including:
    • Inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis) or inflammation of the lining outside the heart (pericarditis)
    • Weakened immune system (immunocompromised) or taking any medicines that might weaken the immune system
    • Fever
    • Bleeding disorder or on a blood thinner
    • Fainting during or after receiving an injection
  • About any health conditions that might prevent you or your child from receiving medicine by injection.
  • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Talk to your health care provider about the risks and benefits of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy.
  • If you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. For people with HIV in the United States, the Guideline recommends speaking with your health care provider to discuss options for feeding your baby. People with suppressed viral load have a less than 1% chance of transmitting HIV to their baby via their own milk. Although most medicines are safe to use while breastfeeding, some medicines should be avoided. Always let your health care provider know about all the medicines and supplements you are using before you start breastfeeding.
  • About other prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you or your child are taking or plan to take. COVID-19 vaccines may affect the way other medicines or products work, and other medicines or products may affect how COVID-19 vaccines work. Ask your health care provider if there are interactions between COVID-19 vaccines and the other medicines you or your child take.

How are COVID-19 vaccines given? How are COVID-19 vaccines given?

How are COVID-19 vaccines given?

COVID-19 vaccines are given by a health care provider as an injection into the muscle. The specific vaccine you or your child receives and the number of doses will be based on age and vaccination history. People with advanced or untreated HIV are considered moderately or severely immunocompromised and may need to receive additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

Read any printed information that your health care provider gives you about the COVID-19 vaccine.

What side effects can COVID-19 vaccines cause? What side effects can COVID-19 vaccines cause?

What side effects can COVID-19 vaccines cause?

COVID-19 vaccines may cause side effects that can be mild or serious. To learn about possible side effects of COVID-19 vaccines, see the FDA drug label for Comirnaty and Spikevax or the fact sheets for Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, you can talk to your health care provider or pharmacist. Tell your health care professional if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. Your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some side effects.

You may report side effects using the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System online.

Where can I find more information about COVID-19 vaccines? Where can I find more information about COVID-19 vaccines?

Where can I find more information about COVID-19 vaccines?

Last Reviewed: December 4, 2024