The current FDA-authorized and FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines are not recommended for people with certain conditions or of different ages. The current vaccines are authorized for use among the following ages:
- Pfizer-BioNTech is not authorized for people under six months old.
- Moderna is not authorized for children under six months old.
- Johnson & Johnson's Janssen is not authorized for people under the age of 18 and it is not authorized for a second dose.
Per the FDA, women younger than 50 years old should be aware of the rare risk of blood clots with low platelets after Janssen vaccination. Other COVID-19 vaccines, such as Comirnaty and Spikevax, are available for which this risk has not been seen.
There are other special considerations for when it might not be a good time to get the vaccine:
- If a person has recently been exposed to COVID-19, see the CDC guidelines for getting the vaccine
- If a person had monoclonal antibody treatment or received convalescent plasma, the CDC states vaccination should not occur for at least 90 days
Members should talk to their health care provider if they have questions about getting vaccinated for COVID-19.
According to the CDC, if people have ever had a severe allergic reaction to a vaccine or an injected medicine, they should ask their doctor if they should get the COVID-19 vaccine. A severe reaction is one that requires treatment at a hospital or with medications like an EpiPen (epinephrine). According to the CDC, the likelihood of severe reaction to the FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines is very low.
The CDC recommends people who have seasonal allergies or allergies to food, pets or oral medications, can still be vaccinated. If members have questions, they should check with their health care provider.
For more information, read the FDA’s patient fact sheets: Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen. Health care professionals can also look to the FDA’s health care provider fact sheets available for Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen; and the package inserts for Comirnaty and Spikevax.
Disclaimer
Follow vaccination instructions from the manufacturer. The current FDA-authorized and FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines may not be appropriate for everyone. There are special considerations for people with certain conditions, of different ages, and who have had treatments such as monoclonal antibody therapy and convalescent plasma. If you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, talk to your health care provider or visit the CDC’s Frequently Asked Questions.
The information is a summary and is subject to change. This page describes general benefits we offer to all members in all states. They also include federal requirements. More benefits may be available in some states and under some plans. We have created rules and practices that may apply to some of our products at this time. The information is a summary and is subject to change. For more information, contact your account representative or call the number on your UnitedHealthcare card.