COVID-19 vaccines are getting an update in the form of a new booster, and the White Houseis encouraging all eligible Americans to get it.
Who is eligible for the new booster?
New COVID-19 booster shots from Pfizer are available and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for people ages 12 and up who were fully vaccinated against the virus at least two months ago.
Moderna's new booster is recommended for people 18 and up.
According to the CDC being "fully vaccinated" means it has been at least two weeks since you received the second dose of a two-dose vaccine, such as the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after you received the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. So, being "fully vaccinated" doesn't include any booster shots.
The CDC considers you "up to date" with your protection against COVID-19 if you have completed a COVID-19 vaccine primary series and have received the most recent booster dose recommended for you by the CDC.
What is the new booster?
At the beginning of September, the CDC and the FDA gave the green light for the new bivalent booster shots. According to the Associated Press, this new booster contains half the original vaccine and half protection against the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron variants that are now causing nearly all COVID-19 infections.
The original vaccine formula has been extensively tested in humans, but the booster including the BA.4 and BA.5 variants has only been tested in mice. Health experts say this is nothing to worry about.
“It's not like starting fresh with a new vaccine. Bivalent vaccines have already been tested and we have clinical safety data for previous strains of COVID,” said Dr. Larissa Pisney, an infectious diseases physician at UC Health in Denver Colorado.
The new boosters are essentially like the annual flu shot.
“If you're a person who gets a flu shot every year, well, then every time you've been getting it over the last three years, it's never been tested in humans each year,” said Dr. Ross Kedl, a professor of immunology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
Dr. Roberto Soria, the Medical Director of The Crossroads Center right here in the Tri-State said the booster is just another step you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones from the virus.
"We call it layered protection. Vaccine is the first layer, next layer comes distancing, next layer comes masks, next layer comes hand washing. So protection is a multi-layer event, we can't just confide one single method can keep us protected. It's very important because COVID is not going away," Soria said.
According to health experts, if you haven't been vaccinated at all, these new shots are not meant to be your first shot. This booster can only be used after a set of the original two COVID shots.
Where can I get the new booster?
The roll-out of the new bivalent booster hasn't been as publicized as other COVID-19 vaccine roll-outs but that doesn't mean they aren't available.
Many CVS and Walgreens locations have the shot available. Appointments can be made online.
A spokesperson for Kroger said the updated boosters have begun arriving in some stores.
"We anticipate limited availability of these vaccines at first, with availability increasing in the coming weeks," said Kroger Corporate Affairs manager Jenifer Moore.
You can check with your preferred pharmacy to see if it has received a shipment of the shot.
Your county health department's website is also another great place to check for all COVID-19 vaccine information in your area.
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