Vaccines are substances that prevent or lessen diseases by teaching your body's immune system how to defend against them. There are a wide variety of vaccines available that protect against serious or possibly fatal infections. You'll receive vaccinations from birth, through your 20s, 30s, 40s, and beyond to help your body stay healthy.

Flu Vaccine Basics

141007_ff_flushotsfree.jpg
Where To Get a Free Flu Shot—With or Without Insurance
Is-The-Flu-Vaccine-a-Live-Virus-GettyImages-1085192600
Flu Shots: Are They 'Live Virus' Vaccines or Not?
when to get flu shot , Close-up hands,nurses are vaccinations to patients using the syringe.Doctor vaccinating women in hospital.Are treated by the use of sterile injectable upper arm. injection
When to Get a Flu Shot This Year, According to Doctors

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

What Happens before, during, after COVID-19 vaccine , Woman with adhesive bandage on her shoulder - injury concept
Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine: What to Expect Before, During, and After Your Appointment
covid-vaccine-rash
What To Know About 'COVID Arm'
Your COVID-19 Vaccine Card, What to Do if You Lose It, Why You Shouldn't Laminate It, and Other Important Info , BOSTON - DECEMBER 16: Elizabeth Hafted, Pharmacist displays a COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston on Dec. 16, 2020. (Photo by Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
What To Know About Your COVID-19 Vaccine Card
What Are the Differences Between the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines?
FDA and CDC WIll Pause Use of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Over Blood Clot Concerns
The Johnson & Johnson Vaccine and Blood Clots

