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New coronavirus booster pictures designed to focus on the extremely contagious omicron variant at the moment are “extensively accessible” to Utahns, in response to Salt Lake County Well being Division spokesperson Nicholas Rupp.
Doses of the brand new booster started arriving in Utah shortly after the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention endorsed it final week. The state expects to obtain about 111,000 doses by the top of this week, in response to Charla Haley, spokesperson for the Utah Division of Well being and Human Companies.
The brand new “bivalent” shot targets the commonest omicron strains, BA.4 and BA.5, which presently account for almost all infections within the U.S. The pictures are thought of bivalent, or a mixture, as a result of they comprise half the unique vaccine and half the brand new omicron safety, The Related Press reported.
Who’s eligible for the brand new booster?
Anybody 12 or older who hasn’t been boosted within the final two months — however who did full their preliminary coronavirus vaccination sequence — is eligible for the brand new booster, Rupp mentioned.
Moderna boosters are solely accessible for these age 18 and older, whereas the Pfizer model is out there for these 12 and older, Rupp mentioned.
Kids beneath the age of 12 are usually not eligible to obtain the brand new bivalent booster, he mentioned.
The place can I get the brand new booster?
To view an inventory of free group vaccination clinics all through Utah, go to coronavirus.utah.gov/vaccine-distribution. Individuals also can obtain their booster at some pharmacies and physician’s places of work.
In Salt Lake County, you may schedule a booster appointment by visiting SaltLakeHealth.org or by calling 385-468-SHOT. There have been nonetheless appointment slots accessible as of Tuesday.
Ought to I wait to get my booster?
The FDA set the minimal wait time at two months since receiving your final booster dose. Early analysis additionally signifies that getting the brand new bivalent booster inside two to 3 months after your final booster gives solely a small quantity of safety, Rupp mentioned, and that you just stand to get extra safety after three months.
Nevertheless it is determined by your circumstances. If you happen to’re planning on touring internationally or attending a crowded indoor occasion, for instance, Rupp mentioned it could be price it to get it sooner and have that additional degree of safety.
In any other case, it’s price ready till a minimum of three months have handed since your final booster, so that you get “extra bang on your buck,” Rupp mentioned.
If you happen to had COVID-19 lately, the CDC additionally advises that it is best to think about deferring your preliminary vaccination or booster dose for about three months from the date of symptom onset (or constructive take a look at consequence, should you didn’t develop signs).
That’s as a result of research recommend that elevated time between an infection and vaccination might end in an improved immune response. Usually, those that develop COVID-19 carry a low danger of reinfection within the weeks to months after falling ailing, in response to the CDC.
As Rupp suggested, circumstances additionally matter, together with particular person danger components and COVID-19 group ranges, that are calculated by the CDC.
In Utah as of Thursday, almost each county had a “low” COVID-19 group degree aside from Wayne and Cache counties, which had a “medium” degree. San Juan County marked the one county in Utah with a “excessive” COVID-19 group degree. The CDC has mentioned that individuals in excessive group COVID-19 degree areas ought to put on a masks in public indoor areas. No counties in Utah require masking.
If you’re uncertain about ready, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky mentioned in an announcement Thursday that “there is no such thing as a dangerous time to get your COVID-19 booster.” If you’re eligible, she mentioned, “I strongly encourage you to obtain it.”