If I am healthy and under 65, do I really need to get it? Fiona Havers noted most of those who were hospitalized for COVID since January had not received last fall's booster.ĥ. "The goal really is to keep people out of the hospital," he says.Īt Tuesday's meeting of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the CDC's Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Pregnant people should also get the shot, says Dr. ![]() That includes people who are over 65 or those who have weakened immune systems or certain other medical conditions, such as chronic lung disease, obesity, advanced diabetes or kidney disease. If you're at high risk of severe disease from COVID, don't think twice, say doctors and infectious disease researchers. Who should definitely get a COVID booster? Robert Wachter, professor and chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco. ![]() "It will markedly increase your protection against getting very sick for about a year or so," says Dr. But for many people, the hope is the COVID shots can be annual, like flu shots. Exactly how long depends on a variety of factors including your immune system, your health, your age and your prior exposures to both the vaccines and infections. The boost in protection against severe disease – the kind of scary symptoms that can send you to the hospital – should last a lot longer. It should also make you more likely to get a more mild case if you do get sick. You'll get a boost in immunity within about two weeks after getting the shot that could reduce your risk of coming down with COVID – and that protection will likely last for a few months. Shots - Health News Unraveling long COVID: Here's what scientists who study the illness want to find out 3. But a spate of recent lab studies suggest it is no better at evading immunity than other circulating variants, and the new COVID boosters should still provide protection. When it first emerged, BA.2.86 set off alarms because it had so many mutations. That includes BA.2.86, a new strain that authorities began tracking in August. Though new variants have emerged since the FDA developed the booster, the updated shots are still "very closely matched to all the circulating strains," says Andrew Pekosz, a virologist and immunologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Will they protect against the newest COVID variants? They're updated versions of the existing Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines and have been formulated to target a relatively recent omicron subvariant called XBB. The new boosters are a much closer match to currently circulating variants than prior vaccines, say federal health officials. We have viruses such as influenza, COVID-19 and RSV,” Urfalyan said.ĭoctors hope enough people get vaccinated to avert last year’s “tripledemic” that overwhelmed hospitals.Shots - Health News CDC advisers back broad rollout of new COVID boosters “This season, it’s very crucial for all patients to get vaccinated to protect the community to protect our high-risk patients. “Just in case there are no available appointments right now doesn’t mean there won’t be.”Īccording to a survey cited by the CDC, approximately 42% of respondents said they would definitely or probably get the new vaccine, yet only about 20% of adults got an updated booster when it was offered a year ago. “They update as our vaccines come in on a day-to-day basis,” Urfalyan said. “We have the vaccine for patients 5 years old to 11 years old, and 12 years and older. Our Minute Clinic locations with CVS are able to vaccinate patients 18 months and older,” Urfalyan said.ĬVS suggests regularly checking online or on its app for appointments as more stores get the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming days. The vaccines are officially rolling out at CVS and Walgreens early next week, but appointments are available now. Both pharmacy chains say some stores are already administering the vaccine as shipments arrive. “It’s encouraging to see our patients are already lining up and signing up for the vaccine. It’s very crucial to protect our community and we’re expecting our appointments to be filling in as we get the supply in all our locations,” said Harut Urfalyan, a CVS pharmacist. California Legislature passes bill to decriminalize psychedelics.Hollywood & Mind partners with Bumble to address isolation and loneliness crisis.Red Cross warns national blood supply 'critically low,' blames climate disasters. ![]() CDC advisory committee recommends updated COVID-19 vaccine.
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