COVID-19 Vaccination

For the best protection against COVID-19, stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines. This means getting all recommended doses—including booster doses when you are eligible.

All people ages 6 months and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.

Everyone age 5 or older is eligible for a booster dose.

For COVID-19 vaccine recommendations by age, please see this chart.

For COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for people who have weakened immune systems, please see this chart.

The COVID-19 Vaccine “Up to Date” tool helps Rhode Islanders understand when they are considered up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines. Select your age and health status below to learn what you need to do to be up to date. Please speak with a healthcare provider if you have questions about your COVID-19 vaccination schedule.

Schedule Your COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment

Vaccines.gov

At-Home Vaccination

COVID-19 vaccines are available at the places where you normally get your vaccines, like doctors’ offices and pharmacies.

Call your healthcare provider to see if they are providing COVID-19 vaccine.

Use Vaccines.Gov to find COVID-19 vaccines near you. You can search by location and by vaccine type.

At-Home Vaccination: If you are unable to leave your home and need to schedule at at-home vaccination.

COVID-19 vaccines are available at no out-of-pocket cost. People cannot be charged for a COVID-19 vaccine when vaccination is the only service provided. However, some vaccine providers may ask for insurance information to charge your insurance for the vaccine administration fee. You do not have to have health insurance to get a COVID-19 vaccination.   

Latest Vaccine News & Guidance

COVID-19 vaccines are now authorized and recommended for children ages 6 months and older. To learn more, visit CDC’s web page.
FDA and CDC have authorized and recommended Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines for children and adolescents age 6 through 17. Previously, Pfizer was the only COVID-19 vaccine available to people younger than 18. To learn more, visit CDC’s web page.
Booster doses are now authorized and recommended for children ages 5 through 11. To learn more, visit CDC’s web page or covid.ri.gov/boosterdoses.
CDC now recommends that people age 50 or older and people age 12 or older who have moderately to severely compromised immune systems should get a second booster at least four months after their first booster. To learn more, visit CDC’s web page or covid.ri.gov/boosterdoses.
CDC recommends staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines. This means getting all recommended doses of vaccine, including a booster dose. To learn more, visit CDC’s web page.

Vaccine FAQs

Booster Doses

Enroll as a COVID-19 Vaccine Provider

Vaccine Record Lookup

Get a digital copy of your COVID-19 vaccine record on your phone by downloading the 401Health App.

You can also get a copy of your record through portal.ri.gov/VaccineRecord.

If you can’t find your record, or if you live in Rhode Island but were vaccinated outside of Rhode Island, please complete and submit an Immunization Record Correction Form.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I stay up to date with my COVID-19 vaccines?

Being “up to date” with your COVID-19 vaccines means getting all recommended doses—including booster doses when you are eligible.

COVID-19 vaccine recommendations are different for different people and depend on age, health status, and when you were first vaccinated. Please see CDC guidance for more information: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html

Where can children get vaccinated?

Children can get vaccinated at most places that offer COVID-19 vaccines.

Many pediatric and family medicine practices are enrolled as providers of COVID-19 vaccine. Contact your child’s healthcare provider to learn if they are vaccinating children.

Retail pharmacies (e.g., CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Stop & Shop) can vaccinate children age 3 or older. Visit the websites of these pharmacies for more information. Please note that CVS Minute Clinics are not considered pharmacies, but healthcare clinics. CVS Minute Clinics can vaccinate children as young as 18 months.

To find COVID-19 vaccines near you, visit Vaccines.Gov.

When making an appointment, make sure that you choose the right vaccine for your child’s age. For example, some vaccines are for children age 6 months through 5 years. Other vaccines are for children age 5 through 11.

How many booster doses will I need?

For most people, CDC recommends getting one booster dose after getting your primary series. We are going to keep learning about this virus and its variants and how well our vaccines work against the virus, so this recommendation may change. We know that the protection offered by the virus weakens over time. Booster doses work well to protect people against serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19.

People who are 50 or older and people who are age 12 or older and who have moderately to severely compromised immune systems should get a second booster dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) at least four months after their first booster dose.

People age 18 or older who got Johnson & Johnson for their primary COVID-19 vaccination and Johnson & Johnson for their first booster dose may choose to get a second booster dose of mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) at least four months after their first booster dose.

If you have questions about whether a second booster dose is right for you, please speak with a healthcare provider.

