COVID-19 vaccines
COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. For the best protection, everyone 6 months and older is recommended to stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines, which includes getting boosters if eligible. For availability check with:
- Your health care provider.
- Pharmacies, such as CVS, Rite Aid or Walgreens. To make an appointment, visit CDC’s Find COVID-19 Vaccines »
- Community health centers »
- My Turn, California’s Vaccine Appointment Site »
- The CDC’s Vaccine Locator »
Safety
The safety of COVID-19 vaccines is a top priority. Millions of people in the U.S. and over 400,000 people in Sonoma County have received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history.
Recommendations
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and California Department of Public Health recommends that all individuals 6 months and older should get the COVID-19 vaccine primary series and stay up to date with their boosters. Learn more from CDC about COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses.
Covid-19 Vaccine Timing 2023–24 Chart »
Why get a COVID-19 vaccine?
- Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is a safer, more reliable way to build protection than getting sick with COVID-19. Vaccination helps protect you by creating an antibody response without you having to experience potentially severe illness or post-COVID conditions.
- Getting sick with COVID-19 can cause severe illness or death, and we can’t reliably predict who will have mild or severe illness.
- You may have long-term health issues after having COVID-19. Even people who do not have symptoms when they are first infected can have these ongoing health problems, also known as long COVID or post-COVID conditions.
- While people can get some protection from having COVID-19, the level and length of that protection varies and is not as strong as immunity from vaccinations.
- Serious side effects that could cause a long-term health problem are extremely rare following any vaccination, including COVID-19 vaccination. The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks.
Get the 2023–2024 Updated COVID-19 Vaccine
Stay up to date! A seasonal dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for everyone six months and older. Make an appointment with your doctor or visit MyTurn.ca.gov to book an appointment or find a walk-in clinic.
Side effects after COVID-19 vaccination
COVID-19 vaccination helps protect people from getting severely ill with COVID-19 and side effects are normal. Though not everyone experiences side effects, some people do. Side effects are signs that your body is building protection. For more information, visit the CDC’s Possible Side Effects After Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine. Common side effects that may be experienced:
- Pain, redness and swelling on the arm.
- Nausea, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills and fever.
Side effects should be mild and go away in a few days. If you experience more serious symptoms, call or visit your health care provider.