COVID-19 Vaccination

COVID-19 Vaccination in United States

United States

All vaccines available in the United States help prevent serious illness and death from COVID-19 infections. Currently, COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for everyone 6 months and older. The vaccine and booster combination continues to decrease risk of hospitalization and death for those who contract COVID-19. Those who have already contracted COVID-19 are still encouraged to get the vaccine and the booster to build continued protection.

People who contract COVID-19 can experience symptoms including but not limited to fever, fatigue and shortness of breath. Some people who have been hospitalized for severe illness from COVID-19 may face life-threatening outcomes and long-term effects such as fatigue, headaches, difficulty thinking or concentrating (brain fog), difficulty breathing and joint or muscle pain, as well as other currently unknown consequences. Vaccination and booster shots can prevent or lessen these outcomes. It is estimated that over 318,000 COVID-19 deaths could have been prevented with the vaccine. 

Vaccinations and boosters can protect both individuals and communities while reducing the strain on health care systems.

Populations with a higher percentage of full COVID-19 vaccination include:

• Females compared with males.
• Those ages 65 and older compared with those who are younger.
• Asian adults compared with all other racial and ethnic groups. American Indian/Alaska Native adults had the lowest rate.

Vaccine clinics and online vaccine connectors have helped distribute more than 834 million vaccine doses in the United States as of September 14th, 2022. People and organizations across many different areas are working together to increase the number of COVID-19 vaccinations in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 Public Education Campaign is a national program that works to increase public awareness and confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. The effort is driven by communication science and provides tailored information for different audiences. The COVID-19 Community Corps outreach program launched in April 2021 and now has over 17,000 members across the country helping to promote the vaccine in their communities.

Massetti, Greta M., Brendan R. Jackson, John T. Brooks, Cria G. Perrine, Erica Reott, Aron J. Hall, Debra Lubar, et al. “Summary of Guidance for Minimizing the Impact of COVID-19 on Individual Persons, Communities, and Health Care Systems — United States, August 2022.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 71, no. 33 (August 19, 2022): 1057–64. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7133e1.