If you have questions about whether a second booster dose is right for you, please talk to a healthcare provider.

Is there a cost or co-pay for COVID-19 vaccine?

Updated 4/26/21

No. COVID-19 vaccines will be provided at no cost. Those who administer vaccines may charge insurance companies a fee for giving the someone the shot, but they will not charge the person being vaccinated.

No matter where you are vaccinated (State-run vaccination site or pharmacy), COVID-19 vaccine providers cannot charge people if COVID-19 vaccination is the only service provided.

No one can be denied vaccination based on healthcare coverage or network. Providers also cannot require additional medical services to get vaccinated.

How can I check my vaccination record?

Paper Vaccination Card: When you get vaccinated, you’ll get a vaccination card that tells you which COVID-19 vaccine you got and the date and location of your vaccination. You can use this card as a record of your vaccination.
SMART Health Card through the 401Health App: Rhode Islanders can also get a digital copy of their vaccination card with a QR code on it. When you travel to other states and countries or go to businesses or venues that require proof of vaccination, you can show your record with your QR code. The QR code can be scanned and will prove that your record is authentic. To get this digital record, download the 401Health app. In the app, select “My COVID-19 Vaccine Record.” Next, select “Add a COVID-19 Vaccination Record.” Follow the prompts to download your record.
Portal.ri.gov/VaccineRecord: Rhode Islanders can also get a copy of their COVID-19 vaccine record through portal.ri.gov/VaccineRecord. From this website, you can search for and print proof of your COVID-19 vaccination. Please note that only people who have received their COVID-19 vaccination in Rhode Island will be able to look up their vaccination record online.

If you are having trouble finding your vaccination record or are not able to go online, you can call 401-222-8022 for help. You can also call your primary care physician to check your vaccine record.

How can I correct my vaccination record?

If you need to correct anything in your vaccination record, please fill out and submit the RICAIR COVID-19 Immunization Record Correction Request Form.

For answers to other frequently asked questions about vaccines, please see our Vaccine FAQs.

Information for People Who Are Unable to Leave Their Home for Vaccine

People who are unable to leave their home for vaccine have the following options:

Home Health Providers: Please contact your home health provider to see if they are offering vaccine.

Through the following vaccine providers:

Please note that patients cannot be charged for a COVID-19 vaccine when vaccination is the only service provided. However, some at-home vaccination providers may charge insurance providers for administering, or giving you, the vaccine. A provider may ask you for your insurance information so they can charge your insurance an administration fee. You do not need insurance to get an at-home vaccination.

Alert Ambulance: Alert Ambulance can provide at-home vaccination throughout Rhode Island. To request an at-home vaccination through Alert Ambulance, you can email them at [email protected] or call them at 508-944-7722.
Purple Shield Medical: Purple Shield can provide at-home vaccination throughout Rhode Island. To request an at-home vaccination by Purple Shield, you can email them at [email protected] or call them at 401-384-7752.
Bristol Emergency Medical Services: Residents of Bristol, Rhode Island can request at-home vaccination through Bristol EMS. Residents should contact Bristol EMS at: 401-253-6912. Please note that this service is only available to Bristol residents.
Cumberland Emergency Medical Services: Residents of Cumberland, Rhode Island can request at-home vaccination through Cumberland EMS. Residents should contact Cumberland EMS at: 401-334-3090 extension 3. Please note that this service is only available to Cumberland residents.

Transportation to Vaccination Appointments

Many vaccination sites across the state are accessible by public transportation. To view transportation routes and any possible walking distances, visit www.ripta.com and enter your travel information into RIPTA’s Trip Planner on the homepage. If you need help or cannot visit the website, call RIPTA’s Customer Service team at 401-781-9400.

Anyone enrolled in Medicaid or older than 60 can use the Non-Emergency Medical Transport Service provided by MTM. Transportation can be booked online at https://www.mtm-inc.net/mtm-link/ or by calling MTM at 855-330-9131 (TTY: 711) at least two business days before the appointment.

Other Options

Uber
Lyft

Requesting a COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic

Community partners who are interested in hosting a COVID-19 vaccination clinic may contact the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) Office of Immunization at [email protected]. We will provide a list of mass immunizers with whom you can work to host a vaccination clinic. This is similar to how we support flu vaccination clinics. This change is part of RIDOH’s transition to traditional partners and settings for COVID-19 vaccination.