Protect What Matters
Talk to your healthcare provider about what is best to protect you, your family, your friends, and your community. This page provides up-to-date information about how keeping up to date with your COVID-19 vaccinations can help you stay healthy and protect from severe illness, hospitalization and even death.
Locating Your Official Vaccination Records
Questions? Contact our COVID-19 Hotline.
If you have a question about COVID-19, please call our COVID-19 Hotline, available Monday through Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm.
Health Department COVID-19 Vaccination
If you don't have health insurance and want to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine, call us at 410-313-6284. We'll assist you in scheduling an appointment with the Health Department or another place that offers the vaccine.
If you have private health insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid, you can check with your healthcare provider, local pharmacy/urgent care to find places offering COVID-19 vaccines in your area. If you have questions about what your insurance covers or if you might have to pay, get in touch with your insurance provider directly.
Update on COVID-19 Vaccine for the 2026-2027 Respiratory Illness Season
Maryland Department of Health vaccine guidelines under Maryland's Vax Act are anchored to recommendations from leading, independent expert medical organizations—including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). The Department’s recommendations are intended to be a public education tool, easily accessed and understood by the public.
For Children, MDH recommends the annual updated COVID-19 vaccine for all children 6-23 months old, and those over 2 years old who are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 or whose parents desire protection for their children. The number of doses in a completed series and the type of vaccine received can depend on the age, vaccination history, and health status of the individual.
For Adults, MDH recommends the annual updated COVID-19 vaccine for all adults ages 19-64. Adults 65 years and older should receive a second dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine 6 months after the initial dose to help maintain protection as immunity wanes over time. It is especially important to get a vaccine if you are 65 years and older, at increased risk for severe COVID-19 infection, or have never received a COVID-19 vaccine. The annual updated COVID-19 vaccine is also recommended during pregnancy or postpartum, including while breastfeeding.
COVID-19 Vaccine Information
There are different types of vaccines.
- All COVID-19 vaccines prompt our bodies to recognize and help protect us from the virus that causes COVID-19.
- Currently, there are two types of COVID-19 vaccines for use in the United States: mRNA, and protein subunit vaccines.
None of these vaccines can give you COVID-19.
- Vaccines do not use any live virus.
- Vaccines cannot cause infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 or other viruses.
COVID-19 vaccines do not affect or interact with our DNA.
- These vaccines do not enter the nucleus of the cell where our DNA (genetic material) is located, so they cannot change or influence our genes.
Learn more about how mRNA and protein subunit vaccines work, how they were developed and how they were tested/approved on the CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Basics webpage.
Public Health On Call Series - Vaccines 101 (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health)
For adults, COVID-19 vaccines:
- Reduce your risk for critical illness (admission to intensive care unit or death)
- For adults ages 18 and older, the 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccines reduced the risk of critical illness from COVID-19 by almost 70% in the first 2 months after vaccination. Protection decreased over time. During the 10 months after vaccination, the vaccines reduced critical illness risk by about 50%.
- Reduce your risk of being hospitalized
- For adults ages 18 and older, the 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccines reduced the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization by about 50% in the first 2 months after vaccination. Protection decreased over time. During the 10 months after vaccination, the vaccines reduced hospitalization risk by about 30%.
- Reduce your risk of getting sick and needing to go to urgent care or the emergency department
- For adults ages 18 and older, the 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccines reduced the risk of COVID-19 urgent care and emergency department visits by about 50% in the first 2 months after vaccination. Protection decreased over time, with little protection remaining at 4–6 months.
- Reduce your risk for Long COVID
- Studies show that people who got vaccinated against COVID-19 and later get COVID-19 are less likely to have Long COVID, compared to people who are unvaccinated or not up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines.
For people at higher risk from COVID-19:
- If you are 65 years or older
- The 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccines reduced the risk of critical illness (admission to intensive care unit or death) among older adults by about 67% in the first 2 months after vaccination. During the 4–6 months after vaccination, the vaccines reduced critical illness risk by about 40%.
- The 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccines reduced the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization among older adults by about 50% in the first 2 months after vaccination. Protection from vaccination wanes by 4–6 months after vaccination. Because adults ages 65 years and older have a higher risk for severe COVID-19, they are recommended to receive a second dose of COVID-19 vaccine 6 months after their first dose.
- If you have a weakened immune system
- The 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccines reduced the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization for people with a weakened immune system by about 36% in the first 2 months after vaccination. Protection from vaccination wanes by 4–6 months after vaccination. Because people with a weakened immune system have a higher risk for severe COVID-19, they are recommended to receive a second dose of COVID-19 vaccine 6 months after their first dose.
- If you are pregnant
- Getting a COVID-19 vaccine while you are pregnant helps protect you. It also helps protect your baby from severe health outcomes due to COVID-19 before they become eligible for COVID-19 vaccination when they are 6 months old.
- During October 2022–April 2024, 1,470 infants less than 6 months old were hospitalized with COVID-19.
- Maternal vaccination during pregnancy reduced the risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization by around 54% among infants during the first 3 months of life.
For children:
The 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccines reduced the risk of COVID-19-associated emergency room and urgent care visits by
- Around 65% in children ages 9 months to 4 years in the first 2 months after vaccination. Protection decreased over time.
