COVID-19 vaccine

Find a COVID-19 vaccine  Frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine

Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the safest, easiest way to lower your risk of serious illness and Long COVID. Everyone aged 6 months and older is recommended to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.

2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines

The COVID-19 vaccines available now protect against the latest variants of the COVID-19 virus.

Everyone aged 6 months and older should get a 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine. Most people only need one dose of the updated vaccine. It’s safe to get your COVID-19 vaccine and flu vaccine at the same appointment.

Some people may need more than one dose of a 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine:

• People with weakened immune systems
• Children aged 6 months through 4 years (depending on vaccination history)

Talking with a health care provider can help you learn more about how many doses you or your child needs and when to schedule them. However, a conversation with a health care provider is not required to get vaccinated.

Types of COVID-19 vaccines

There are two types of COVID-19 vaccines authorized and approved for use in the United States; they are developed by Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax.

Pfizer and Moderna are mRNA vaccines, which means they use temporary genetic code to teach your body how to fight the COVID-19 virus. This genetic code is harmless. It goes away once your immune system has learned what the COVID-19 virus looks like.

Novavax is a protein-based COVID-19 vaccine. It uses small, harmless pieces of the COVID-19 virus to teach your body how to fight the whole germ.

Find a COVID-19 vaccine

You can get a COVID-19 vaccine at a local doctor’s office, local public health agency, or pharmacy. If you have health insurance, including Medicare, Medicaid, and CHP+, it should cover the cost of the vaccine as long as your provider takes your insurance. Ask your regular health care provider if they have COVID-19 vaccines.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Bridge Access Program, which provided free COVID-19 vaccines to adults without health insurance and adults whose insurance did not cover all COVID-19 vaccine costs, ended in August of 2024. Therefore, retail pharmacies no longer have free or low cost doses of COVID-19 vaccines for uninsured or underinsured adults.

Low- and no-cost COVID-19 vaccines for uninsured and underinsured Coloradans

If you don’t have insurance, or your insurance doesn’t cover COVID-19 vaccines, you can still get vaccinated at low or no cost. 

Use the Vaccines for Children map to find a provider with low- and no-cost vaccines for eligible children aged 18 years and younger. The Vaccines for Children program provides vaccines for children who are uninsured, underinsured, on Medicaid or Medicaid-eligible, and/or Alaskan Native/American Indian.

Some Vaccines for Children providers may also have low- and no-cost vaccines for uninsured and underinsured adults aged 19 years and older. 

A Colorado law called Individual Access to Publicly Funded Vaccines helps make sure people can get the COVID-19 vaccine even if they don’t have health insurance or can’t afford to pay a fee.

Providers with low- and no-cost vaccines for uninsured and underinsured children and adults may ask you for: 

• Health insurance. 
• A government-issued identification card. 
• A social security card or number. 
• An out-of-pocket fee for the administration of the vaccine. 

You do not have to provide any of these to receive a publicly funded vaccine, even if the clinic asks for them. It is illegal for the clinic to deny you a publicly funded vaccine for not showing documents or being unable to pay a fee. Learn more about your right to get a publicly funded vaccine at no cost.