With fall near, it’s time to dig out sweaters, buy leaf bags — and get a COVID-19 shot, experts recommend.
The federal government recently signed off on an updated version of the vaccine intended to protect against “severe disease, hospitalization, and death,” officials said.
Here’s advice from two public health veterans on the latest COVID-19 shot.
Q. Why is there a new vaccine?
A. “It’s the same principal as an annual flu vaccination. It’s a different formulation … that’s manufactured to cover the circulating strains at the time,” Cook County Department of Public Health Chief Operating Officer Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck said. “So last year’s vaccination may not be the optimal protection for this year’s virus.”
Also, “your protection from vaccination wanes over time; it gets weaker and weaker and weaker,” Hasbrouck explained. “And your immune system only has so much memory theory to keep that high level of protection up. So, every year we need an annual refresh.”
Q. Who should get a COVID-19 shot?
A. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends that everyone ages 6 months and older be vaccinated, particularly those at risk of serious outcomes from the virus. That includes people ages 65 and older, or individuals with underlying medical conditions.
Q. Where can I be vaccinated?
A. Retail pharmacies such as Walgreens and CVS are both accepting appointments for the updated vaccine.
The shot should also be widely available at doctor’s offices soon.
Q. Are COVID-19 vaccines effective?
A. Last year, for “those who got the updated vaccine — there was around a 40% to 50% decrease in emergency room visits and hospitalizations depending on what your age group was,” said Dr. Jonathan Pinsky, Edward Hospital’s director of infection control and prevention.
“The main reason we keep seeing COVID over and over again is — no matter how many times you’ve gotten infected, the virus can mutate and then cause reinfection.”
The 2024-2025 vaccine “better matches the more recent circulating variants. That’s why you get less infections when you’re vaccinated with the updated one,” he added.
Q. Should I wait till later in the fall to book my booster?
A. “The sooner the better,” Hasbrouck said. “It takes a couple of weeks for your immune system to ramp up after getting (a shot). It’s two or three weeks before you get the maximum protection from a vaccine.”
Another reason is, “there’s a lot of virus out there,” Pinsky said. Since July, Edward’s been handling an average of 25 patients a week, “which is a pretty busy summer.”
Q. I know a bunch of people who have COVID-19. Are we in a surge?
A. “COVID is multiphasic,” Hasbrouck said. “It’s up and down, up and down. We’re a little bit higher this summer than we were at peak last summer. At this time, there’s no red flags or call for alarm.”
Q. Do you have any advice for parents?
A. Besides getting your family vaccinated, “the most basic thing is to have your kids wash their hands a lot when they come in from school,” Hasbrouck said.
Q. What about flu shots?
A. The flu vaccine is available and can be scheduled along with a COVID-19 shot at pharmacies.
The website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states free COVID-19 tests will be available at the end of September.
Courtesy of HHS.gov
COVID-19 vaccines get updated each year to match newer strains of the virus.
AP