Explore Vaccines

nurse hands preparing covid vaccine injections
FDA Panel Recommends New Monovalent COVID Booster Targeting XBB Variant
Card Placeholder Image
COVID-19 Booster Side Effects: What To Expect From the Vaccines
Doctor cleans a smiling woman's arm before giving her a shot
You May Be Better Protected if You Space Out Your COVID and Flu Shots—Here's Why
African-American man getting covid vaccine close-up
Annual COVID Vaccine: U.S. Tries 'New Approach' With Omicron Boosters
A man waits in line to recieve the Monkeypox vaccine before the opening of a new mass vaccination site at the Bushwick Education Campus in Brooklyn on July 17, 2022, in New York City. - New York, on the US East Coast, has already either administered or scheduled 21,500 vaccines and hopes to speed up the process, promising more than 30,000 jabs for the whole state. (Photo by Kena Betancur / AFP) (Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)
There Are More Monkeypox Vaccines—But Immunocompromised People May Still Be at Risk
Nurse hand with syringe needle and woman fear of injections phobia concept against
What Is Trypanophobia? How to Cope With a Fear of Needles So You Can Get the COVID-19 Vaccine
Blood-Clot-Risk-JJ-Vaccine-Vs-Birth-Control-AdobeStock_271637647-GettyImages-1148160913
Why It's Tough to Directly Compare the J&J Vaccine Blood Clots to Those Linked to Birth Control
Pfizer Booster
FDA Authorizes Pfizer Booster Shots—Here's Who Can Get One
28-Year-Old-Who-Wasn't-Vaccinated-Over-Concerns-of-How-the-COVID-Shot-Would-Affect-Her-Breastfeeding-Son-Dies-GettyImages-565889259
28-Year-Old Who Wasn't Vaccinated Because She Feared the Shot Would Affect Her Breastfeeding Son Dies of COVID
how the covid vaccine has affected menstrual cycles
The COVID-19 Vaccine May Change Your Menstrual Cycle—Here's What to Know
Concentrated woman doctor vaccinating a young woman
Study: mRNA Vaccines Fare Better Against COVID Variants
The 8 Best COVID-19 Face Masks of 2022
The 9 Best COVID-19 Face Masks of 2023, Researched and Reviewed
36-People-Developed-Blood-Disorder-After-COVID-Vaccine-AdobeStock_271637647_335090140
How Concerned Should You Be About Getting Thrombocytopenia After a COVID-19 Vaccine?
What-is-Vaccine-Shedding-GettyImages-165516363
COVID-19 Vaccine Shedding—Why Vaccine Shedding Won't Happen
What-Happens-If-You-Miss-Your-Second-Shot?-GettyImages-1292969260
What Happens if You Miss Your 2nd COVID-19 Shot?
COVID-I-Didnt-Have-Side-Effects-Should-I-Be-Concerned-GettyImages-1173102561
Are You Protected If Your COVID-19 Vaccine Didn't Cause Side Effects?
Can-You-Drink-After-the-COVID-Vaccine
Can You Drink Alcohol After Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine?
COVID-Can-I-Workout-After-the-COVID-Vaccine-GettyImages-1153610645
Can You Exercise After Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine?
stem-cells-COVID-Johnson-Johnson-Vaccine
Fetal Cell Lines Were Used to Make the Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine—Here’s What That Means
Lip Swelling After the COVID-19 Vaccine—Here's What To Know
How-Soon-Can-You-Get-a-Booster-Shot-After-Having-COVID-Breakthrough-Infection-GettyImages-142009824
When To Get Boosted After Having a COVID-19 Breakthrough Infection
Will-Everyone-Need-a-Fourth-Dose-of-a-COVID-Vaccine-GettyImages-1277290976
Will Everyone Need a Fourth Dose of a COVID-19 Vaccine?
What-Counts-as-a-Medical-Exemption-From-the-COVID-Vaccine-GettyImages-563962221-1324493378
Are There Medical Exemptions From the COVID-19 Vaccine?
What-Parents-Need-to-Know-About-Kids-Getting-COVID-Vaccine-AdobeStock_250449381
COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids 12 to 15: Your Biggest Fears Addressed by Experts
Why-Everyone-Reacts-to-COVID-Vaccines-Differently-GettyImages-73951627
Why Does Everyone React Differently to the COVID-19 Vaccines?
natural immunity vs vaccine
Does Natural Immunity Protect Against the SARS-CoV-2 Variants, or Do I Still Need the Vaccine?
COVID-Pfizer-Side-Effects-GettyImages-1205739966
Side Effects From the COVID-19 Booster Shot
Why Do Providers Say to Drink Water Before/After COVID shot?
How Helpful Is Being Hydrated Before You Get a COVID-19 Vaccine or Booster Shot?
shot of female scientist through window glass sitting and working at a laboratory table
Moderna Is Developing 2 New Vaccines—And 1 Could Protect Against the Common Cold
COVID-Immunocompromised-People-and-the-COVID-Vaccine-AdobeStock_342088041
What We Know About COVID-19 Vaccines for People Who Are Immunocompromised
is the COVID-19 Vaccine Safe for everyone?
Is the COVID-19 Vaccine Safe for Everyone? Here's Who Should (and Shouldn't) Get It
Should-You-Change-Your-Holiday-Plans-Because-of-COVID-GettyImages-1177095891
