The CDC recommends everyone six months and older to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potential uptick in COVID-19 illnesses this fall and winter.
The updated COVID-19 vaccine will soon be available in San Luis Obispo County. Public Health Officials say you can expect to start making appointments for the vaccine at the end of the month.
“The update is that it is a monovalent. It really only acts against one strain, the Omicron strain,” Penny Borenstein, San Luis Obispo County Health Officer, said.
Borenstein explains what it was like before the updated vaccine came out.
“Before that, we had a bivalent version which was against the original strain of the virus as well as the Omicron,” Borenstein said.
The vaccine is recommended for everyone six months and older, regardless of prior vaccinations.
“You should wait two months since your last dose to get this one,” Borenstein said.
Dr. Borenstein says to check with your local pharmacy to see if or when they will have the new vaccine in stock.
“Some pharmacies have started to receive it, others that have ordered like ourselves have not yet got our vaccine orders, but it should be coming any week now,” Borenstein said.
According to the San Luis Obispo Public Health Department, most health insurance will cover this vaccine. It is no longer available for free from the federal government.
Borenstein says the hope is that this booster will be good through the fall, winter and beyond.
“It’s now becoming like the flu where we think we will have an annual booster dose of the vaccine. To act against the current circulating strains of the virus,” Borenstein said.
For people without health insurance, there is a program to get the vaccine. You can contact your local Public Health Department or other community health centers. There are also programs for children.
The San Luis Obispo County Health Department recommends checking with local pharmacies or health clinics for more information about the program.
