Heading into the holiday season, the temperatures fall, there are more indoor gatherings, and it is more likely that there will be a resurgence in COVID-19 cases.

The best way to protect yourself from the COVID-19 virus and whatever variants develop is to be up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines.

You are up to date if you have completed a COVID-19 vaccine primary series and have received the most recent booster dose recommended for you by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

The CDC has a tool which will tell you when you should get your next booster.

COVID-19 vaccine recommendations are based on three things:

1. Your age
2. The vaccine you first received, and 
3. The length of time since your last dose

Vaccines are highly effective at lowering the COVID-19 infection fatality rate and keeping people out of the hospital. Keeping up with your boosters is the most powerful strategy against the virus.

COVID-19 is not going to be eradicated or eliminated this year, but every person has the ability to help keep numbers at a low enough level that the virus doesn’t disrupt life as we know it, again.

Even knowing this, the CDC reports that booster uptake has been underwhelming. Of the 62 million people over the age of 50 who are eligible for a second booster, only 22 million have received it so far. Of the 95 million people between 18 and 49 who are eligible for their first booster, only 38 million have received it.

Updated bivalent boosters are available. They are called “bivalent” because they protect against the original virus AND the Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5.

The COVID-19 vaccine and all boosters are widely available and free of charge.

Vaccine Resources