With Omicron Variant Infections Rising, Should You Change Your Holiday Plans? Here's What Experts Say
Is-It-Safe-to-Go-to-an-Outdoor-Concert-This-Summer-GettyImages-1331898950
Is It Safe to Go to an Outdoor Concert? Here's What Experts Say About Your COVID Risk
Can-You-Go-On-a-Cruise-If-You're-Unvaccinated-GettyImages-200424334-001
Can You Go on a Cruise Without Being Vaccinated for COVID-19?
Measles-CDC-Warning-GettyImages-153565602
CDC and WHO Warn of Measles Outbreak Risk After 22 Million Babies Missed Their Vaccines During Pandemic
Squamous epithelial cells of human cervix under the microscope view. Pap smear test is a procedure to test for cervical cancer in women
Can Adults Get the HPV Vaccine?
flu shot effectiveness
How Effective Is the Flu Shot? What Doctors Are Saying About This Year's Vaccines
Dad of 5 Dies From COVID , Patient attached to respirator at beginning of operation Surgeon and nurses standing next to bed
Unvaccinated Parents Die From COVID-19 Two Weeks Apart Illustrates the Risks
FDA Mix-and-match vaccine boosters
FDA to Allow 'Mix and Match' COVID Boosters, But Which One Should You Get?
States-Begin-Preparing-to-Give-Vax-to-Children-Here's-How-GettyImages-1278800247
The US Is Getting Ready to Start Vaccinating Kids Ages 5–11 Against COVID-19—Here's How
COVID-Johnson-Johnson-Booster-AdobeStock_427763980
FDA Panel Recommends Johnson & Johnson Booster Shot—Here's What Happens Next
Ohio-Woman-Dies-of-COVID-After-Giving-Birth-Prematurely-GettyImages-1311182388
Ohio Woman Got to Feel the Baby She Delivered in an Emergency C-Section Before Dying of COVID
Rapid covid Test
Samantha Wendell, 29, Died of COVID After Postponing the Vaccine Because 'She Was Worried About Her Fertility'
COVID-J-J-Booster-Vaccine-Pfizer
Booster Recommendations After J&J's Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine
Unvaccinated-Nurse-Dies-of-COVID-GettyImages-1255356831
Idaho Nurse Dies of COVID—And Her Family Blames 'Misinformation' for Convincing Her Not to Get Vaccinated
What-Is-a-Mandate-Explainer-on-New-Vaccine-Mandate-AdobeStock_274846231
President Biden Announced a New Vaccine Mandate—But What Is a Mandate, and What Happens if You Don't Comply?
CDC Travel Advisory Over Labor Day: Should You Travel? One mature woman is standing on the air-stair of her plane with her boarding pass and has turned round to give one last look to her home before she goes travelling.
CDC Issues a Labor Day Weekend Travel Advisory Asking Unvaccinated People to Stay Home—Here's What to Know
What-To-Say-To-Friends-Who-Want-to-Wait-A-Year-To-Get-The-Covid-Vaccine-GettyImages-1281558088
What to Say to People Who Still Want to 'Wait and See' Before Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine
FDA Approves the Pfizer Vaccine, Now Called Comirnaty—Here's What FDA Approval Means
FDA Approves the Pfizer Vaccine, Now Called Comirnaty—Here's What FDA Approval Means
Tout-New-CDC-Guidance-on-Quarantining-after-Vaccination-AdobeStock_234385994
If You're Up to Date on COVID-19 Vaccinations, You Do Not Need to Quarantine After Exposure to the Virus
WHO-Urges-Not-To-Mix-Match-Vaccines-AdobeStock_411868162
Can I Get a Pfizer Booster If I Had Moderna or J&J?—Here's What We Know About Mixing COVID Vaccines
child-flu-shot-hypodermic-needle
8 Scenarios To Delay Vaccines for Kids
moderna covid 19 vaccine booster shots , Top view of bunch of sterile syringes with vaccine arranged on pink background. Set of syringes with medication
FDA Panel Approves Moderna COVID-19 Booster—Here's What That Means and What Happens Next
COVID-CDC-Announces-New-Mask-Guidelines-AdobeStock_395619683
CDC Releases New Mask Guidelines—Here's When and Where You Can Go Without One
candy-child-doctor
8 Ways To Make Shots Easier for Kids
COVID Vaccine Rates Are Down—Here’s How PEOPLE’s New Initiative With CVS Health and Walmart Might Help
COVID-Johnson-Johnson-Vaccine
The FDA Just Authorized Johnson & Johnson’s Single-Shot Vaccine for Emergency Use—Here’s How it Stacks Up
Group of vaccines for Covid 19 virus in a block of ice for preservation and transport.
Why Does the COVID-19 Vaccine Have to Be Kept So Cold?
Card Placeholder Image
What Is a COVID Variant and How Concerned Should You Be?
What-Are-Breakthrough-Cases-of-Covid-Explainer-Tied-to-Yankees-GettyImages-1317541081-1317373248
7 Breakthrough COVID Cases Have Hit the New York Yankees—What Does This Term Mean?
Man dies of covid before vax appt
A 25-Year-Old Died of COVID-19 Two Days Before His Vaccine Appointment
what is in the flu shot , Row of test tubes with liquid, cyan background
What Is in the Flu Shot? Here's How Experts Explain Common Ingredients
Tiktok-Creator-Begs-Others-to-Get-COVID-Vaccine-Before-Her-Death-GettyImages-1255590918
Before Dying of COVID-19, TikTok Star Urged Others To Get Vaccinated