![]() How do I know if I’ve already gotten the bivalent booster? I don’t remember which COVID vaccines I’ve gotten. You can’t predict when you might get sick, and being boosted means you’ll be back on your feet faster if you become infected. Schedule your booster when it’s convenient for you. That said, it’s a safe bet that the time required to get your booster is less than the time you’d need to take off if you get sick with COVID while unboosted. In an ideal world, everyone would have enough paid leave to take care of their health. I can’t take time off work to get the booster. are still being hospitalized with it every day. ![]() Getting the booster increases the likelihood that your illness will also be mild if you do get infected.Įvery individual’s risk factors for and experiences with COVID are different, and while overall the virus appears to be evolving to cause less severe illness, thousands of people across the U.S. Someone I know had COVID recently and said it wasn’t that bad. And of course, talk through any concerns with your doctor. For example, if you had uncomfortable side effects from Moderna vaccines, try Pfizer for your bivalent booster. If you’re still not sure, consider changing up vaccine brands. After all, your immune system is stronger against COVID now than it was when you got your previous doses. Your experience with the booster won’t necessarily be the same as when you got your prior vaccines. You can also talk to your doctor about taking over-the-counter medications to reduce discomfort. While post-vaccine side effects like fatigue, fever, and chills aren’t enjoyable, they are normal, and experiencing them means that your immune system is working properly. I really don’t want to deal with that again. I felt lousy after my previous COVID shots. Without the updated booster, you’re more likely to experience more severe symptoms that last longer. Studies show it’s doing this well, even with the newer variants. The purpose of the booster is to help you bounce back faster if you do get sick, and to keep you out of the hospital. What’s the point of the booster if I can still get infected? In fact, even as newer variants-like BQ.1, BQ.1.1, and XBB.1.5-become dominant in the U.S., the bivalent boosters are continuing to protect against severe disease, hospitalization, and death. ![]() The bivalent boosters are designed to address both the original strain of the virus and the more contagious omicron variants that have emerged since. The virus that causes COVID-19 is much different now than it was when the first vaccines came out in late 2020. The bivalent booster builds upon your previous vaccinations to keep your immune system ready to help you avoid serious illness. Vaccines are effective, but the immunity they give you wears off over time. We asked Keri Althoff, PhD ’08, MPH ’05, an associate professor in Epidemiology, to help us address some of the questions and concerns people may have about getting the bivalent booster.Īnother COVID vaccine? If they work so well, why do we need more? population has gotten the bivalent booster designed to protect against the omicron variants currently circulating. Three years later, only a small fraction of the eligible U.S. We flaunted our vaccination cards on social media and helped find appointments for friends and family. When vaccines for COVID-19 rolled out in late 2020, people of all ages rushed to get in line.
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