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Bandage on arm of a female after taking vaccine. Close-up of a female patient with bandage on hand after taking injection.

COVID-19 Booster Information

Carle, in partnership with state and local public health officials offers booster shots to patients and the public. Per current CDC recommendations everyone eligible should get a COVID-19 bivalent booster shot. 

The FDA has authorized and the CDC has provided interim clinical considerations for the administration of reformulated COVID-19 booster doses. The new bivalent formulations of the vaccines were specifically created to target the BA.4 and BA.5 strains of the Omicron variant.

Moderna Booster Doses:
•    Children ages 6 months–4 years: A 2-dose primary series and 1 bivalent Moderna booster dose is recommended.
•    Children age 5 years: A 2-dose primary series and 1 bivalent mRNA booster dose (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech) is recommended.
•    Children ages 6–11 years: A 2-dose primary series and 1 bivalent mRNA booster dose (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech) is recommended.
•    People ages 12 years and older: A 2-dose primary series and 1 bivalent mRNA booster dose (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech) is recommended

Pfizer-BioNTech Booster Doses:
•    Children ages 6 months–4 years: A 3-dose primary series is recommended.  A monovalent vaccine is administered for the first and second doses, and a bivalent vaccine is administered for the third primary series dose.
•    Children 5-11 years: A 2-dose primary series and 1 bivalent mRNA booster dose (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech) is recommended
•    People ages 12 years and older: A 2-dose primary series and 1 bivalent mRNA booster dose (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech) is recommended

If you are immunocompromised-
You should receive an mRNA (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) COVID-19 booster shot if you are ages 5 years and older.  Immunocompromised individuals aged 5-11 are eligible to receive a monovalent booster dose at least 3 months after the completion of their primary series. Immunocompromised individuals aged 12+ are eligible to receive a bivalent booster dose at least 2 months after the completion of their primary series.  

Carle is currently offering booster appointments throughout the region. We encourage everyone to visit Vaccines.gov for more information about public health and retail vaccination location opportunities.

Champaign County
Patients in Champaign County are encouraged to schedule a booster appointment by calling the COVID-19 hotline at (217) 902-6100.

Vermilion County
Patients in Vermilion County are encouraged to schedule a booster appointment by calling the COVID-19 hotline at (217) 902-6100.

McLean and Woodford Counties
Patients in McLean and Woodford counties are encouraged to schedule a booster appointment by calling (309) 268-5200.

Richland County
Patients in Richland County are encouraged to schedule a booster appointment by calling the COVID-19 hotline at (217) 902-6100.

Coles County
Patients in Coles County are encouraged to schedule a booster appointment by calling (217) 258-5900. 

For Vaccine Information
in Your County:

Information on this site is updated weekly

Booster FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

  • Who meets the COVID-19 booster dose requirements?
    Per current CDC recommendations everyone ages 5 and older should get a COVID-19 booster shot.

    If you received Pfizer-BioNTech as your primary vaccine, you should receive a monovalent COVID-19 booster shot if you are ages 5 years to 11 years old, this is the original booster dose formulation. The newly authorized bivalent booster dose does not affect patients under age 12. Individuals 12 years of age and older are eligible for a bivalent booster shot two months after completing their primary COVID-19 vaccination series or additional monovalent booster dose.

    If you received Moderna as your primary vaccine, you should receive a bivalent COVID-19 booster shot if you are ages 18 years and older. Individuals are eligible for a booster shot two months after completing their primary COVID-19 vaccination series or or additional monovalent booster dose.

    If you received Johnson & Johnson's Janssen as your primary vaccine, you should receive a bivalent mRNA (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) COVID-19 booster shot if you are ages 18 years and older. Individuals are eligible for a booster shot two months after receiving their J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccination.
  • What are the risks to getting a booster shot?
    Adults and children may have some side effects from a COVID-19 vaccine, including pain, redness or swelling at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea. Serious side effects are rare, but may occur.
  • Am I still considered "fully vaccinated" if I don't get a booster shot?
    Yes, the definition of fully vaccinated does not include a booster. Everyone, except those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, is still considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after the single-dose J&J/Janssen vaccine.

    Fully vaccinated, however, is not the same as having the best protection. People are best protected when they stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations. You are up to date if you have completed a COVID-19 vaccine primary series and received the most recent booster dose recommended for you by CDC.
  • Can I mix and match COVID-19 vaccines?
    Per the CDC, eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose. Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type that they originally received and others may prefer to get a different booster. CDC’s recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots.
    • People ages 18 years and older may get a different product for a booster than they got for their primary series, as long as it’s Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.
    • Teens ages 12-17 years may get a different product for a booster than they got for their primary series, as long as it’s Pfizer-BioNTech.
    • Children ages 5 through 11 years who got a Pfizer-BioNTech primary series must also get Pfizer-BioNTech for a booster.
    • People ages 12 years and older may only get the updated (bivalent) mRNA (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) booster. They can no longer get an original (monovalent) mRNA booster.
    • Novavax is not authorized for use as a booster dose at this time.