- About 70% in children ages 5–17 years in the first 2 months after vaccination. Protection decreased over time. At 4–6 months after vaccination, the vaccines reduced risk by about 50%.
Learn more about the Benefits of Getting Vaccinated from the CDC.
Before Your Vaccination Appointment
Get a COVID-19 vaccine with your routine medical procedures and screenings
You can combine most procedures, screenings, and vaccinations at the same appointment when you get your COVID-19 vaccination. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions.
Children, teens, and adults may get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines, including a flu vaccine, at the same time.
Preparing children and teens for vaccination
The experience of getting a COVID-19 vaccine will be very similar to that of getting other vaccines. Learn how you can support your child and talk to them about what to expect before they get a vaccine.
Requesting accommodations at vaccination sites
- When making an appointment or arriving for vaccination, you can let staff know you or your child might need some accommodations
If you have allergies related to vaccines:
Talk to your doctor to learn if you should get a different type of COVID-19 vaccine if you:
- Have had a severe allergic reaction to a previous COVID-19 vaccine dose.
- Are allergic to an ingredient in a COVID-19 vaccine.
- Had an immediate allergic reaction (a reaction that started within 4 hours of getting vaccinated) to a COVID-19 vaccine, but the reaction was not considered severe by a medical professional.
After Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine
Possible Side Effects After Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine
Side effects after getting a COVID-19 vaccine can vary from person to person. Some people experience a little discomfort and can continue to go about their day. Others have side effects that affect their ability to do daily activities. Side effects generally go away in a few days and tend to be mild and temporary, like those experienced after routine vaccinations. Even if you don’t experience any side effects, your body is building protection against the virus that causes COVID-19.
Common side effects can include:
- Pain, swelling, and redness on the arm where the shot was given.
- Tiredness, headache, muscle pain
- Chills
- Nausea
- Fever
Relieve Common Side Effects
- It is not recommended to take pain relievers or medicines, such as ibuprofen, aspirin (only for people ages 18 years or older), or acetaminophen before vaccination to try to prevent side effects.
- Talk to your doctor about taking over-the-counter pain relievers after your vaccine.
- If possible, get some rest.
- To relieve pain or swelling on the arm where you got the shot:
- Apply a clean, cool, wet washcloth over the area.
- Use or keep moving your arm.
- To reduce discomfort from fever:
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- Dress in comfortable clothes.
Talk to your child’s healthcare provider about giving your child a non-aspirin pain reliever and learn about other steps you can take at home to comfort your child after vaccination.
Call a doctor or healthcare provider about a side effect if:
1. Redness or tenderness where the shot was given gets worse after 24 hours
2. Side effects are worrying or do not seem to be going away after a few days
3. After leaving a vaccination provider site, if you think you or your child might be having a severe allergic reaction, seek immediate medical care by calling 911.
Vaccine effectiveness is a measure of how well vaccination works under real-world conditions to protect people against health outcomes such as infection, symptomatic illness, hospitalization, and death. Learn more about What the CDC is doing, the guiding principles for monitoring vaccine effectiveness, and other resources on the CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness webpage.
The Journal of the American Medical Association has published a study outlining the effectiveness of the 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine formulation.
Finding and Paying for COVID-19 vaccines
Most people can get no-cost updated COVID-19 vaccines through their private health insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid plans. You can check with your healthcare provider, local pharmacy/urgent care to find places offering COVID-19 vaccines in your area. If you have questions about what your insurance covers or if you might have to pay, get in touch with your insurance provider directly.
If you don't have health insurance and want to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine, call us at 410-313-6284. We'll assist you in scheduling an appointment with the Health Department or another place that offers the vaccine.
If you are Homebound, call us at 410-313-6284 for assistance arranging for a vaccination.
For more information about getting an updated COVID-19 vaccine, visit the CDC Getting Your COVID-19 Vaccine webpage.
Vaccines are one of the best tools we have to help protect against three respiratory viruses that circulate each year: COVID-19, influenza and RSV. These viruses continue to cause significant illness and death in the community. During the 2024-2025 respiratory virus season, there were nearly 5,000 Maryland residents hospitalized with COVID-19, over 8,000 hospitalized with influenza, and more than 2,600 hospitalized with RSV. More than 1,200 of those hospitalized patients died. The Maryland Department of Health encourages all Marylanders to stay up to date on all vaccines recommended for them.
Maryland Department of Health vaccine guidelines under Maryland's Vax Act are anchored to recommendations from leading, independent expert medical organizations—including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). The Department’s recommendations are intended to be a public education tool, easily accessed and understood by the public.
Vaccines for Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised People
COVID-19 vaccine information for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.
COVID-19 Vaccination for People Who Would Like to Have a Baby
Information on COVID-19 vaccines for people who would like to have a baby.
COVID-19 Vaccination for Women Who Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding
What you need to know about COVID-19 vaccines if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
COVID-19 Vaccination for Long-term Care Residents
Information about COVID-19 vaccines for long-term care residents.
Locating Your Official Vaccination Records
Maryland MyIR is a free website service that allows consumers to view and print copies of their official vaccination records directly from ImmuNet, Maryland's immunization information system. ImmuNet is used by healthcare providers to securely maintain vaccination records for Maryland residents of all ages.
Go to MyIR Mobile to get started
For assistance using the portal, contact the ImmuNet Help Desk at 410-767-6606.