COVID-19 is a disease caused by a virus. Many people who have COVID-19 can have mild symptoms. Other people can have severe illness or die. Older adults or people with certain diseases, such as diabetes, have more risks related to COVID-19 than others.

The best protection against COVID-19 is to take the recommended vaccines. Adults 65 and older who have no immune problems should receive 2 doses of the 2024-2025 COVID 19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Novavax). You should get the vaccines 6 months apart. If you have never had a COVID-19 vaccine before, and you choose Novavax, you should wait 3 weeks between the 1st and 2nd doses. You will also need to get a 3rd dose of any of the three COVID-19 vaccines 6 months after the 2nd dose. People who are immunocompromised may require additional vaccine shots and should ask their healthcare professional for guidance.