(C) CDC This story was originally published by CDC and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines Including Boosters [1] [] Date: 2022-11-01 What You Need to Know Updated (bivalent) boosters became available on: September 2, 2022 , for people 12 years of age and older October 12, 2022 , for people aged 5–11 CDC recommends everyone stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines for their age group: Children and teens ages 6 months–17 years Adults ages 18 years and older Getting a COVID-19 vaccine after you recover from COVID-19 infection provides added protection against COVID-19. If you recently had COVID-19, you may consider delaying your next vaccine dose (primary dose or booster) by 3 months from when your symptoms started or, if you had no symptoms, when you first received a positive test. consider delaying your next vaccine dose (primary dose or booster) by 3 months from when your symptoms started or, if you had no symptoms, when you first received a positive test. People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised have different recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines. COVID-19 vaccine and booster recommendations may be updated as CDC continues to monitor the latest COVID-19 data. Updated Boosters Are Recommended for Some People CDC recommends that people ages 5 years and older receive one updated (bivalent) booster if it has been at least 2 months since their last COVID-19 vaccine dose, whether that was: Their final primary series dose, or An original (monovalent) booster People who have gotten more than one original (monovalent) booster are also recommended to get an updated (bivalent) booster. About COVID-19 Vaccines COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States are effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and dying. As with other vaccine-preventable diseases, you are protected best from COVID-19 when you stay up to date with the recommended vaccinations, including recommended boosters. Four COVID-19 vaccines are approved or authorized in the United States: Pfizer-BioNTech Moderna Novavax Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (J&J/Janssen) (However, CDC recommends that the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine only be considered in certain situations, due to safety concerns.) Updated (Bivalent) Boosters The updated (bivalent) boosters are called “bivalent” because they protect against both the original virus that causes COVID-19 and the Omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5. Previous boosters are called “monovalent” because they were designed to protect against the original virus that causes COVID-19. They also provide some protection against Omicron, but not as much as the updated (bivalent) boosters. The virus that causes COVID-19 has changed over time. The different versions of the virus that have developed over time are called variants. Learn more about variants of the COVID-19 virus. Two COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers, Pfizer and Moderna, have developed updated (bivalent) COVID-19 boosters. When Are You Up to Date? You are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines if you have completed a COVID-19 vaccine primary series and received the most recent booster dose recommended for you by CDC. COVID-19 vaccine recommendations are based on three things: Your age The vaccine you first received, and The length of time since your last dose People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised have different recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines. You are still up to date if you receive all COVID-19 vaccine doses recommended for you and then become ill with COVID-19. You do not need to be immediately revaccinated or receive an additional booster. For Healthcare Workers: Learn more about Learn more about COVID-19 vaccine schedules Getting Vaccines If You Had or Currently Have COVID-19 If you recently had COVID-19, you may consider delaying your next vaccine dose (whether a primary dose or booster) by 3 months from when your symptoms started or, if you had no symptoms, when you first received a positive test. Reinfection is less likely in the weeks to months after infection. However, certain factors, such as personal risk of severe disease, or risk of disease in a loved one or close contact, local COVID-19 Community Level, and the most common COVID-19 variant currently causing illness, could be reasons to get a vaccine sooner rather than later. Children and teens ages 6 months–17 years COVID-19 vaccine dosage is based on age on the day of vaccination, not on size or weight. Children get a smaller dose of COVID-19 vaccine than teens and adults based on their age group. Adults ages 18 years and older [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html Published and (C) by CDC Content appears here under this condition or license: Public Domain. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/cdc/