Can I get a COVID vaccine while sick?

What counts as sick enough to wait?

The CDC's general vaccine rules, which apply to all vaccines including COVID shots, split illness into 2 groups. Mild illness, with or without a fever, is not a reason to delay. The CDC says the safety and effectiveness of vaccinating people with mild illness is documented.

Moderate or severe illness, with or without a fever, is a reason to wait. The CDC calls it a precaution for all vaccines and says to get vaccinated as soon as the illness has improved. The CDC does not give a temperature cutoff, so the line is how sick you feel overall. The NHS says to wait if you have a high temperature or feel very unwell with any illness.

• Mild cold, sniffles, scratchy throat: you can usually go ahead.
• High temperature, in bed, or too sick for normal plans: reschedule.
• You have COVID right now: wait until you have recovered and can be around others again.
• Not sure: tell the pharmacist or nurse your symptoms before the shot.

Why wait if you're moderately or severely ill?

The CDC's stated reason is that waiting avoids confusion between the symptoms of your illness and possible side effects of the vaccine.

Common COVID vaccine side effects include pain, swelling, or redness where the shot was given, tiredness, headache, muscle aches, chills, nausea, and fever. If you already have a fever and body aches, it gets hard to tell what is causing what. Once you feel better, you can get the shot. The CDC says people should be vaccinated as soon as the acute illness has improved.

What if I have COVID right now?

Wait. The CDC says people who have COVID should wait to get vaccinated, to avoid exposing healthcare staff and others during the visit. The NHS puts it simply: if you have, or think you have, COVID, wait until you're feeling better.

This applies even if your COVID feels mild, because the reason is to avoid exposing others, not how sick you are. The CDC's advice for any respiratory virus is to stay home and away from others while sick. You can go back to normal activities once, for at least 24 hours, your symptoms are getting better overall and you have not had a fever without fever-reducing medicine. Then take extra precautions for 5 days, like wearing a mask and washing your hands.

How long should I wait after having COVID?

You do not have to wait once you have recovered, but you can. The CDC says people who recently had COVID may consider delaying a dose by up to 3 months, counted from when symptoms started or from your positive test if you had no symptoms. The reason is that reinfection risk is generally low in the months after an infection.

The CDC also says a 2026-2027 COVID vaccine is recommended even if you already had COVID. So the 3 months is an option, not a rule. The CDC says to weigh things like your risk of severe COVID and how much COVID is spreading in your area. If you are at higher risk of severe COVID, ask your pharmacist or doctor whether to wait at all.

There is one exception with a firm wait. People who had multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C in children or MIS-A in adults) should wait until they have recovered and at least 90 days have passed since the diagnosis.

Can I get my flu shot at the same visit?

Yes, if you are well enough for both. The CDC says children, teens, and adults can get a COVID vaccine and other vaccines, including a flu shot, at the same time. The same illness rule applies to the flu shot: mild illness is fine, moderate or severe illness means wait.

The CDC's optional 3-month delay is about the COVID vaccine only. Its general vaccine rules list the recovery phase of an illness as something people wrongly think is a reason to delay. So once you have recovered and are no longer at risk of exposing others, you can get the flu shot on its own and come back for the COVID shot later.