COVID-19 Vaccination

All Chicagoans aged six months and up can get vaccinated. Everyone aged six years and older should get the  updated Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to be up to date.

Children infected with COVID-19 can spread it to others, including more vulnerable people like older people and those with underlying health conditions. Additionally, COVID-19 can make children very sick and cause children to be hospitalized. It can cause both short and long-term health complications, and in some cases, even death.

Your child may have some side effects, which are normal signs that their body is building protection against COVID-19. On the arm where your child got the shot, your child may experience temporary pain, redness, and swelling. Throughout the rest of their body, they may experience temporary tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, or nausea. These side effects may affect your child’s ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. There is no evidence that the COVID-19 vaccine affects fertility. Severe allergic reactions are rare. If your child experiences a severe allergic reaction after getting a COVID-19 vaccine, vaccine providers can rapidly provide care and call emergency medical services if needed.

No, people cannot get COVID-19 from the vaccine.

Yes, COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines. While COVID-19 vaccines were developed quickly to meet the worldwide demand for protection from the virus, all steps have been taken to ensure their safety and effectiveness. COVID-19 vaccines have undergone and continue to undergo the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history, which includes studies about adolescents and children. For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s resources on COVID-19 vaccination for children and teens.

COVID-19 vaccines are widely available. You can talk to your child’s pediatrician or medical provider or make an appointment by visiting vaccines.gov, texting your zip code to 438829, or calling 1-800-232-0233. 

Currently, the vaccine will remain widely available and free for most Chicagoans, however, locations may vary.  With the expiration of the federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 on May 11, 2023,  medical providers outside CPS may begin charging Chicagoans to receive a vaccine, so it is important to consult your provider and/or your insurance company to determine if you will be charged a fee for receiving the vaccine.

• Visit vaccines.gov or www.vacunas.gov to find vaccines without insurance.
• Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) offer no-cost vaccines. Find an FQHC at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov or call the city of Chicago's Hotline at 312-746-4835. Call the health center before visiting to ensure they have the updated vaccine.
• CDPH Immunization Clinics welcome walk-ins but registration is highly encouraged. Create an account and register for an appointment at  getvaxchi.chicago.gov or by calling the clinic.
• People and families with private health insurance or Medicaid or Medicare coverage should go to a pharmacy or doctor’s office to get their updated COVID-19 vaccine, which your insurance company should cover. Visit vaccines.gov or vacunas.gov  to find a vaccine provider near you.

 The vaccine released in the fall of 2023 is the most up-to-date vaccine to protect you and your family from COVID-19. Everyone aged 6 months old and older are eligible to receive a vaccine dose to be as protected as possible from more serious effects following a COVID-19 infection